Arizona: Your Zip Codes May Change Soon

PINAL COUNTY - To accommodate the growing population, many Central Arizonans will have to change their zip code, the United States Postal Service announced Tuesday.

Starting on Wednesday, July 1, 2009, residents will be asked to make a 1-digit change to their zip codes.

The new zip code, 851xx, will span just under 5,000 square miles, reaching Apache Junction at the north, Red Rock at the south, Maricopa to the west and Winkelman to the east.

The change simplified

If your zip code is currently 85240, the 2 in the zip code will be replaced with a 1. The 3rd number is the only one undergoing a chang -- the other numbers will stay the same.

Since the Postal Service is on the verge of using up all available zip code combinations, the change was needed to accommodate population growth.

The bottom line

30 existing 852xx zip codes in Pinal County will become 851xx zip codes on July 1.

Every postal customer in the area affected will receive a notification in the mail by May 20. There will also be a 1-year grace period where both zip codes are valid.