The History of Canada Postal Codes

In the 1940s, Canada was split into postal zones. The initial system consisted of 14 different zone numbers, ranging from 1 to 15. The numbers 7 and 11 were not used. In 1944, Montreal was divided into postal zones. By the end of the decade, other Canadian cities were separated into zones as well. Until the late 1960s, addresses in these cities were written with one-digit zone codes. However, by 1977, Canada Post had fully implemented the three-digit system.


Canadian postal codes are alphanumeric codes consisting of six characters. Each code represents a province, territory, urban area, or village. The first three characters represent the province, while the second group contains local indicators. Initially, only the province of Ontario was fully coded. Then, Canada Post rolled out a pilot coding program in Ottawa. It was not until the 1970s that a national postal code was introduced.

A postal code is used to identify a local delivery unit in Canada. Each code has a first-character that represents the province or territory in which the postal service delivers mail. The second character represents a postal district and identifies a specific geographic district. It also indicates a local delivery area, and the last three represent the house or neighbourhood in which the mail was delivered.

Canada has multiple postal districts. Ontario and Quebec both have five, while the Northwest Territories have two. Each province has at least one urban area. For example, Toronto and Montreal have their own postal districts. In addition, Nunavut was separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999.

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