THE VIDEO SHELF · postal codes
Your Post Code Is the Directions, Not the Destination
CGP Grey explains that postal codes are routing instructions for mail rather than geographic regions. He looks at the quirks and problems this causes.
Why HN readers recommended it
HN recommends it whenever zip codes, addresses or geospatial data come up, as a clear explanation of the hidden pattern in post codes.
This is a summary from the source dataset, not an endorsement by Hacker News or the video creator.
Video & recommendation details
- Creator / channel
- CGP Grey
- Topic
- postal codes
- Format
- explainer
- Level
- general
- HN recommenders in dataset
- 4
- HN mentions in dataset
- 4
- Recommendation years in dataset
- 2025–2025
These counts and years describe the included Hacker News records; they are not YouTube views or the video’s publication date.
From the original HN conversations
Excerpts from the recorded comments. Follow each source for the full comment and surrounding discussion.
If you find this interesting and you haven't watched it, Go watch "The hidden pattern in post codes" [1] [1] [VIDEO]
cogman10 on Hacker News · 2025-09
In Zip Code Map of the United StatesZip codes are just weird to use for anything other than mail in general because they’re set up based off infrastructure. CGP Grey has a great video on this: [VIDEO]
jpjoi on Hacker News · 2025-02
In Stop using zip codes for geospatial analysis (2019)CGP Grey, a youtube channel, has a video on some of the problems of the postal codes and addresses from earlier this year that I learned about alternates to my familiar US based system. [VIDEO]
schlauerfox on Hacker News · 2025-04
In I wrote to the address in the GPLv2 license notice (2022)
Summaries, classifications and recommendation records are from the HackerTube source dataset. Read about this library and its limitations.