ZIP Code Visualizer

December 22, 2003 2:50 PM

ZIP Code VisualizerA Java-based map of the continental US that progressively narrows down the area covered by a ZIP Code as you type in the numbers one by one. [Doesn't work so good in Mac IE 5. via xBlog]
posted by kirkaracha (25 comments total)

That is really cool. Now I can finally see a rhyme and reason why things are numbered the way they are.

Where are alaska and hawaii though?
posted by mathowie at 3:01 PM on December 22, 2003

I don't know why this is cool, but, good gravy, I could spend a while playing with this.
posted by efalk at 3:08 PM on December 22, 2003

Quite fun. Just wish I could get some zoom action. I'd like to see the borders a little clearer.
posted by woil at 3:17 PM on December 22, 2003

Oddly addictive, great for a slow weekend in the office.
posted by elvolio at 3:19 PM on December 22, 2003

Check out Ben Fry's other neat visualizations such as haplotype blocks. He was included in this year's Cooper-Hewitt Triennial.
posted by plemeljr at 3:30 PM on December 22, 2003

pretty cool, now if i could only remember the zip code to send things to Zoom... also who remembers what ZIP stands for anyhoo?
posted by Duck_Lips at 3:34 PM on December 22, 2003

Zone Improvement Plan, apparantly. Kirkaracha even added nice acronym tags to tell us that, but I guess your browser doesn't support that... (I just upgraded my browser and found out it supports those now, hence the gloating).
posted by fvw at 3:42 PM on December 22, 2003

pretty cool, now if i could only remember the zip code to send things to Zoom

Box 350 Boston Mass, 0-2-1-3-4....Send it to Zoom!

But the app reports 02134 as Allston, MA.

This data isn't very timely, however. My zip of 80138 (created in the last couple of years) isn't recognized nor is that of Wintersville, OH (43953).

m@
posted by m@ at 4:25 PM on December 22, 2003

Reston, VA (20190) isn't recognized either. Oh well, cool nonetheless.
posted by JaxJaggywires at 4:50 PM on December 22, 2003

01001 is the lowest zip I could find....
posted by zeoslap at 4:52 PM on December 22, 2003

The ZIP Code FAQ has "everything you wanted to know about ZIP Code information and more" and About.com has some background.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:53 PM on December 22, 2003

awesome.
posted by cell divide at 5:53 PM on December 22, 2003

completely awesome
posted by cmicali at 7:10 PM on December 22, 2003

Anyone else notice that 100.. is NYC, 200.. is DC, 300.. is Atlanta, and so on? Very cool.
posted by Frank Grimes at 7:19 PM on December 22, 2003

Anyone else notice that 100.. is NYC, 200.. is DC, 300.. is Atlanta, and so on?

Yeah, and 500 is Des Moines. Heh.

(Or so it appears.)
posted by MrAnonymous at 7:31 PM on December 22, 2003

That's pretty cool. It's amazing how much easier it is to find patterns with a good visualization. For instance, 0... is New England, plus NJ, for some reason, while 1.. is New York and Pennsylvania.
posted by smackfu at 7:56 PM on December 22, 2003

Great find...I've always been fascinated by maps, cartography, spatial geography, etc., and this visualization is just spiffy. Thanks!
posted by davidmsc at 8:29 PM on December 22, 2003

I love this new toy - thanks kirkaracha!
posted by madamjujujive at 10:02 PM on December 22, 2003

seems broken in firebird .70 win2k.
posted by quonsar at 10:06 PM on December 22, 2003

Works great in Safari... and very very cool!
posted by Fofer at 10:11 PM on December 22, 2003

Anyone else notice that 100.. is NYC, 200.. is DC, 300.. is Atlanta, and so on?

Interesting. I wonder if there's an actual reason for that, or if it's simply arbitrary? I recall one of Douglas Coupland's books (Microserfs, maybe?) in which he explains how the most populous US cities got the area codes that would take the least time to dial on a pulse phone--ie, 212, the shortest one, is NYC.

Also, where's the Canadian postal codes, huh? Who's that guy think he is, Matt Haughey or something?
posted by arto at 10:49 PM on December 22, 2003

When I lived in Colorado there was a street performer who traced a map of the US out of jump ropes, then asked people for their hometown zip codes and proceeded to place them on the map based on that information. With this new application and a couple plastic jump ropes, I can make my dream of becoming a clever street performer come true! Thank you, ZIP Code Visualizer!

(Speaking as a huge fan of maps and the postal service, this is very, very cool.)
posted by jennyb at 6:35 AM on December 23, 2003

My mother worked for the post office many, many, many years ago, sorting mail. (Clearly it had to be some decades ago, as this work is now done by machines.) She's very good at rattling off zip codes for the obscure little towns of southwestern Pennsylvania (Alliquippa! Rochester! Mars!) so I plan to introduce this to her as a way of seeing her knowledge in a visual form. I have a feeling she's going to find this Very Keen. Thanks, kirkaracha!
posted by Dreama at 7:12 AM on December 23, 2003

Bill: This machine reads zip codes. These five digits tell us where to direct your mail.
Lisa: But it's nine digits now, what's the point of these other four numbers?
Bill: Those are citizen relocation codes. With any luck, we'll ... never need 'em.
posted by MarkO at 10:46 AM on December 23, 2003

MrAnonymous: Yeah, and 500 is Des Moines. Heh.

arto: ..the most populous US cities got the area codes that would take the least time to dial on a pulse phone--ie, 212

Des Moines also has the 515 area code. I guess we're pretty high profile and I just never realized it.
posted by mikeh at 12:45 PM on December 23, 2003