ZIP Code 21046 — Columbia, MD
21046 is a standard (street delivery) ZIP code serving Columbia, Maryland, in Howard County. To mail something here you only need these five digits — but the four-digit extension narrows delivery to a single point, and it is what USPS bulk postage discounts are priced on.
ZIP code 21046 at a glance
| ZIP code | 21046 |
|---|---|
| Primary city | Columbia |
| State | Maryland (MD) |
| County | Howard FIPS 24027 |
| ZIP type | Standard (street delivery) |
| Time zone | America/New_York |
| Population | 15,608 |
| Coordinates | 39.173570, -76.841830 |
How ZIP+4 works in 21046
The four digits after the hyphen encode a delivery segment inside 21046. In practice one segment usually means:
- One side of one block — odd numbers on a street between two cross streets
- A single large building, or one floor of it
- A group of PO boxes, sometimes a single box
- A single business that receives enough mail to warrant its own code
That is why 21046 has no single ZIP+4: two neighbors across the street from each other usually have different ones. Enter a street address above and we will return the exact nine-digit code along with the standardized USPS address format.
Other ZIP codes in Columbia
Nearby ZIP codes
Showing the closest twelve. See every ZIP code within 25 miles of 21046.
| ZIP | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 21045 | Columbia, MD | 2.4 mi |
| 20763 | Savage, MD | 2.7 mi |
| 20723 | Laurel, MD | 2.9 mi |
| 20794 | Jessup, MD | 3.2 mi |
| 21044 | Columbia, MD | 3.4 mi |
| 20701 | Annapolis Junction, MD | 4.2 mi |
| 20759 | Fulton, MD | 4.8 mi |
| 21075 | Elkridge, MD | 5.2 mi |
| 20707 | Laurel, MD | 5.8 mi |
| 21043 | Ellicott City, MD | 6.3 mi |
| 21029 | Clarksville, MD | 6.3 mi |
| 21076 | Hanover, MD | 6.4 mi |
Questions about 21046
What is the ZIP+4 code for 21046?
21046 is the five-digit ZIP code. The ZIP+4 adds four more digits that identify a specific delivery point — usually one side of a city block, a single building, or a group of PO boxes. Because those four digits change from address to address within 21046, you need to look up a specific street address to get them.
What city is 21046?
21046 is assigned to Columbia, Maryland, in Howard County.
Do I need to use the ZIP+4?
It is optional for ordinary mail, but it speeds up sorting and it is required for most USPS bulk-mail postage discounts. Many address-verification and e-commerce systems also use ZIP+4 to confirm a delivery point exists.
Need thousands of these?
Upload a CSV and get ZIP+4, county, carrier route, and delivery-point data appended to every row — or call the API directly.