Mailing Your Letter

On the same day that you mail your letter, the United States Post Office will also handle millions of other pieces of mail. To make processing this huge amount of mail easier, the Post Office asks you to follow these guidelines in preparing and addressing envelopes for mailing:

•  Do not mail letters or cards that are less than 88.9 x 127 millimeters

•  Put the street address, Post Office box number, or rural route number on the second line from the bottom. Write the city, state, and ZIP code on the bottom line.

•  If the address is an apartment building, put the number of the apartment directly after the street address on the second line.

•  Two-letter abbreviations for states have been approved by the U.S. Post Office. If you use these abbreviations, always use a ZIP code with them. Here is a list of the approved abbreviations: