Growth gets Queen Creek an extra ZIP code

Jun. 6—In yet another sign of the town's rapid growth, the U.S. Postal Service is adding a second ZIP code in Queen Creek.

"To provide efficient and cost-effective mail delivery now and for the future, the U.S. Postal Service is creating a new ZIP code in Queen Creek, AZ, effective July 1, 2023," a Postal Service release said.

The new, additional) ZIP Code is 85144.

The new ZIP code will encompass an area south of Empire Boulevard, west of Gary Road and north of Arizona Farms Road.

The town said there are currently 280 Queen Creek addresses in that area, including the Goldmine Estates subdivision, Earnhardt Queen Creek and U-Haul Moving & Storage.

Postal customers affected by the change will be notified by mail and the agency said people who do not receive written notification are unaffected.

The town also noted that the new ZIP code will not affect local services or delivery of election ballots.

The new ZIP code is not an addition that came out of nowhere.

"Generally, we look at long-range ZIP code planning for at least the next 5-20 years to determine availability of ZIP codes for future mail processing and delivery needs," said U.S. Postal Service spokesman Rod Spurgeon.

"Monitoring delivery growth patterns helps us with facilities planning, delivery route planning, and other needs that keep mail delivery efficient and affordable," Spurgeon added.

"In this case, we were nearing capacity on ZIP+4 numbers. Once we reach capacity, we can't add any more addresses to the database. Adding the new ZIP code allows us to continue adding new addresses to the system."

Mail for the 85144 ZIP code area will continue to be delivered out of the Queen Creek Post Office at 22424 S. Ellsworth Loop Road, according to the USPS.

Spurgeon said it will be important for postal customers to pay attention when the new ZIP code becomes active because it is not just issuing new ZIP codes to new residents and businesses; the ZIP code for some existing customers will change.

"The new ZIP code became necessary due to the rapid growth in the area and allows for the addition of new delivery routes and new addresses in the area," Spurgeon said, adding the new code will help the Postal Service "to sort, ship and deliver the mail more efficiently."

The Postal Service encourages affected customers to notify family, friends, business customers and business associates.

Mail with either ZIP code will be delivered for one year following the change. Individuals should include their new ZIP code on any reply mail where the sender requests updated or corrected address information.

"Customers in the affected area should also use their new ZIP code when reordering stationery such as letterhead, envelopes, promotional literature, forms, and business cards," the agency said.

The official, 5-digit ZIP Code dates to 1963 and was originally intended to allow for automated mail sorting methods, "but ended up creating unimagined socio-economic benefits as an organizing and enabling device," according to a the U.S. Office of Inspector General's website.

The report says the ZIP Code became a tool for organizing and displaying demographic information, but soon became useful for marketers and advertisers.

According to the Library of Congress, using a system that places every household in America into one of some 38,000 ZIP Codes and combining that information with census data, allowed marketing experts to pinpoint consumer tastes and lifestyles.

"This kind of detailed information became particularly useful to America's thriving direct marketing firms," the Library of Congress website said.

The town's "Do I Live in QC" map helps people determine if their address is within the incorporated town boundaries and service areas at queencreekaz.gov/DoILiveinQC.