Numerous municipalities along Colorado’s Front Range are on the verge of acquiring distinct ZIP codes following the unanimous passage of the “Zip Code Bill” (H.R. 8753) in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation, co-sponsored by Representative Lauren Boebert (CO-03), aims to establish new zip codes for various towns throughout the United States. Representative Boebert emphasized the importance of recognition for these communities, stating, “When these cities are not recognized they do not have their own identity. This is impacting tens of thousands of Coloradans today.” Should the bill be enacted, it would provide unique zip codes for towns in Colorado, including Silver Cliff, Castle Pines, Centennial, Greenwood Village, Superior and Severance in Northern Colorado. The primary objective of these new zip codes is to enable these communities to better secure tax revenues specific to their areas while also enhancing safety for first responders by ensuring accurate address identification. Communities that do not have a unique ZIP Code often experience associated problems that include: loss of economic development, loss of sales tax, unjustifiably high insurance rates, tax remittance and commercial licensing issues, diminished public safety and reduced emergency response times, identity issues, and efficiency issues. Matt Fries, the mayor of Severance, noted, “It is definitely a financial benefit from what we can see, thus far.” Currently, Severance operates under seven zip codes, six of which are shared with adjacent municipalities, while the seventh pertains solely to the P.O. boxes at the local postal service facility. If the bill successfully passes through the Senate and is signed into law, it is anticipated that the zip code designated for Severance’s post office will also serve as the representative zip code for the entire community. Fries recounted that the town first recognized the drawbacks of lacking a unique zip code in 2020. “That became very prominent during COVID when we saw online purchases substantially increasing. What we are finding is that the more our residents shop at home, and we share zip codes with other jurisdictions, we are not able to be convinced that we are not collecting the revenue that we should,” he explained. Although infrequent, Fries mentioned that Severance has experienced challenges in the past with emergency responders being dispatched to incorrect addresses during critical situations due to the absence of a unique zip code. Towns can apply for their own zip codes through a process managed by the postal service, and Severance has initiated this request. The communities experiencing ZIP Code problems that would benefit from this legislation include:
Eastvale, California Currently part of ZIP Codes 91752, 91752, and 91752.
North Tustin, California – Currently part of ZIP Codes 92705 and 92780.
Castle Pines, Colorado – Currently part of ZIP Codes 80108 and 80134.
Centennial, Colorado Currently part of ZIP Codes 80015, 80015, 80015, 80015, 80015, and 80015.
Cherry Hills Village, Colorado Currently part of ZIP Codes 80111, 80111, and 80111.
Greenwood Village, Colorado Currently part of ZIP Codes 80111, 80111, and 80111.
Highlands Ranch, Colorado Currently part of ZIP Codes 80124, 80124, 80124, 80124, and 80124.
Lone Tree, Colorado – Currently part of ZIP Code 80134.
Severance, Colorado Currently part of ZIP Codes 80524, 80524, 80524, and 80524.
Silver Cliff, Colorado – Currently part of ZIP Code 81252.
Sterling Ranch, Colorado – Currently part of ZIP Code 80125.
Superior, Colorado – Currently part of ZIP Codes 80021 and 80027.
Scotland, Connecticut Currently part of ZIP Codes 06235, 06235, 06235, 06235, 06235, and 06235.
Coconut Creek, Florida Currently part of ZIP Codes 33063, 33063, and 33063.
Lighthouse Point, Florida – Currently part of ZIP Code 33064.
Parkland, Florida – Currently part of ZIP Codes 33067 and 33076.
Wilton Manors, Florida Currently part of ZIP Codes 33305, 33305, 33305, and 33305.
Miami Lakes, Florida Currently part of ZIP Codes 33014, 33014, and 33014.
Ocoee, Florida Currently part of ZIP Codes 32703, 32703, 32703, 32703, 32703, and 32703.
Oakland Park, Florida Currently part of ZIP Codes 33306, 33306, 33306, 33306, and 33306.
Burr Ridge, Illinois Currently part of ZIP Codes 60480, 60480, 60480, and 60480.
Carmel, Indiana Currently part of ZIP Codes 46074, 46074, 46074, 46074, 46074, and 46074.
Louisiana State University, Louisiana – Currently part of ZIP Code 70803
Montz, Louisiana – Currently part of ZIP Code 70068.
Grass Valley, Nevada – Currently part of ZIP Codes 89418 and 89445.
Kinnelon, New Jersey Currently part of ZIP Codes 07005, 07005, 07005, 07005, and 07005.
Flanders, New York Currently part of ZIP Codes 11901, 11901, 11901, and 11901.
Glendale, New York – Currently part of ZIP Code 11385
Pendleton, New York – Currently part of ZIP Codes 14094 and 14120.
Riverside, New York Currently part of ZIP Codes 11901, 11901, 11901, and 11901.
Northampton, New York Currently part of ZIP Codes 11901, 11901, 11901, 11901, and 11901.
Goose Creek, South Carolina Currently part of ZIP Codes 29456, 29456, and 29456.
Fairview, Texas Currently part of ZIP Codes 75002, 75002, 75002, and 75002.
Murphy, Texas Currently part of ZIP Codes 75002, 75002, 75002, 75002, and 75002.
Sargent, Texas – Currently part of ZIP Code 77414.
Fairlawn, Virginia – Currently part of ZIP Code 24141.
Caledonia, Wisconsin Currently part of ZIP Codes 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, and 53126.
Franklin, Wisconsin Currently part of ZIP Codes 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, and 53129.
Greenfield, Wisconsin Currently part of ZIP Codes 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, 53129, and 53129.
Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin Currently part of ZIP Codes 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, 53126, and 53126.
Somers, Wisconsin Currently part of ZIP Codes 53140, 53140, 53140, 53140, 53140, 53140, 53140, 53140, and 53140.
Mills, Wyoming – Currently part of ZIP Codes 82601 and 82604.
Current cosponsors of representative Boebert’s H.R. 8753 include: Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19), Rep. Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Rep. Young Kim (CA-40), Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-01), Rep. Troy Nehls (TX-22), Rep. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Rep. Nick Langworthy (NY-23), Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-01), Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02), Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11).