Postal Address Example: USPS Formats for 2026

Basic Postal Address Format

For a normal domestic letter, the delivery address should identify the person or organization, the exact delivery point, and the city, state, and ZIP Code. USPS Publication 28 prefers address lines with a uniform left margin and uppercase letters in the address block.

The address should be easy for a person and a mail-processing machine to read. Avoid extra punctuation, keep the delivery address on one line when it fits, and use common USPS abbreviations for apartment, suite, unit, floor, room, and building designators.

This page is intentionally example-first. If you already know the exact address and only need to see the finished format, use the examples below. If you are not sure whether the address exists, use an address validation tool before printing. If you are mailing a legal, business, tax, or time-sensitive document, verify the address from the recipient or from an official source instead of guessing from search results.

Postal Address Examples by Situation

Use these examples as patterns, not as real addresses. Replace the names, street numbers, cities, states, and ZIP Codes with the actual delivery information before mailing.

The biggest pattern to remember is that the city, state, and ZIP Code line should stay together. Do not put the ZIP Code on a new line, do not spell the state name if the two-letter abbreviation is known, and do not add commas or periods just because the address looks more natural in a sentence. A postal address is not prose; it is a routing block.

For the envelope placement version of this topic, use our envelope addressing guide. For formal letter headings and salutations, use the letter addressing guide.

Apartment, Suite, Unit, Floor, and Room Examples

USPS says secondary unit designators should be printed on mailpieces when the address location contains them. The preferred location is at the end of the delivery address line. If the full delivery line will not fit, put the secondary information immediately above the delivery address line.

The secondary line is often the difference between delivered mail and returned mail. Apartment buildings, office towers, campuses, medical buildings, and mailrooms may all receive mail at one street address. Without the exact unit, suite, floor, room, department, or internal recipient, USPS may get the piece to the building but not to the person who needs it.

Need the full list of secondary designators? See our apartment, suite, and unit address examples.

PO Box, Rural Route, Military, and Puerto Rico Examples

Not every mailing address is a standard street address. USPS also supports PO Boxes, rural routes, highway contract routes, military addresses, and Puerto Rico addresses that may need an urbanization line.

These formats are where many address examples online become misleading. A PO Box is not the same as a private mailbox. APO, FPO, and DPO addresses use military state abbreviations, not the physical country where the service member is located. Puerto Rico addresses can include an urbanization line that should not be dropped when it is part of the deliverable address.

For deeper examples, see how to address a PO Box and how to address APO, FPO, and DPO mail.

Return Address Examples

A return address tells USPS where to send the mailpiece if it cannot be delivered. It is required in specific USPS situations and is strongly useful even when it is not required. On envelopes, put the return address in the upper left corner of the address side.

Before You Print or Mail the Address

A postal address example is only useful if it survives the real mailing workflow. Before you print an envelope, certified mail form, label sheet, or window-envelope letter, check the address as it will actually appear on the mailpiece. Long company names, attention lines, apartment numbers, and ZIP+4 codes can wrap differently on a printed envelope than they do on your screen.

Also make sure you are using the right reference page for the job. Use this guide when you need examples of finished address blocks. Use an address validator when you need to confirm whether a specific address is deliverable. Use an envelope guide when you need physical placement on the front of the mailpiece. Keeping those jobs separate helps prevent duplicate-looking pages and keeps the mailing workflow clearer for users.

Postal Address Example FAQ

Sources Checked

• USPS Publication 28, including address format, secondary unit designators, last-line format, and approved secondary abbreviations.
• USPS Domestic Mail Manual 602 for complete address elements and return address requirements.
• Live SERP evidence for "postal address example": USPS Postal Explorer, Loqate, Wikipedia address-format pages, PostGrid, and university mailing examples.