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Home / Blog / The Anatomy of a US Street Address Dissecting a US Street Address
A US street address looks simple on the surface, but it contains multiple components with specific roles in the postal system. Understanding each component helps developers build better address forms, parsers, and validation systems.
The Full Address Structure
A complete US address can include up to 8 distinct components:
[Primary Number] [Predirectional] [Street Name] [Street Suffix] [Postdirectional], [Secondary Designator] [Secondary Number]
[City], [State] [ZIP Code]-[ZIP+4]
Complete Example
1234 N Main Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005-3701
Line 1: The Street Address
Primary Address Number
The house or building number. This is almost always the first element.
Typically 1 to 5 digits: 1, 42, 123, 1234, 99999
Can include letter suffixes: 123A, 456B
Can include fractions: 123 1/2 (yes, these exist)
Hyphenated numbers are used in some areas: 12-34 (common in Queens, New York)
Predirectional
A compass direction that comes before the street name:
N (North), **S** (South), **E** (East), **W** (West)NE (Northeast), **NW** (Northwest), **SE** (Southeast), **SW** (Southwest)Example: **1234 N Main Street** — the "N" is the predirectional.
Not all addresses have a predirectional. It is only used in cities with a grid system where streets have directional variants (N Main vs S Main).
Street Name
The name of the street. This can be:
A word: Main, Oak, Elm, Park, Washington
A number: 1st, 2nd, 42nd (common in grid-based cities)
Multiple words: Martin Luther King Jr, Santa Monica
A person's name: Lincoln, Kennedy, Jefferson
Street Suffix
The type of road. USPS maintains a standard list of suffixes and their abbreviations:
| Full | Abbreviation | Full | Abbreviation |
|------|-------------|------|-------------|
| Street | ST | Boulevard | BLVD |
| Avenue | AVE | Circle | CIR |
| Drive | DR | Court | CT |
| Road | RD | Place | PL |
| Lane | LN | Terrace | TER |
| Way | WAY | Trail | TRL |
| Highway | HWY | Parkway | PKWY |
USPS recognizes over 200 suffix types with their standard abbreviations.
Postdirectional
A compass direction that comes after the street suffix:
Example: **1234 Main Street NW** — the "NW" is the postdirectional.
This is different from the predirectional and can coexist with it:
1234 N Main Street NW
Here "N" modifies the street name (North Main Street) and "NW" indicates the quadrant of the city (Northwest).
Line 2: Secondary Address
Secondary Designator
Identifies the type of sub-unit within a building:
Apt (Apartment)Suite or **Ste** (Suite)Unit Floor or **Fl**Room or **Rm**Department or **Dept**# (generic number sign)Secondary Number
The specific unit identifier: 5B, 200, 12A, 3rd Floor.
Apt 5B
Suite 200
Unit 12A
Floor 3
#301
Line 3: City, State, ZIP
City
The USPS-recognized city name. Important notes:
USPS has a preferred city name for each ZIP code
Some locations have multiple accepted city names
City names are never abbreviated in standard USPS format
State
The two-letter USPS state abbreviation. All 50 states, DC, and US territories have official codes.
ZIP Code
ZIP: 5 digits (10001)ZIP+4: 5 digits + hyphen + 4 digits (10001-1234)The ZIP+4 narrows delivery to a specific block face, building floor, or organization.
Special Address Types
PO Box
PO Box 1234
City, ST 12345
No street address — just the PO Box number.
Rural Route (historical)
RR 2 Box 45
City, ST 12345
Mostly replaced by 911 street addresses but still exists in some areas.
Military
PFC John Smith
Unit 12345 Box 6789
APO AE 09001
Uses APO (Army Post Office) or FPO (Fleet Post Office) with special "state" codes (AA, AE, AP).
Tips for Developers
**Support two address lines** - Line 1 for street address, Line 2 for apartment/suite
**Do not try to parse all components** from a single free-text field unless you use a proven parser library
**Allow the # symbol** as a secondary designator - many users prefer "# 301" over "Apt 301"
**Handle hyphenated house numbers** - Required for certain regions
**Accept ZIP+4** but do not require it
**Use USPS Web Tools** for official address standardization in production systems