Explore by Country
Browse postcodes, towns and local information across all four nations of the United Kingdom
Major Cities
Browse by County
Explore places and postcodes within the UK's largest counties
Outstanding Schools
Ofsted Outstanding-rated schools from across the UK
Resources & Tools
Free calculators and lookup utilities for UK postcodes
Postcode Distance Calculator
Calculate the straight-line distance between any two UK postcodes in miles and kilometres.
Use Tool CalculatorStamp Duty Calculator
Calculate SDLT, LBTT and LTT property tax for England, Scotland and Wales.
Use Tool LookupWhat's My Postcode
Find your UK postcode instantly using your current location and GPS.
Use ToolLatest from the Blog
News, guides and insights about UK postcodes and places
Understanding the Haversine Formula
The Haversine formula calculates distances between two points on the Earth. Here is how it works and how we use it across Postcodes UK.
Read MoreWhat Is a Centroid and How Do We Use Them?
Centroids are the geographic centre points we use to plot postcodes, towns and counties on maps. Here is how they work and why they matter.
Read MoreIntroducing Postcodes UK
A new free resource for exploring UK postcodes, cities, towns and villages. Find out what we offer and how we can help.
Read MoreAbout the UK Postcode System
Each postcode consists of two parts: the outward code (e.g., SW1A) identifying the postal district, and the inward code (e.g., 1AA) pinpointing a specific delivery point. Together, they uniquely identify approximately 15 addresses on average.
Our directory provides comprehensive data for every UK postcode, including geographic coordinates, administrative boundaries, nearby schools, transport links and property prices.
Quick Facts
- Introduced by Royal Mail in 1959
- Full UK rollout completed by 1974
- Over 1.8 million active postcodes
- Average of 15 addresses per postcode
- 124 postcode areas (letter prefixes)
- Updated regularly by Royal Mail
Frequently Asked Questions
A UK postcode is an alphanumeric code used by Royal Mail to identify a specific geographic area for mail delivery. Each postcode typically covers around 15 addresses and consists of two parts: the outward code (e.g., SW1A) which identifies the district, and the inward code (e.g., 1AA) which narrows it down to a small group of addresses. Postcodes are used throughout the UK for everything from navigation to insurance quotes, property searches and government statistics.
Use the search bar at the top of this page to look up any UK postcode, town, street or school. You can type a full postcode like "SW1A 1AA", a partial postcode like "M1", a town name like "Manchester", or even a street name. Our search will return matching results instantly. You can also browse by country, county and town using the directory links on this page.
Each postcode page includes GPS coordinates, the administrative district, county and country it falls within, the parliamentary constituency, local authority, and electoral ward. You'll also find nearby schools with Ofsted ratings, the closest train stations with distances, nearby postcodes, and links to the surrounding town or city page which includes property price data and local demographics.
Our postcode data is refreshed regularly to reflect changes published by Royal Mail. School information is updated following Ofsted inspections and Department for Education releases. Property price data comes from HM Land Registry as new transactions are recorded. Transport data is sourced from National Rail and updated periodically.
The outcode (or outward code) is the first part of a postcode before the space, such as "SW1A" or "M1". It identifies the postcode area and district. The incode (or inward code) is the second part after the space, such as "1AA" or "4BD". It identifies the sector and delivery point within the district. Together, the outcode and incode form a complete postcode that pinpoints a precise location.