This is the ONS Postcode Directory (ONSPD) for the United Kingdom as at February 2023 in Comma Separated Variable (CSV) and ASCII text (TXT) formats. This file contains the multi CSVs so that postcode areas can be opened in MS Excel. To download the zip file click the Download button. The ONSPD relates both current and terminated postcodes in the United Kingdom to a range of current statutory administrative, electoral, health and other area geographies. It also links postcodes to pre-2002 health areas, 1991 Census enumeration districts for England and Wales, 2001 Census Output Areas (OA) and Super Output Areas (SOA) for England and Wales, 2001 Census OAs and SOAs for Northern Ireland and 2001 Census OAs and Data Zones (DZ) for Scotland. It now contains 2021 Census OAs and SOAs for England and Wales. It helps support the production of area based statistics from postcoded data. The ONSPD is produced by ONS Geography, who provide geographic support to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and geographic services used by other organisations. The ONSPD is issued quarterly. (File size - 234 MB)NOTE: The 2022 ONSPDs included an incorrect update of the ITL field with two LA changes in Northamptonshire. This error has been corrected from the February 2023 ONSPD.NOTE: There was an issue with the originally published file where some change orders yet to be included in OS Boundary-LineÔ (including The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022, The North Yorkshire (Structural Changes) Order 2022 and The Somerset (Structural Changes) Order 2022) were mistakenly implemented for terminated postcodes. Version 2 corrects this, so that ward codes E05014171–E05014393 are not yet included. Please note that this product contains Royal Mail, Gridlink, LPS (Northern Ireland), Ordnance Survey and ONS Intellectual Property Rights.

A lookup between postcodes and postcode sectors, postcode districts and postcode areas as at March 2021 in England and Wales (File size 5MB).

Postcode area and district polygons derived from Ordnance Survey Open Data using R and GRASS. Method used was creating voronoi polygons from point postcode data and dissolving boundaries based on postcode area and district attributes.Contains OS data © Crown Copyright and database rightFile descriptions:postcode_polygons.gpkg: geopackage file containing two polygon layers: postcode_area and postcode_district.postcode_aggregator.R: R script to extract area and district from full postcode.postcode_aggregator.sh: GRASS/Bash script to convert point postcode data into polygons.postcode_overview.png: image of polygons available.

A lookup between postcodes and postcode sectors, postcode districts and postcode areas as at March 2021 in England and Wales (File size 5MB).

This dataset represents the Postal Boundaries for 2012. Included in the zip file are postcode Areas (AB, EH,..), districts (AB1, AB2,..) and sectors (AB1 1, AB1 2, ..). This data was sourced from Geolytix (https://blog.geolytix.net/2012-11-20-postal-sector-boundaries-by-geolytix/). The source data is released under a OGL licence which allows users to use the data without charge but requires them to attribute the following: Postal Boundaries (c) GeoLytix copyright and database right 2012 Contains Ordnance Survey data (c) Crown copyright and database right 2012 Contains Royal Mail data (c) Royal Mail copyright and database right 2012 Contains National Statistics data (c) Crown copyright and database right 2012. GIS vector data. This dataset was first accessioned in the EDINA ShareGeo Open repository on 2014-03-14 and migrated to Edinburgh DataShare on 2017-02-22.

Dataset

This dataset was created by Adam El-Hafedi

Contents

Open Postcode Geo is a postcode dataset and API optimised for geocoding applications. You can use Open Postcode Geo to geocode a dataset, geocode user input, and therefore build a proximity search.

Data is derived from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) postcode database and is free to use, subject to including attributions to ONS, OS (Ordinance Survey) and Royal Mail.

Information is also provided on a range of topics, including education, health, crime, business, etc.

Postcodes can be entered at area, district, sector, and unit level - see Postcode map for the geographical relationship between these.

This dataset is a modelled dataset, describing the predicted population of dogs per postcode district (e.g. YO41). This dataset gives the upper estimate for population for each district, and was generated as part of the delivery of commissioned research. The data contained within this dataset are modelled figures, based on upper 95th percentile national estimates for pet population, and available information on Veterinary activity across GB. The data are accurate as of 01/01/2015. The data provided are summarised to the postcode district level. Further information on this research is available in a research publication by James Aegerter, David Fouracre & Graham C. Smith, discussing the structure and density of pet cat and dog populations across Great Britain.

UK Postcode Directory

Geocode UK Postcodes & Identify Geographical Hierarchies

By GetTheData [source]

About this dataset

This Open Postcode Geo dataset contains a wealth of information about UK postcodes. For each postcode, there are several geospace attributes you can use to refine your analysis such as latitude, longitude, easting and northing. Moreover, the positional quality indicator provides a range of accuracy levels for each geospace attribute.

In addition to positioning data, this dataset has been derived from the Office for National Statistics' Postcode Directory which gives users extra insights into postcodes such as postcode areas, districts and sectors — enabling them to accurately group records into geographic hierarchies: perfect for mapping applications and statistical analysis!

