Forward Sortation Areas Canada

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Canada's postal code system, and how is it used?

Canada's postal code data depicts boundaries across all of the country's geographic regions. Though numbered postal zones were first used in Toronto in 1925, these modern postal codes—also known as postcodes—were gradually introduced in 1971–1974 to facilitate automatic sortation and efficient mail routing across the country.

Does Canada have ZIP Codes?

Yes. These are better known as area postal codes (or: postal codes). People also refer to postal codes as PIN codes. This is an short for Postal Index Number.

What is the length of postal codes in Canada?

The length of a ZIP code in Canada consists of 6 characters. These postal codes consist of 3 digits and 3 letters.

How are Canadian ZIP codes structured?

Canadian postal codes consist of six characters. The first section is known as the FSA (forward sortation area) and the second represents an LDU (local delivery unit). These digits represent the following:

Axx xxx: The first letter targets a specific postal district. Quebec and Ontario are targeted by multiple letters as they contain multiple postal districts—all other provinces and territories are targeted by a single letter (for example, V targets all of British Columbia.)
x1x xxx: The second digit communicates whether the targeted area is rural (0) or urban (1-9).
xxA xxx: The third digit targets an exact geographical region, such as a town or city.
xxx A1A: The second half of a Canadian postal code denotes a local delivery unit (LDU) which can contain either a single address or a range of addresses.

How many postal codes are there in Canada?

1791

What's the current postal code range in Canada?

The current FSA postal code range in Canada is between A0 – Y1. The lowest postal codes (beginning with an A0A FSA) are located in Newfoundland and Labrador. The highest postal code area (postal codes beginning with Y1A) is situated in Yukon.

Which postal codes are associated with which cities or areas?

Postal Code	Province and Capital
Bxx xxx	Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick - St. John's (NL), Halifax (NS), Fredericton (NB)
Cxx xxx	Prince Edward Island - Charlottetown
Exx xxx	Quebec - Quebec City
Gxx xxx, Hxx xxx, Jxx xxx	Quebec - Quebec City
Kxx xxx, Lxx xxx, Mxx xxx, Nxx xxx, Pxx xxx	Ontario - Toronto
Rxx xxx	Manitoba - Winnipeg
Sxx xxx	Saskatchewan - Regina
Txx xxx, Vxx xxx, Xxx xxx	British Columbia - Victoria
Yxx xxx	Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut - Whitehorse (YT), Yellowknife (NT), Iqaluit (NU)

Can you give me some examples of Canadian postal codes?

Province	Example
Nova Scotia	B3K 5X5
New Brunswick	E3B 0G6
Newfoundland and Labrador	A1B 2C3
Prince Edward Island	C1A 4P3
Quebec	G1R 2G3, G1S 1S1, H1H 1H1, J1J 1J1
Ontario	K1A 0B1, L1L 1L1, M1M 1M1, N1N 1N1, P1P 1P1
Manitoba	R3T 2N2
Saskatchewan	S7K 0S0
British Columbia	V5K 0A1, V9N 9E9, X0A 0A0
Yukon	Y1A 1A1
Northwest Territories	X0E 0E0
Yukon	Y1A 1A1
Northwest Territories	X0E 0E0
Nunavut	X0A 0A0

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