How is a UK postcode structured?

A UK postcode has two parts separated by a space: the outward code (area and district, e.g. SW1A) and the inward code (sector and unit, e.g. 1AA). The postcode area is the one or two letters at the start, such as B for Birmingham or EH for Edinburgh.

What is the dialling code for London?

The London dialling code is 020. It serves the whole of Greater London and is used with 8-digit local numbers.

How many postcode areas are there in the UK?

There are 124 postcode areas across the United Kingdom, covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

UK postcodes, dialling codes & regions

A complete local reference for Great Britain and Northern Ireland: every postcode area with its principal town, telephone dialling (STD) codes by city and region, and the country and regional structure of the United Kingdom.

How UK postcodes work

The format

A postcode has an outward code (postcode area + district, e.g. SW1A) and an inward code (sector + unit, e.g. 1AA). Formats vary: B1 1AA, M60 1NW, EC1A 1BB. The first one or two letters are the postcode area.

The hierarchy

Area (e.g. EH) → district (EH1) → sector (EH1 1) → unit (EH1 1AA). There are 124 postcode areas, roughly 2.9 million postcodes in total, and about 1.8 million of them are live addresses. The special code GIR 0AA is reserved for Girobank.

Telephone area codes

Geographic UK numbers use STD codes such as 020 (London), 0161 (Manchester) and 0131 (Edinburgh). Non-geographic codes (03, 0800, 0844…) are used UK-wide.

Countries & regions

The UK comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England is further divided into nine official regions used for statistics and local government.

All UK postcode areas

Royal Mail postcode finder →

124 areas covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the principal town or city of each.

Area	Principal town / city	Country

UK telephone dialling codes

Ofcom number ranges →

Geographic (STD) codes for major cities and regions, plus UK-wide non-geographic ranges. To call from abroad use +44, dropping the leading 0.

Code	Location	Type

English ceremonial counties by region

ONS UK geography →

The 48 ceremonial counties of England, grouped under the nine official English regions.

County	Region	Postcode areas (examples)

Countries & regions of the United Kingdom

England

Nine official regions: North East, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East and South West. Capital: London.

Scotland

32 council areas, including the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness. Capital: Edinburgh. Postcode areas include AB, DD, EH, FK, G, HS, IV, KA, KW, KY, ML, PA, PH, TD, ZE.

Wales & Northern Ireland

Wales has 22 principal areas (capital: Cardiff; postcode areas CF, LL, NP, SA, SY, LD). Northern Ireland has 11 districts (capital: Belfast; postcode area BT).