ZIP Code 21286 — Towson, MD
21286 is a standard (street delivery) ZIP code serving Towson, Maryland, in Baltimore 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 21286 at a glance
| ZIP code | 21286 |
|---|---|
| Primary city | Towson |
| State | Maryland (MD) |
| County | Baltimore FIPS 24005 |
| ZIP type | Standard (street delivery) |
| Time zone | America/New_York |
| Population | 21,853 |
| Coordinates | 39.413740, -76.573750 |
How ZIP+4 works in 21286
The four digits after the hyphen encode a delivery segment inside 21286. 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 21286 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 Towson
Nearby ZIP codes
Showing the closest twelve. See every ZIP code within 25 miles of 21286.
| ZIP | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 21252 | Towson, MD | 2.4 mi |
| 21234 | Parkville, MD | 2.6 mi |
| 21285 | Towson, MD | 2.9 mi |
| 21204 | Towson, MD | 3.1 mi |
| 21239 | Baltimore, MD | 3.4 mi |
| 21212 | Baltimore, MD | 3.8 mi |
| 21093 | Lutherville Timonium, MD | 4.1 mi |
| 21214 | Baltimore, MD | 4.3 mi |
| 21057 | Glen Arm, MD | 4.4 mi |
| 21251 | Baltimore, MD | 4.4 mi |
| 21236 | Nottingham, MD | 5 mi |
| 21210 | Baltimore, MD | 5 mi |
Questions about 21286
What is the ZIP+4 code for 21286?
21286 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 21286, you need to look up a specific street address to get them.
What city is 21286?
21286 is assigned to Towson, Maryland, in Baltimore 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.