How to address an envelope: the USPS format, with examples

Almost all US mail is sorted by machines that read the address on the envelope. An address in the right place and the right format is read in a fraction of a second; one that is not may be sent for manual sorting or come back. These are the rules the US Postal Service publishes, with examples.

The three parts of an envelope

• Return address: your name and address in the upper left corner of the front, on the same side as the delivery address.
• Postage: the stamp goes in the upper right corner.
• Delivery address: in the middle of the envelope, written parallel to the long side.

The order of the lines

A delivery address has three parts, top to bottom: the recipient, the delivery address line, and the last line with the city, state and ZIP code.

• Line up the left edges. The Postal Service asks for a uniform left margin, so every line starts at the same point.
• Capitals are preferred, and no commas or periods. Normal capitalization is also accepted, so "Springfield, IL" will still arrive; capitals without punctuation are simply easiest for the machines.
• Use the standard abbreviations for street types and directions: ST, AVE, BLVD, DR, RD, LN, N, SW.
• The ZIP+4 (the four digits after the dash) is optional but helps. You can look it up with the ZIP Code tool on usps.com.

Apartments, suites and units

Put the apartment or suite number at the end of the street line: 77 HARBOR VIEW DR APT 4B, or with a pound sign, 77 HARBOR VIEW DR # 4B. If the line would be too long, the Postal Service allows it on the line just above the street line.

PO boxes

Write the PO box on its own line, in place of the street: PO BOX 1234. Use either a PO box or a street address, not both, because the ZIP code tells the Postal Service where to deliver.

Businesses and attention lines

For mail to a person at a company, put the attention line above the company name:

Care of (c/o)

When someone is staying at another person's address, write their name first and "C/O" with the name of the person who lives there on the next line, then the address.

Families and couples

The Postal Service only needs a name that someone at the address answers to; the rest is etiquette. Common forms are "The Rivera Family", "Alex and Sam Rivera", or for formal invitations "Mr. and Mrs. Sam Rivera". Holiday cards usually go to the family; wedding invitations traditionally name everyone invited.

International mail

For mail leaving the US, the Postal Service asks for the whole address in capital letters, in Roman letters and Arabic numerals, with the city and postal code together and the country name alone on the last line, written in full:

For Canada, leave two spaces between the province and the postal code. A complete return address with your full name, not just initials, is recommended on all international mail and required with a customs form.

Make it easy to read

• Dark ink on a light envelope. Red or silver ink on a dark envelope is hard for the machines to read.
• Keep the address in the read area, between ⅝ in and 2¾ in above the bottom edge, with ½ in clear at each side, and leave the bottom right corner empty for the barcode the Postal Service prints.
• Printed or handwritten, keep the letters separate and clear. Fancy script looks beautiful on invitations; for everyday mail a plain font is read most reliably.

Checklist

• Return address in the upper left, stamp in the upper right, delivery address in the middle.
• Recipient, street line with the apartment number, then city, state and ZIP.
• Same left edge for every line, no commas or periods, capitals if you can.
• Country on the last line for international mail.

Printing many envelopes? The envelope printer places the addresses this way automatically, and the envelope sizes chart helps you pick the envelope.