Comments on: ZIP Code Visualizer

ZIP Code Visualizer

kirkaracha — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 14:50:34 -0800

ZIP Code Visualizer A 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]

By: mathowie

mathowie — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 15:01:56 -0800

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?

By: efalk

efalk — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 15:08:33 -0800

I don't know why this is cool, but, good gravy, I could spend a while playing with this.

By: woil

woil — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 15:17:20 -0800

Quite fun. Just wish I could get some zoom action. I'd like to see the borders a little clearer.

By: elvolio

elvolio — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 15:19:05 -0800

Oddly addictive, great for a slow weekend in the office.

By: plemeljr

plemeljr — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 15:30:31 -0800

Check out Ben Fry's other neat visualizations such as haplotype blocks. He was included in this year's Cooper-Hewitt Triennial.

By: Duck_Lips

Duck_Lips — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 15:34:33 -0800

pretty cool, now if i could only remember the zip code to send things to Zoom... also who remembers what ZIP stands for anyhoo?

By: fvw

fvw — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 15:42:58 -0800

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).

By: m@

m@ — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 16:25:55 -0800

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@

By: JaxJaggywires

JaxJaggywires — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 16:50:05 -0800

Reston, VA (20190) isn't recognized either. Oh well, cool nonetheless.

By: zeoslap

zeoslap — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 16:52:43 -0800

01001 is the lowest zip I could find....

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 16:53:20 -0800

The ZIP Code FAQ has "everything you wanted to know about ZIP Code information and more" and About.com has some background.

By: cell divide

cell divide — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 17:53:51 -0800

awesome.

By: cmicali

cmicali — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 19:10:08 -0800

completely awesome

By: Frank Grimes

Frank Grimes — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 19:19:46 -0800

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

By: MrAnonymous

MrAnonymous — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 19:31:37 -0800

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.)

By: smackfu

smackfu — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 19:56:18 -0800

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.

By: davidmsc

davidmsc — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 20:29:52 -0800

Great find...I've always been fascinated by maps, cartography, spatial geography, etc., and this visualization is just spiffy. Thanks!

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 22:02:58 -0800

I love this new toy - thanks kirkaracha!

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 22:06:49 -0800

seems broken in firebird .70 win2k.

By: Fofer

Fofer — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 22:11:00 -0800

Works great in Safari... and very very cool!

By: arto

arto — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 22:49:13 -0800

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?

By: jennyb

jennyb — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 06:35:49 -0800

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.)

By: Dreama

Dreama — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 07:12:00 -0800

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!

By: MarkO

MarkO — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 10:46:27 -0800

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.

By: mikeh

mikeh — Tue, 23 Dec 2003 12:45:54 -0800

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.