The UK postal system runs on a system of alphanumeric codes, or Postcodes. Each postcode begins with a prefix consisting of one or two letters. Normally this prefix, the postal area denotes the main sorting office through which the post for that place is filtered before being distributed to individual addresses; the only exception to this rule is with postcodes in the inner London area (but this does not correspond completely to other definitions of inner London). Royal Mail is the national postal service in the United Kingdom. ... UK and Australian postal codes are known as postcodes. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ...

Note that the postcodes, and also the full postal addresses, do not follow local government or traditional county boundaries. The London postal districts cover a much smaller area than the Greater London Authority and many areas in outer London have non-London postcodes, eg. UB - Uxbridge. The British Isles are divided into the following traditional counties (also vice counties or historic counties). ... // The system of London postal districts predated the introduction of postcodes throughout the United Kingdom in the 1960s. ... The Greater London Authority (GLA) administers the 1579 sq. ...

Postal counties are no longer required by Royal Mail; and if a postcode is supplied, the county will be ignored. Many people will still quote their address using them, however. The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known officially as the former postal counties, were subdivisions of the UK in routine use by the Royal Mail until 1996. ... Royal Mail is the national postal service in the United Kingdom. ...

See also List of postal districts in the United Kingdom for a list of all 2900 districts. This is a list of the post towns of the United Kingdom sorted in postcode sequence. ...

United Kingdom Postal Areas

• AB - Aberdeen
• AL - St Albans
• B - Birmingham
• BA - Bath
• BB - Blackburn
• BD - Bradford
• BH - Bournemouth
• BL - Bolton
• BN - Brighton
• BR - Bromley
• BS - Bristol
• BT - Belfast (covers the whole of Northern Ireland)
• CA - Carlisle
• CB - Cambridge
• CF - Cardiff
• CH - Chester
• CM - Chelmsford
• CO - Colchester
• CR - Croydon
• CT - Canterbury
• CV - Coventry
• CW - Crewe
• DA - Dartford
• DD - Dundee
• DE - Derby
• DG - Dumfries and Galloway
• DH - Durham
• DL - Darlington
• DN - Doncaster
• DT - Dorchester
• DY - Dudley
• E - East London
• EC - East Central London
• EH - Edinburgh
• EN - Enfield
• EX - Exeter
• FK - Falkirk
• FY - Blackpool (Fylde)
• G - Glasgow
• GL - Gloucester
• GU - Guildford
• HA - Harrow
• HD - Huddersfield
• HG - Harrogate
• HP - Hemel Hempstead
• HR - Hereford
• HS - Outer Hebrides
• HU - Kingston upon Hull
• HX - Halifax
• IG - Ilford (and Gants Hill)
• IP - Ipswich
• IV - Inverness
• KA - Kilmarnock
• KT - Kingston-upon-Thames
• KW - Kirkwall
• KY - Kirkcaldy
• L - Liverpool
• LA - Lancaster
• LD - Llandrindod Wells
• LE - Leicester
• LL - Llandudno (possibly generic for other placenames beginning Llan- or Llyn-)
• LN - Lincoln
• LS - Leeds
• LU - Luton
• M - Manchester
• ME - Medway Towns
• MK - Milton Keynes
• ML - Motherwell
• N - North London
• NE - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• NG - Nottingham
• NN - Northampton
• NP - Newport
• NR - Norwich
• NW - North West London
• OL - Oldham
• OX - Oxford
• PA - Paisley
• PE - Peterborough
• PH - Perth
• PL - Plymouth
• PO - Portsmouth
• PR - Preston
• RG - Reading
• RH - Redhill
• RM - Romford
• S - Sheffield
• SA - Swansea
• SE - South East London
• SG - Stevenage
• SK - Stockport
• SL - Slough
• SM - Sutton (and Morden)
• SN - Swindon
• SO - Southampton
• SP - Salisbury (The P is a mystery - Salisbury Plain?)
• SR - Sunderland
• SS - Southend on Sea
• ST - Stoke-on-Trent
• SW - South West London
• SY - Shrewsbury
• TA - Taunton
• TD - Galashiels (Tweed)
• TF - Telford
• TN - Tonbridge
• TQ - Torquay
• TR - Truro
• TS - Teesside
• TW - Twickenham
• UB - Uxbridge
• W - West London
• WA - Warrington
• WC - West Central London
• WD - Watford
• WF - Wakefield
• WN - Wigan
• WR - Worcester
• WS - Walsall
• WV - Wolverhampton
• YO - York
• ZE - Shetland (Zetland)

