ZIP Code 35242 — Birmingham, AL
35242 is a standard (street delivery) ZIP code serving Birmingham, Alabama, in Shelby 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 35242 at a glance
| ZIP code | 35242 |
|---|---|
| Primary city | Birmingham |
| State | Alabama (AL) |
| County | Shelby FIPS 01117 |
| ZIP type | Standard (street delivery) |
| Time zone | America/Chicago |
| Population | 57,374 |
| Coordinates | 33.423710, -86.670730 |
How ZIP+4 works in 35242
The four digits after the hyphen encode a delivery segment inside 35242. 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 35242 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 Birmingham
Nearby ZIP codes
Showing the closest twelve. See every ZIP code within 25 miles of 35242.
| ZIP | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 35243 | Birmingham, AL | 4.2 mi |
| 35223 | Birmingham, AL | 5.8 mi |
| 35216 | Birmingham, AL | 6.7 mi |
| 35213 | Birmingham, AL | 7.1 mi |
| 35229 | Birmingham, AL | 7.6 mi |
| 35043 | Chelsea, AL | 7.9 mi |
| 35147 | Sterrett, AL | 8 mi |
| 35210 | Birmingham, AL | 8.2 mi |
| 35209 | Birmingham, AL | 8.6 mi |
| 35222 | Birmingham, AL | 9 mi |
| 35094 | Leeds, AL | 9.2 mi |
| 35124 | Pelham, AL | 9.2 mi |
Questions about 35242
What is the ZIP+4 code for 35242?
35242 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 35242, you need to look up a specific street address to get them.
What city is 35242?
35242 is assigned to Birmingham, Alabama, in Shelby 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.