Address Overview Civic Addresses Installation Addresses Postal Code Explained Extra Information Country Canada Post Designators Street Types Street Directions Unit Designators Non-Std Designators Dlvry Mode Designators Installation Types ProvincesCanadian Addressing Standards
Address OverviewPostal Addresses fall into two categories:
- Civic addresses and
- Postal installation addresses.
Civic Addresses
There are two types of civic addresses. The street address and the street served by route address. A civic address consists of a street number, street name, municipality name, province code and postal code. It may also contain any of apartment or unit number, street number suffix, street type or street direction. In the case of the street served by route a rural route type description and number will also form part of the address.
Examples of civic addresses:
| 415 HERITAGE CRES UNIT 102 SASKATOON SK S7H 5M5 (Street Address) 11D JESSOME ST GLACE BAY NS B1A 5H9 (Street Address) 104-2701 23RD AVE REGINA SK S4S 1E5 (Street Address) 225 RUE FLEURY O MONTREAL QC H3L 1T8 (Street Address) 1920 BLAIR LAKE RD RR 6 AMHERST NS B4H 3Y4 (Street served by route address) |
Notice that the Canada Post preferred format contains the municipality, followed by one space, followed by the 2 character province code, followed by two spaces, followed by the postal code which contains a space between the first and last three characters. It is also preferred that the address be in capital letters. Canada Post, however, also recognizes and accepts upper and lower case character mix, accents and full spelling of and punctuation between address elements. Back to top
Postal Installation Addresses
A postal installation address consists of a description of the type of delivery, the Canada Post delivery installation name, the municipality name, the province code and postal code.
There are three types of postal installation addresses:
- Lock box address
- Route service address and
- General delivery address.
| PO BOX 6001 LCD 1 VICTORIA BC V8P 5L4 (Lock box address) RR 1 ETOBICOKE STN B TORONTO ON M9W 5K7 (Route service address) RR 2 SALMON ARM BC V1E 4M2 (Route service address) GD COLD LAKE AB T0A 0V0 (General delivery address) |
The Postal Code Explained
Canadian postal codes are always in the same format: ANA NAN where A is an alphabetical character and N is a numeric character.
- Significance of the Characters
These first three characters of the postal code are known as the Forward Sortation Area (FSA).
The first character normally designates a province or territory. For instance, the letter R refers to Manitoba. For Ontario and Quebec, Canada's most highly populated provinces, the first character refers to a major area within the province. For example, the letter M refers to Toronto, while the letter K refers to eastern Ontario.
The second character denotes whether the mail is to go to an urban or rural location. Rural addresses contain a 0 in the second position.
The third character of the code, further defines the destination. In an urban code, the third character will identify a postal station or city post office.
These last three characters of the postal code are known as the Local Delivery Unit (LDU).
The last three characters of the code help to guide your mail to a specific location. Back to top
Extra Information
Information not needed by Canada Post to deliver the mail, eg. "ATTENTION", should always appear at the top of the address. Back to top
Country
The country name should be used only on mail to be delivered outside Canada and must appear alone at the bottom of the address. Back to top
Canada Post Designations