Aberdeens location in Scotland Aberdeen (Obar Dheathain in Scottish Gaelic) is Scotlands third largest city, with a population of 212,125. ... St Albans (thus spelt, no apostrophe or dot) is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... The Palladian-style Pulteney Bridge and the weir at Bath Bath is a city in South West England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. ... Location within the British Isles Blackburn is a town in Lancashire, England (2001 census population 105,085: source ONS). ... Location within the British Isles This article discusses the city Bradford, in West Yorkshire, England. ... Bournemouth is a seaside resort in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. ... Location within the British Isles Arms of Bolton, the motto is Latin for Overcome your hinderance Bolton is a town in the Greater Manchester urban area in England, and traditionally part of Lancashire. ... Brighton on the southern Sussex coast is one of the largest and most famous seaside resorts in England. ... The London Borough of Bromley is a London Borough of outer southeast London. ... Bristol is an English city and county and one of the three administrative centres of South West England (with Plymouth and Exeter). ... Belfast (Béal Feirste in Irish) is a city in the United Kingdom, and the second-largest city on the island of Ireland. ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1... Map sources for Carlisle at grid reference NY3955 This article is about the English city. ... Map of the Cambridgeshire area (1904) The city of Cambridge is an old English university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire. ... The Norman Keep, Cardiff Castle Aerial view of the Millennium Stadium The Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Cardiff (Welsh: Caerdydd) is the capital and largest city of Wales. ... Chester is the county town of Cheshire in northwestern England. ... Arms of Chelmsford Borough Council This article is about the town of Chelmsford in Essex. ... Colchester town centre Colchester is an historic town in the north of the English county of Essex, with a population of about 160,000. ... Croydon is a major suburban town and commercial centre situated 9. ... St Peters St, Canterbury, from the West Gate, 1993 Canterbury (Latin: Duroverum) is a cathedral city in the county of Kent in southeast England. ... The Precinct in Coventry city centre For alternative meanings see: Coventry (disambiguation) Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. ... Map sources for Crewe at grid reference SJ705557 Crewe is a large town in south Cheshire, in the north west of England. ... Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. ... For other uses see Dundee (disambiguation) Dundee is Scotlands fourth largest city, population 154 674 (2001), situated on the North bank of the Firth of Tay. ... This article is about the city of Derby in England. ... Dumfries and Galloway (Dùn Phris agus Gall-Ghaidhealaibh in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland. ... Durham (IPA: locally, in RP) is a small city in the north east of England. ... Darlington is an town in the north-east of England. ... Map sources for Doncaster at grid reference SE5702 Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, (and in the former West Riding of Yorkshire), England. ... The main road through Dorchester Dorchester is a market town in south west Dorset, England, situated on the River Frome and A35 road 20 miles west of Poole and five miles north of Weymouth. ... Map sources for Dudley at grid reference SO9390 Dudley is a town in the West Midlands of England. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Edinburghs location in Scotland Edinburgh viewed from Arthurs Seat. ... The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough. ... A number of other places have taken their names from Exeter The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon, in England, UK. It is located at 50° 43 25 N, 3° 31 39 W. In the 2001 census its population was recorded at 111,066. ... Falkirks location in Scotland Falkirk (An Eaglais Bhreac in Scottish Gaelic) is a town in Scotland, in the district of Falkirk. ... The Tower, Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in England, on the coast of the Irish Sea. ... Glasgows location in Scotland Glasgow (or Glaschu in Gaelic) is Scotlands largest city and unitary council, situated on the River Clyde in the countrys west central lowlands. ... This article is about the city of Gloucester in England; for other uses see Gloucester (disambiguation). ... Map sources for Guildford at grid reference SU9949 Guildford is the county town of Surrey, England, as well as being the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region. ... The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of outer northwest London. ... Huddersfield is a large town located in the county of West Yorkshire in England, near the confluence of the River Colne and the River Holme. ... Map sources for Harrogate at grid reference SE3055 Harrogate is a town in North Yorkshire, England, with a population of 70,000. ... Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire, England with a population of 81,143 at the 2001 Census. ... Location within the British Isles Hereford Cathedral Hereford (Welsh: Henffordd (pronounced Henfuth)) is a city in the west of England, close to the border with Wales and on the River Wye. ... The Outer Hebrides or Western Isles (officially known by their Gaelic name, Na h-Eileanan Siar) comprise an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... Halifax is a town in the county of West Yorkshire, northern England, with a population of about 90,000. ... Ilford is a town in the London Borough of Redbridge in East London. ... Gants Hill is a place in the London Borough of Redbridge in East London through which runs the A12 (Eastern Avenue). ... For other places and usages with this name, see Ipswich (disambiguation). ... Inverness (Inbhir Nis in Scottish Gaelic) is the only city in the Scottish Highlands. ... View from Kilmarnock train station onto John Finnie Street. ... == Hello lizzie == Kingston upon Thames, part of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is an ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned, and is now a lively suburb of London. ... Location within the British Isles Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, in northern Scotland. ... Kirkcaldy is currently the largest town in Fife, Scotland. ... Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Northwest England. ... A view of Lancaster showing the Lune, the Millennium Bridge and the Ashton Memorial Lancaster (2001 census population 45,952: source ONS) is a city in Lancashire, in the north-west of England, UK. It is a commercial, cultural and educational centre. ... Llandrindod Wells (Welsh: Llandrindod) is a town in Powys, traditional county of Radnorshire, mid Wales. ... Leicester (pronounced ) is a city in the English East Midlands, on the River Soar. ... Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in the county borough of Conwy in North Wales. ... Lincoln (pronounced Lin-kun) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England, a bridging point over the River Witham that flows to Boston. ... Leeds is a city in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... Luton is a town and local government district in England, located 50km north of central London. ... Manchester is a city in the North West of England. ... This article is about Medway in England. ... Milton Keynes (pronounced ) is a purpose-built, high technology city in the south east of England approximately 50 miles (80km) north of London and mid-way between Oxford and Cambridge. ... Motherwell (Tobar na Màthar in Gaelic) is a Scottish town, in northern Lanarkshire, between Glasgow and Edinburgh. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Newcastle upon Tyne, often shortened to Newcastle, is a city in the county of Tyne and Wear in North East England. ... Nottingham is the county city of Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of England. ... This article is about Northampton in England; for other places of the same name see Northampton (disambiguation) Northampton Guildhall, built 1861-4, E.W. Godwin, architect Northampton is a large market town and a local government district in central England upon the River Nene, and the county town of Northamptonshire. ... This article is about the Welsh city of Newport. ... This article is about the English city. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Location within the British Isles Mumps Bridge, Oldham Oldham is a large town in North West England, on the north-eastern edge of the Greater Manchester conurbation, with a population of around 220,000. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... Paisley (Pàislig in Scottish Gaelic) is a large town, and former royal burgh in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. ... Peterborough is a city and unitary authority in the East of England // Geography Peterborough Town Hall is located 73. ... Perths location in Scotland Perth (Peairt in Scottish Gaelic) is a town in central Scotland. ... Plymouth is a city in the South West of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ... This article is about the English city of Portsmouth. ... Preston is a city and local government district in North West England. ... St Marys Church and market Reading is a town and unitary authority in Berkshire in England, at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, halfway between London and Oxford. ... Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. ... Romford is a place in East London. ... This article is about the city in England. ... View of Oxford Street in Swansea city centre Marina, formerly South Dock in the Maritime Quarter Aerial view of Swansea Bay Swansea (Welsh: Abertawe, mouth of the Tawe) is a city and county in South Wales, situated on the coast immediately to the east of the Gower Peninsula. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Stevenage is a town and district in Hertfordshire, England, and is part of the London Commuter Belt. ... Stockports Town Hall Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, in North West England. ... Slough (pronounced ) is a town and unitary authority in the county of Berkshire in the south of England. ... Sutton is the principal town in the London Borough of Sutton. ... Morden is a place in the London Borough of Merton. ... Swindon is a large town located in the South West of England, in the county of Wiltshire. ... Civic Centre, Southampton Southampton is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England. ... Salisbury Cathedral by Constable. ... Sunderland is an industrial city and port in the English metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. ... Southend-on-Sea is a seaside resort and unitary authority in the East of England. ... This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... This article is about the town of Shrewsbury in England. ... Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. ... Galashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. ... There are other rivers with this name: see Tweed River The River Tweed at Abbotsford, near Melrose The River Tweed at Coldstream The River Tweed (156 kilometres or 97 miles long) flows primarily through the Borders region of Scotland. ... Map sources for Telford at grid reference SJ6909 Telford is a planned town in Shropshire, England, that was named after the engineer Thomas Telford. ... Location within the British Isles Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 31,600 in 2001. ... Location within the British Isles Part of the Torquay seafront at high tide Torquay is a town on the south coast of England in the county of Devon which has extended along the coast of Torbay to the extent that it is now inextricably intermingled with the neighbouring town of... A street in Truro, with Truro Cathedral in the background. ... Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in northern England based on Middlesbrough, Stockton and Redcar, along the banks of the River Tees with a resident population of over 465,000 in 2005. ... Twickenham is a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in the south-west of London. ... Uxbridge is a place in the London Borough of Hillingdon in west London. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Alternate uses: see Warrington (disambiguation). ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Watford is a town and district (styled as borough due to the historical charter granted by Henry VIII) just to the north-west of London. ... For other uses of the word, see Wakefield (disambiguation). ... Map sources for Wigan at grid reference SD583055 Wigan is a large town in the north-west of England, in the Metropolitan County of Greater Manchester, traditionally lying in the historic and geographic county of Lancashire. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... Map sources for Walsall at grid reference SP0198 Walsall Art Gallery Walsall is an industrial town in the West Midlands of England. ... Wolverhampton is an industrial, commercial and university city and metropolitan borough in the English West Midlands, traditionally part of the county of Staffordshire. ... York is a city in northern England, at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. ... See Shetland (disambiguation) for other meanings. ...

