Postcode format “YO30 5QW”

Properly formatted postcodes are written in two halves. The first part has between two and four alphanumeric characters and is the outward code used to get your mail to the right delivery office.

The second part follows a space and always has three alphanumeric characters. This is the inward code and it tells the delivery office which round the address is on.

• Outward code
  • Area: YO: One or two alpha characters subdividing the country.
  • District: 30: One or two alphanumeric characters subdividing the area.
• Inward code
  • Sector: 5: One numeric character subdividing the district.
  • Unit: QW: Two alpha characters showing a group of buildings, a street, part of a street or a single delivery point.

124 postcode areas

There are 124 postcode areas in the UK 1 the district. There are approximately 20 Postcode districts in an area 3 the sector. There are approximately 3000 addresses in a sector.

Postcodes in Wales. Our database currently has a total of 243 postcode areas (a group of postcode districts with the same alphabetical prefix is called a postcode area) for 22 different counties with in Wales.

Here are the Outward Codes that we cover (not Scotland and N Ireland)

North East Outward Postcodes:

DH >>> Durham

NE >>> Newcastle

DL >>> Darlington

SR >>> Sunderland

HG >>> Harrogate

TS >>> Cleveland

HU >>> Hull

WF >>> Wakefield

LS >>> Leeds

YO >>> York

North West Outward Postcodes:

BB >>> Blackburn

L >>> Liverpool

BD >>> Bradford

LA >>> Lancaster

BL >>> Bolton

M >>> Manchester

CA >>> Carlisle

OL >>> Oldham

CH >>> Chester

PR >>> Preston

CW >>> Crewe

SK >>> Stockport

FY >>> Blackpool

WA >>> Warrington

HD >>> Huddersfield

WN >>> Wigan

HX >>> Halifax  

East Midland Outward Postcodes:

CB >>> Cambridge

LN >>> Lincoln

CO >>> Colchester

NG >>> Nottingham

DE >>> Derby

NR >>> Norwich

DN >>> Doncaster

PE >>> Peterborough

IP >>> Ipswich

S >>> Sheffield

LE >>> Leicester

SS >>> Southend

West Midlands Outward Postcodes:

B >>> Birmingham

ST >>> Stoke on Trent

CV >>> Coventry

TF >>> Telford

DY >>> Dudley

WR >>> Worcester

HR >>> Hereford

WS >>> Walsall

NN >>> Northampton

WV >>> Wolverhampton 

Wales Outward Postcodes:

CF >>> Cardiff

NP >>> Newport

LD >>> Llandrindod

SA >>> Swansea

LL >>> Llandudno

SY >>> Shrewsbury

South West Outward Postcodes:

BA >>> Bath

PL >>> Plymouth

BH >>> Bournemouth

SN >>> Swindon

BS >>> Bristol

SP >>> Salisbury

DT >>> Dorchester

TA >>> Taunton

EX >>> Exeter

TQ >>> Torquay

TR >>> Truro

GL >>> Gloucester

South East Outward Postcodes:

AL >>> St.Albans

OX >>> Oxford

BN >>> Brighton

PO >>> Portsmouth

CM >>> Chelmsford

RG >>> Reading

CT >>> Canterbury

RH >>> Redhill

GU >>> Guilford

SG >>> Stevenage

HP >>> Hemel

SL >>> Slough

LU >>> Luton

SO >>> Southampton

ME >>> Medway

SS >>> Southend

MK >>> Milton Keynes

TN >>> Tonbridge

Greater London Outward Postcodes:

BR >>> Bromley

NW >>> London

CR >>> Croydon

RM >>> Romford

DA >>> Dartford

SE >>> London

SM >>> Sutton

EC >>> London

SW >>> London

EN >>> Enfield

TW >>> Twickenham

HA >>> Harrow

UB >>> Southall

IG >>> Ilford

W >>> London

KT >>> Kingston

WC >>> London

NWD >>> Watford

Check out the UK Postcode Areas Map below: