US postal abbreviations

The United States Postal Service uses two-letter abbreviations for the U.S. states and territories of the US, as specified below. For other purposes as well, they are frequently used. Canada Post also recognizes these postal abbreviations.

AL: Alabama
AK: Alaska
AS: American Samoa
AZ: Arizona
AR: Arkansas
AE: Armed Forces Africa
AA: Armed Forces Americas (Except Canada)
AE: Armed Forces Canada
AE: Armed Forces Europe
AE: Armed Forces Middle East
AP: Armed Forces Pacific
CA: California
CO: Colorado
CT: Connecticut
DE: Delaware
DC: District of Columbia
FM: Federated States of Micronesia
FL: Florida
GA: Georgia
GU: Guam
HI: Hawaii
ID: Idaho

The following abbreviations for the Canadian provinces and territories, used by Canada Post, are also recognized:

AB: Alberta
BC: British Columbia
MB: Manitoba
NB: New Brunswick
NL: Newfoundland and Labrador
- formerly NF

NT: Northwest Territories
NS: Nova Scotia
NU: Nunavut
- currently still using NT
ON: Ontario

Other abbreviations used by the US postal service:

The USPS recommends address be written in block capital letters, probably for better processing by their OCR machinery. They prefer some standard abbreviations (http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/usps_abbreviations.htm) for common terms in street addresses.

AVE = avenue
BLVD = boulevard
CIR = circle
CT = court
EXPY = expressway
LN = lane
PKWY = parkway
RD = road
ST = street
WY = way

APT = apartment
CTR = center
NO = number
STE = suite

E = east
N = north
S = south
W = west