Editing Postal codes in Canada (section)

==Components of a postal code==
[[File:Components of a Canadian postal code.png|left|140px]]

===Forward sortation areas===
A ''forward sortation area'' (FSA) is a geographical region in which all postal codes start with the same three characters.<ref>{{cite web | title = NDG Presort Online Training | work = NDG | publisher = [[Canada Post]] | url = http://www.canadapost.ca/business/ndg/glossary-e.asp | access-date = 23 September 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090327034528/http://www.canadapost.ca/business/ndg/glossary-e.asp | archive-date = 27 March 2009 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> The first letter of an FSA code denotes a particular "postal district", which, outside [[Quebec]] and [[Ontario]], corresponds to an entire [[Provinces and territories of Canada|province or territory]].

The large populations of both Quebec and Ontario cause both provinces to be subdivided, into three and five postal districts respectively, and each has at least one urban area so populous that it has a dedicated postal district (''H'' for the [[Montréal (region)|Montreal region]], and ''M'' for [[Toronto]]). On the other hand, the low populations in [[Nunavut]] and the [[Northwest Territories]] (NWT) mean that even though Nunavut separated from the Northwest Territories and became its own territory in 1999, the two continue to share a postal district.

The digit identifies the FSA as urban or rural. A zero indicates a wide-area rural region (or, in rare instances, a special-purpose code);<ref>H0H is reserved for seasonal [[Santa Claus|Santa]] mail, M0R and T0W are reserved for [[freepost]] "Commercial Returns" of mail-order merchandise to large vendors like the [[TSC (TV channel)|Shopping Channel]] or [[amazon.ca|Amazon]].</ref><ref>[https://www.tsc.ca/pages/customer-service/return-instructions Return instructions] and example [https://www.tsc.ca/EasyReturns/cpreturn.return label] for Gateway Commercial Returns, 4567 Dixie Rd, Mississauga M0R 1T0</ref> all other digits indicate urban areas. The second letter represents a specific rural region, an entire medium-sized city, or a section of a major metropolitan area. In the extreme case, some FSAs in downtown [[Toronto]], [[Montreal]], and [[Vancouver]] are assigned to individual buildings. Rural FSAs also vary widely in population, with the [[Northwest Territories]]' ''X0G'' covering only the hamlet of [[Fort Liard]], but adjoining ''X0E'' covering every other community in the territory except [[Yellowknife]].

===Table of all postal codes===
A directory of FSAs is provided below, divided into separate articles by postal district. Individual FSA lists are in a tabular format, with the numbers (known as ''zones'') going across the table and the second letter going down the table.

The FSA lists specify all communities covered by each rural FSA. Medium-sized cities may have one dedicated FSA; larger cities have more than one FSA within their limits.

For FSAs spanning more than one city, the city which is allocated the most codes in each such FSA is listed. For cities with a small number of FSAs (but more than one), the lists specify the relative location of each FSA in those cities. For cities with a large number of FSAs, applicable neighbourhoods and boroughs are specified.

{{anchor|List of Canadian postal codes}}

All Canadian postal codes are listed in the following links, organized by first letter.
{{Canadian postal codes}}
{{Image label begin|image=Canadian postal district map (without legends).svg|width=400|float=right|caption=Map of postal districts in Canada. Click on a letter to go to a table of forward sortation areas beginning with that letter.}}
{{Image label|x=370|y=194|scale=400/400|text=[[List of A postal codes of Canada|<span title="Newfoundland and Labrador" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''A'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=371|y=274|scale=400/400|text=[[List of B postal codes of Canada|<span title="Nova Scotia" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''B'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=346|y=251|scale=400/400|text=[[List of C postal codes of Canada|<span title="Prince Edward Island" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''C'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=336|y=269|scale=400/400|text=[[List of E postal codes of Canada|<span title="New Brunswick" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''E'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=306|y=246|scale=400/400|text=[[List of G postal codes of Canada|<span title="Eastern Quebec" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''G'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=320|y=297|scale=400/400|text=[[List of H postal codes of Canada|<span title="Metropolitan Montreal" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''H'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=279|y=210|scale=400/400|text=[[List of J postal codes of Canada|<span title="Western and Northern Quebec" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''J'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=280|y=302|scale=400/400|text=[[List of K postal codes of Canada|<span title="Eastern Ontario" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''K'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=296|y=311|scale=400/400|text=[[List of L postal codes of Canada|<span title="Central Ontario" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''L'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=291|y=328|scale=400/400|text=[[List of M postal codes of Canada|<span title="Metropolitan Toronto" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''M'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=245|y=318|scale=400/400|text=[[List of N postal codes of Canada|<span title="Western Ontario" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''N'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=218|y=258|scale=400/400|text=[[List of P postal codes of Canada|<span title="Northern Ontario" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''P'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=164|y=221|scale=400/400|text=[[List of R postal codes of Canada|<span title="Manitoba" style="font-size: large; color: black;">'''R'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=127|y=214|scale=400/400|text=[[List of S postal codes of Canada|<span title="Saskatchewan" style="font-size: large; color: white;">'''S'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=88|y=205|scale=400/400|text=[[List of T postal codes of Canada|<span title="Alberta" style="font-size: large; color: white;">'''T'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=45|y=186|scale=400/400|text=[[List of V postal codes of Canada|<span title="British Columbia" style="font-size: large; color: white;">'''V'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=138|y=154|scale=400/400|text=[[List of X postal codes of Canada|<span title="Nunavut and NWT" style="font-size: large; color: white;">'''X'''</span>]]}}
{{Image label|x=37|y=120|scale=400/400|text=[[List of Y postal codes of Canada|<span title="Yukon" style="font-size: large; color: white;">'''Y'''</span>]]}}{{Image label end}}

===Local delivery units===
The last three characters denote a ''local delivery unit'' (LDU).<ref name=canadapostglossary_postalcode /> An LDU denotes a specific single address or range of addresses, which can correspond to an entire small town, a significant part of a medium-sized town, a single side of a city block in larger cities, a single large building or a portion of a very large one, a single (large) institution such as a university or a hospital, or a business that regularly receives large volumes of mail.

LDUs ending in zero correspond to postal facilities, from [[post office]]s and small franchised retail postal outlets all the way up to sortation plants. In urban areas, LDUs may be specific postal carriers' routes. In rural areas where direct door-to-door delivery is not available, an LDU can describe a set of post office boxes or a [[rural route]].  LDU ''9Z9'' is used exclusively for [[Freepost|Business Reply Mail]]. In rural FSAs, the first two characters are usually assigned in alphanumerical order by the name of each community.

LDU ''9Z0'' refers to large regional distribution facilities, and is also used as a placeholder, appearing in some regional postmarks such as the "K0H 9Z0" which formerly appeared on purely local mail within the [[Kingston, Ontario]], area.