ZIP Code 36542 — Gulf Shores, AL
36542 is a standard (street delivery) ZIP code serving Gulf Shores, Alabama, in Baldwin 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 36542 at a glance
| ZIP code | 36542 |
|---|---|
| Primary city | Gulf Shores |
| State | Alabama (AL) |
| County | Baldwin FIPS 01003 |
| ZIP type | Standard (street delivery) |
| Time zone | America/Chicago |
| Population | 18,906 |
| Coordinates | 30.276830, -87.738670 |
How ZIP+4 works in 36542
The four digits after the hyphen encode a delivery segment inside 36542. 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 36542 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 Gulf Shores
Nearby ZIP codes
Showing the closest twelve. See every ZIP code within 25 miles of 36542.
| ZIP | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 36511 | Bon Secour, AL | 2.4 mi |
| 36547 | Gulf Shores, AL | 5.3 mi |
| 36535 | Foley, AL | 7.5 mi |
| 36555 | Magnolia Springs, AL | 8.7 mi |
| 36561 | Orange Beach, AL | 10 mi |
| 36580 | Summerdale, AL | 14.2 mi |
| 36530 | Elberta, AL | 14.4 mi |
| 36532 | Fairhope, AL | 16 mi |
| 36564 | Point Clear, AL | 17 mi |
| 36576 | Silverhill, AL | 17.3 mi |
| 36549 | Lillian, AL | 19.7 mi |
| 32507 | Pensacola, FL | 22 mi |
Questions about 36542
What is the ZIP+4 code for 36542?
36542 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 36542, you need to look up a specific street address to get them.
What city is 36542?
36542 is assigned to Gulf Shores, Alabama, in Baldwin 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.