And with data coming from multiple sources — The Crown Copyright & Database Right (2016), Royal Mail Copyright & Database Right (2016) & ONS ™ - users can be assured that Open Postcode Geo provides accurate and up-to-date results that cover terminated archives as well as smaller user-generated postcodes! All released under the UK Government's Open Government Licence v3; with attribution required pursuant to ONS Licences info... Now you too have access to powerful spatial information about the United Kingdom; helping you gain unparalleled insight in record time

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For more datasets, click here.

Featured Notebooks

• 🚨 Your notebook can be here! 🚨!

Research Ideas

• Use this dataset to combine with other datasets to accurately geocode addresses in a variety of formats, such as full postcodes or postcodes with only one digit missing.
• Utilise the different hierarchy levels including postcode area, district and sector for data visualization and analysis on census data collected by specific area in the UK.
• Feed this dataset into a route optimization algorithm so delivery routes can be quickly optimized between different locations using accurate lat-long coordinates from each address

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit the original authors. Data Source

License

See the dataset description for more information.

Columns

File: open_postcode_geo.csv | Column name | Description | |:---------------|:------------------------------| | AB1 0AA | Postcode (String) | | terminated | Terminated postcode (String) | | small | Small postcode (String) | | 385386 | Easting coordinate (Integer) | | 801193 | Northing coordinate (Integer) | | Scotland | Country name (String) | | 57.101474 | Latitude coordinate (Float) | | -2.242851 | Longitude coordinate (Float) | | AB10AA | Postcode area (String) | | AB1 0AA.1 | Postcode district (String) | | AB1 0AA | Postcode sector (String) | | AB1.1 | Postcode area (String) |

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit the original authors. If you use this dataset in your research, please credit GetTheData.

Dataset contains polygons corresponding to the top level (Postcode Area) of the GB Postcode Hierarchy. Thiessen polygons were generated from all records in OS OpenData Code-Point Open. Resulting coverage was dissolved up to postcode area level and then clipped to GB extent of the realm using OS OpenData Boundary-Line. Names of postcode areas were added from Wikipedia. GIS vector data. This dataset was first accessioned in the EDINA ShareGeo Open repository on 2010-07-22 and migrated to Edinburgh DataShare on 2017-02-21.

UK postcodes with the below additional geospace fields:

• Latitude
• Longitude
• Easting
• Northing
• Positional quality indicator
• Postcode area
• Postcode district
• Postcode sector
• Outcode
• Incode
• Country

Usecases

• Geocode any dataset containing UK postcodes using either latitude and longitude or northing and easting.
• Geocode older data using terminated postcodes.
• Recognise postcodes in a variety of different formats, for example "RG2 6AA" and "RG26AA".
• Group records into geographical hierarchies using postcode area, postcode district and postcode sector (see below graphic).

https://www.getthedata.com/images/postcode_map.png" alt="Geographical hierarchy of postcode area, district, sector and unit postcode">

Format of a UK Postcode

https://www.getthedata.com/images/postcode_format.png" alt="Format of a UK Postcode">

Documentation

Full documentation is available on the Open Postcode Geo homepage:

https://www.getthedata.com/open-postcode-geo

Version

August 2016.

Updated quarterly, for the most up to date version please see:

https://www.getthedata.com/open-postcode-geo

API

Open Postcode Geo is also available as an API.

Licence

UK Open Government Licence

Attribution required (see ONS Licences for more info):

• Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right (2016)
• Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and Database right (2016)
• Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right (2016)

Derived from the ONS Postcode Directory.

Acknowledgements

Open Postcode Geo was created and is maintained by GetTheData, an open data portal organising UK open data geographically and signposting the source.

This dataset is a modelled dataset, describing the predicted population of cats per postcode district (e.g. YO41). This dataset gives the upper estimate for population for each district, and was generated as part of the delivery of commissioned research. The data contained within this dataset are modelled figures, based on upper 95th percentile national estimates for pet population, and available information on Veterinary activity across GB. The data are accurate as of 01/01/2015. The data provided are summarised to the postcode district level. Further information on this research is available in a research publication by James Aegerter, David Fouracre & Graham C. Smith, discussing the structure and density of pet cat and dog populations across Great Britain.

