Map with ZIP codes

Worked example: the default three

The tool starts with three ZIP codes. Their ZCTA points are:

• 90210: 34.1005, -118.4146
• 10001: 40.7506, -73.9973
• 60601: 41.8852, -87.6215

The dots are 1,750 miles apart from 90210 to 60601 and 711 miles from 60601 to 10001, measured straight.

How to use it

1. Replace the sample ZIP codes with your own, separated by spaces or new lines.
2. Press Plot ZIPs.
3. The tool loads the ZCTA point list once, then draws a dot for each code it finds and zooms to fit them.
4. If no code matches, a notice says so. Check that the codes are five digits and are not PO box ZIPs.

Why dots and not ZIP shapes

ZIP codes are mail routes and have no official outline. The Census Bureau's ZCTAs approximate them from census blocks. The full set of ZCTA polygons is large to download, so this tool uses one point per ZCTA, which loads quickly and is enough to show where a list of ZIPs clusters.

A dot marks the ZCTA's internal point, which the Census Bureau places inside the area. For a large rural ZIP, the dot can be miles from the post office or from any given address.

What the tool accepts

Any run of spaces or new lines separates codes, so a column pasted from a spreadsheet works. Characters other than digits are removed and only the first five digits are kept, so ZIP+4 codes like 10001-2062 plot as 10001. Codes with no ZCTA, such as PO box ZIPs, are skipped. If nothing matches, the tool says so.

Next steps

To measure between two codes, use the ZIP code distance tool. To list every ZIP near one point, use ZIP codes within a radius. To shade areas by a value, counties work better than ZIPs; see the county choropleth maker.

Preparing a ZIP list

Spreadsheets often store ZIP codes as numbers and drop the leading zero, turning 02108 into 2108. Format the column as text or add the zero back before pasting; four-digit entries are not matched.

Duplicate ZIPs plot as a single dot, so the map shows where your list reaches, not how many entries share a code. Codes with extra spaces or punctuation are cleaned before matching, so pasted columns rarely need editing beyond the leading zero.