Postal codes in Canada

A Canadian postal code (French: code postal) is an alphanumeric string, consisting of a pair of three-character groups separated by one space in the middle. The relevant instruction from Canada Post follows.

"Print the postal code in uppercase with the first three characters separated from the last three by one space. Don’t use hyphens."

Canada Post is explicit in that exactly one space is to be used in formatting a postal code, so from a computing perspective, the string contains strictly 7 characters.

The postal code is necessary in forming a complete postal address in Canada. Canada's postal codes are alphanumeric. They are in the format A1A 1A1, where A is a letter and 1 is a digit, with a space separating the third and fourth characters. As of October 2019, there were 876,445 postal codes, using forward sortation areas (FSAs), from A0A in Newfoundland to Y1A in Yukon.

Canada Post provides a postal code look-up tool on its website and via its mobile application, and sells hard-copy directories and CD-ROMs. Many vendors also sell validation tools, which allow customers to properly match addresses and postal codes. Hard-copy directories can also be consulted in all post offices, and some libraries.

In writing out the postal address for a location within Canada, the postal code follows the abbreviation for the province or territory.

Postal codes by province and territory
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