Crown Dependencies

The Crown Dependencies did not introduce postcodes until the early 1990s. Crown dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies. ...

• GY - Guernsey
• JE - Jersey
• IM - Isle of Man

Overseas Territories

Some of the UK's Overseas Territories have postcodes, valid for all local addresses. They were introduced between 2003 and 2005 to avoid the misdirection of mail to other destinations, and to help residents of those territories make online purchases from websites that required a postcode in order to validate the address. A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (almost exclusively Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Online means being connected to the Internet or another similar electronic network, like a bulletin board system. ... The front page of the English Wikipedia Website. ...

• ASCN 1ZZ - Ascension Island
• BBND 1ZZ - British Indian Ocean Territory
• BIQQ 1ZZ - British Antarctic Territory
• FIQQ 1ZZ - Falkland Islands
• PCRN 1ZZ - Pitcairn Islands
• SIQQ 1ZZ - South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• STHL 1ZZ - Saint Helena
• TDCU 1ZZ - Tristan da Cunha
• TKCA 1ZZ - Turks and Caicos Islands

Ascension Island from space, December 1990 Ascension Island is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, and includes tiny satellite islands and rocks such as Boatswain Bird Island, Boatswain Bird Rock (East), White Rocks (South), and Tartar Rock (West, at the shore of Georgetown). ... Flag of the British Antarctic Territory The British Antarctic Territory is the British claim to land and islands in Antarctica, and is the oldest territorial claim on the continent. ... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat Official language English Capital Grytviken Civil Commisioner Howard Pearce Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 3,093 km² - Population  - Total (2003 E)  - Density not ranked ~100 n/a; Currency Falkland pound (FKP; fixed to GBP) Time zone UTC -4 (DST -3) National anthem God Save the... Tristan da Cunha is a remote island in the south Atlantic Ocean, at 37°8′ S 12°28′ W. It is a dependency of St. ...

Fictional postcodes

• AM - Ambridge, Borsetshire, (The Archers)
• E20 - Walford, East London (EastEnders)
• RE1 - the city-sized interplanetary vessel Red Dwarf (Red Dwarf) (Probably considered an overseas territory)

Ambridge is a fictional village and the setting for most of the action in the UK cult radio programme, The Archers which has just celebrated 50 years. ... The Archers was also a film production company responsible for many classic British films in the 1940s and 50s. ... Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. ... EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera which was first broadcast on 19 February 1985. ... This article describes the British science fiction comedy television series. ... Red Dwarf is a science fiction Britcom (British situational comedy) created and originally written by Grant Naylor (the pseudonym for the gestalt entity comprised of the writing duo Rob Grant and Doug Naylor). ...

See also

• UK topics
• Postal counties of the United Kingdom
• UK telephone area codes (STD codes)

This is a list of topics related to the United Kingdom. ... The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known officially as the former postal counties, were subdivisions of the UK in routine use by the Royal Mail until 1996. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ...

External links

• Postal Geography page from the Office of National Statistics (ONS)