This section lists the Official Canada Post Designations for Street Types, Street Directions, Unit Designators, Mode of Delivery, Delivery Installation Types, and Provinces. This section is provided as a reference only. The software described in this guide is capable of detecting spelling mistakes and may correct data to conform to the standard designations listed below. Each list below shows the short form official designations followed by the full word equivalent. Back to top
Street Types
| ABBEY ACRES ALLEE ALLEY AUT AVE AV BAY BEACH BEND BLVD BOUL BYPASS BYWAY CAMPUS CAPE CAR CARREF CTR C CERCLE CHASE CH CIR CIRCT CLOSE COMMON CONC CRNRS COTE COUR CRT COVE CRES CROIS CROSS CDS DALE DELL DIVERS DOWNS DR ECH END ESPL ESTATE EXPY EXTEN FARM FIELD FOREST FWY FRONT GDNS GATE GLADE GLEN GREEN GRNDS GROVE HARBR HTS HGHLDS HWY HILL HOLLOW ILE IMP ISLAND KEY |
= ABBEY = ACRES = ALLEE = ALLEY = AUTOROUTE = AVENUE (E) = AVENUE (F) = BAY = BEACH = BEND = BOULEVARD (E) = BOULEVARD (F) = BY-PASS = BYWAY = CAMPUS = CAPE = CARRE = CARREFOUR = CENTRE (E) = CENTRE (F) = CERCLE = CHASE = CHEMIN = CIRCLE = CIRCUIT = CLOSE = COMMON = CONCESSION = CORNERS = COTE = COUR = COURT = COVE = CRESCENT = CROISSANT = CROSSING = CUL-DE-SAC = DALE = DELL = DIVERSION = DOWNS = DRIVE = ECHANGEUR = END = ESPLANADE = ESTATES = EXPRESSWAY = EXTENSION = FARM = FIELD = FOREST = FREEWAY = FRONT = GARDENS = GATE = GLADE = GLEN = GREEN = GROUNDS = GROVE = HARBOUR = HEIGHTS = HIGHLANDS = HIGHWAY = HILL = HOLLOW = ILE = IMPASSE = ISLAND = KEY |
KNOLL LANDING LANE LMTS LINE LINK LKOUT LOOP MALL MANOR MAZE MEADOW MEWS MONTEE MOOR MOUNT MTN ORCH PARADE PARC PK PKY PASS PATH PTWAY PINES PL PLACE PLAT PLAZA PT PORT PVT PROM QUAI QUAY RANG RG RIDGE RISE RD RDPT RTE ROW RUE RLE RUN SENT SQ ST SUBDIV TERR TSSE THICK TOWERS TLINE TRAIL TRNABT VALE VIA VIEW VILLGE VISTA VOIE WALK WAY WHARF WOOD WYND |
= KNOLL = LANDING = LANE = LIMITS = LINE = LINK = LOOKOUT = LOOP = MALL = MANOR = MAZE = MEADOW = MEWS = MONTEE = MOOR = MOUNT = MOUNTAIN = ORCHARD = PARADE = PARC = PARK = PARKWAY = PASSAGE = PATH = PATHWAY = PINES = PLACE (E) = PLACE (F) = PLATEAU = PLAZA = POINT = PORT = PRIVATE = PROMENADE = QUAI = QUAY = RANG = RANGE = RIDGE = RISE = ROAD = ROND-POINT = ROUTE = ROW = RUE = RUELLE = RUN = SENTIER = SQUARE = STREET = SUBDIVISION = TERRACE = TERRASE = THICKET = TOWERS = TOWNLINE = TRAIL = TURNABOUT = VALE = VIA = VIEW = VILLAGE = VISTA = VOIE = WALK = WAY = WHARF = WOOD = WYND |
Street Directions
| E N NE NO NW S SE SO SW O W |
= EST / EAST = NORD / NORTH = NORD-EST / NORTH EAST = NORD-OUEST = NORTH WEST = SUD / SOUTH = SUD-EST / SOUTH EAST = SUD-OUEST = SOUTH WEST = OUEST = WEST |
Unit Designators
| APP APT BUREAU SUITE UNITE UNIT |
= APPARTEMENT = APPARTMENT = BUREAU = SUITE = UNITE = UNIT |
Non-Standard Unit Designators
| BACK BSMT ETAGE FLR FRNT LBBY LOG LWR PH PIECE PORTE RC REAR RM SALLE SIDE STN SS UPPR |
= BACK = BASEMENT = ETAGE = FLOOR = FRONT = LOBBY = LOGEMENT = LOWER = PENTHOUSE = PIECE = PORTE = REZ-DE-CHAUSSEE = REAR = ROOM = SALLE = SIDE = STATION = SOUS SOL = UPPER |
Mode of Delivery Designators
| PR IM CP GD MR PO BOX RR SS |
= POSTE RESTANTE = ITINERAIRE MOTORISE = CASE POSTALE = GENERAL DELIVERY = MOBILE ROUTE = POST OFFICE BOX = ROUTE RURALE / RURAL ROUTE = SERVICE SURBURBAIN / SUBURBAN SERVICE |
Delivery Installation Types
| BDP CC CSP CDO CMC CPC LCD PO RPO STN SUCC |
= BUREAU DE POSTE = CONCESSION COMMERCIALE = COMPTOIR SERVICE POSTAL = COMMERCIAL DEALERSHIP OUTLET = COMMUNITY MAIL CENTRE = CENTRE POSTAL COMMUNAUTAIRE = LETTER CARRIER DEPOT = POSTE DES FACTEURS = POST OFFICE = RETAIL POSTAL OUTLET = STATION = SUCCURSALE |
Provinces/Territories
| AB BC MB NB NL NT NS NU ON PE QC SK YT |
= ALBERTA = COLOMBIE-BRITANNIQUE / BRITISH COLUMBIA = MANITOBA = NOUVEAU-BRUNSWICK / NEW BRUNSWICK = TERRE-NEUVE-ET-LABRADOR / NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR = TERRITOIRES DU NORD-OUEST / NORTHWEST TERRITORIES = NOUVELLE-ECOSSE / NOVA SCOTIA = NUNAVUT = ONTARIO = ILE-DU-PRINCE-EDOUARD / PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND = QUEBEC = SASKATCHEWAN = YUKON |