The TIGER/Line shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line shapefile is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are approximate area representations of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ZIP Code service areas that the Census Bureau creates to present statistical data for each decennial census. The Census Bureau delineates ZCTA boundaries for the United States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands once each decade following the decennial census. Data users should not use ZCTAs to identify the official USPS ZIP Code for mail delivery. The USPS makes periodic changes to ZIP Codes to support more efficient mail delivery. The Census Bureau uses tabulation blocks as the basis for defining each ZCTA. Tabulation blocks are assigned to a ZCTA based on the most frequently occurring ZIP Code for the addresses contained within that block. The most frequently occurring ZIP Code also becomes the five-digit numeric code of the ZCTA. These codes may contain leading zeros. Blocks that do not contain addresses but are surrounded by a single ZCTA (enclaves) are assigned to the surrounding ZCTA. Because the Census Bureau only uses the most frequently occurring ZIP Code to assign blocks, a ZCTA may not exist for every USPS ZIP Code. Some ZIP Codes may not have a matching ZCTA because too few addresses were associated with the specific ZIP Code or the ZIP Code was not the most frequently occurring ZIP Code within any of the blocks where it exists. The ZCTA boundaries in this release are those delineated following the 2020 Census.

This file contains the National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) for the United Kingdom as at May 2024 in Comma Separated Variable (CSV) and ASCII text (TXT) formats. To download the zip file click the Download button. The NSPL relates both current and terminated postcodes to a range of current statutory geographies via ‘best-fit’ allocation from the 2021 Census Output Areas (national parks and Workplace Zones are exempt from ‘best-fit’ and use ‘exact-fit’ allocations) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has the 2011 Census Output Areas

It supports the production of area-based statistics from postcoded data. The NSPL is produced by ONS Geography, who provide geographic support to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and geographic services used by other organisations. The NSPL is issued quarterly. (File size - 195 MB).

This dataset is a modelled dataset, describing the mean cat ownership characteristics per household at a postcode district level(e.g. YO41). This dataset gives the mean household owership rate for each district, and was generated as part of the delivery of commissioned research. The data contained within this dataset are modelled figures, based on national estimates for pet population, and available information on Veterinary activity across GB. The data are accurate as of 01/01/2015. The data provided are summarised to the postcode district level. Further information on this research is available in a research publication by James Aegerter, David Fouracre & Graham C. Smith, discussing the structure and density of pet cat and dog populations across Great Britain.

A lookup between postcodes and postcode sectors, postcode districts, postcode areas and 2021 Census Output Areas as at August 2022 in England and Wales (File size 13MB).

A best-fit lookup between output areas and enumeration postcode sectors as at 31 December 2011 in England and Wales. The 2011 OA to enumeration postcode sector (E&W) lookup has been created from a base file, namely the residential postcode (census enumeration only) to 2011 OA lookup. The base file was created by best-fitting postcodes to 2011 OA by plotting the postcode centroid (the point of the mean address in the postcode) into the 2011 OA. To create a 2011 OA to postcode sector lookup from the base file, the following processes were run: - postcodes were truncated to five characters (postcode sector level) from seven characters (unit postcode level). - these five character postcode sectors were grouped to form a postcode sector to OA lookup (many postcode sectors to many OA). - each unique OA was then assigned to a single postcode sector. If an OA covered more than one postcode sector, the postcode sector with most Census population falling in the OA was assigned. This gives a one OA to many postcode sectors lookup. Postcode sectors can cross administrative areas and will only be aligned within the defined postcode hierarchy. (File Size 3MB).Field Names – OA11CD, PCDS11CD

Field Types – Text, Text

Field Lengths – 9, 5REST URL of Feature Access Service – https://services1.arcgis.com/ESMARspQHYMw9BZ9/arcgis/rest/services/OA11_PCDS11_EW_LU_1e64375a018c47b1b8f0932c5c27d4f2/FeatureServer

1,572,685 polygon records with EASTING,NORTHING and PAREA (postcode area) fields. Individual polygons could be aggregated using PAREA field and entire coverage clipped to a coastline dataset to give a GB Postcode Area dataset. Dataset created by reducing all records in Code-Point Open to a unique point set based on Easting & Northing, allocating the most frequently occurring postcode area at each unique location by sub-stringing unit postcode labels and then creating a thiessen polygon coverage from the pointset in arcinfo workstation. GIS vector data. This dataset was first accessioned in the EDINA ShareGeo Open repository on 2010-09-13 and migrated to Edinburgh DataShare on 2017-02-21.

The 2005 First Edition TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Census TIGER database. The geographic coverage for a single TIGER/Line file is a county or statistical equivalent entity, with the coverage area based on the latest available governmental unit boundaries. The Census TIGER database represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts. However, each county-based TIGER/Line file is designed to stand alone as an independent data set or the files can be combined to cover the whole Nation. The 2005 First Edition TIGER/Line files consist of line segments representing physical features and governmental and statistical boundaries. The files contain information distributed over a series of record types for the spatial objects of a county. There are 19 record types, including the basic data record, the shape coordinate points, and geographic codes that can be used with appropriate software to prepare maps. Other geographic information contained in the files includes attributes such as feature identifiers/census feature class codes (CFCC) used to differentiate feature types, address ranges and ZIP Codes, codes for legal and statistical entities, latitude/longitude coordinates of linear and point features, landmark point features, area landmarks, and area boundaries.