Most of Northwood Hills (everyone north of Spring Valley Road) switched to the new 75254 ZIP code effective 1 July 2001 (those south of Spring Valley Road remain in 75240). You'll have one year to complete the switch. The boundaries for the change are from Spring Valley North to Beltline and from Coit past the Dallas Parkway in the West. The Board of Directors of Northwood Hills Homeowners Association, Inc. would like to recognize Jo Zavitz and her many volunteers for their efforts to get the US Postal service to change their position on altering our ZIP code. She, along with many others, wrote letters, made phone calls and placed notices on most of the doors in the neighborhood. They asked neighbors to write and phone various officials to complain about the new ZIP code and people responded in a big way. While we applaud the effort, your Board believes (after many discussions with postal officials and Congressman Armey's office) that nothing further can be done and the changes the Postal Service have made will stand.

[ click for a color enlargement ]

Webmaster note:
here's a letter from Cheryl A. Gillette-Shaw (US Postal Service) explaining the change:

June 25, 2001

NHHA Resident
Dallas, TX  75240

Dear Homeowner:

I regret the inconvenience you will incur as a result of a recent change in the ZIP Code for your service area. This change was necessary to allow the addition of new delivery routes and individual new addresses along our routes and cannot be changed.

The primary use of ZIP Codes is to identify postal delivery areas within the U.S. to simplify distribution and delivery of mail. With mail growth, we must search for ways to serve more customers. Automation allows the Postal Service to process an ever-increasing amount of mail, but a dependence on automation also translates into dependence on ZIP Codes. An additional ZIP Code will give the Postal Service the capacity to add new delivery routes and individual new addresses along routes. The Spring Valley ZIP Code area was split with Spring Valley road as the southern boundary for a new ZIP Code so that we can accommodate all the existing and future growth in your area.

At times overwhelming growth and constant creation of new addresses will prompt the consolidation of routes, post offices, or delivery districts to ensure we can better accommodate everyone with mail service. Please be assured that when a new ZIP Code is implemented, we will continue to honor the delivery of mail with either the old or new address for one year to allow our customers time to use their existing stationery and to notify correspondents of their new mailing address.

We announce ZIP Code realignments in various postal communications, to field offices and to local businesses and Federal agencies who are subscribers of our publications. We also work with all major business mailers, including utility companies, credit card companies, banks and department stores when such changes occur so that they can update your address.

We acknowledge that a new ZIP Code implementation is an inconvenience, however, you will not receive any disruption in mail service.

November 2005 update

If you live north of Spring Valley Road, you may receive a postcard in today's mail (duplicated below) about the proper use of the 75254 ZIP code.

If you use the Internet, I'd like to add a "gotcha" not mentioned on the postcard: MANY, MANY websites haven't updated their ZIP code database software since the new 75254 code came into being (July 2001). I heard (never confirmed) that it may be 2010 before all the databases are updated.

Example: you'll reach a web page which will find the nearest location of a business, and you enter [75254] but the results are bad (no locations found, or it thinks 75254 is in downtown Dallas). The WORKAROUND is to enter the old 75240 ZIP code, and things will usually work. That said, if you place an order, try to use the correct 75254 code. If the website won't recognize 75254, then use 75240 and enter a COMMENT: "your website needs an updated database: my 75254 ZIP code wasn't recognized." If you never complain, nothing will get fixed - ever!

Anyway, here's the postcard, in case you misplace yours:

Dear Postal Customer:

The United States Postal Service values your business and we are committed 
to providing you with the most efficient service possible. In order to 
ensure that your mail delivery is timely and accurate, we are sending this 
ZIP Code reminder card.

The correct ZIP Code for your address is 75254. It has come to our attention 
recently that some customers with are utilizing the incorrect ZIP Code. 
Using an incorrect ZIP Code can result in delays of your mail delivery or 
even misdirection of intended mail pieces. In an effort to improve customer 
service, the USPS utilizes the latest mail sorting technology; such 
equipment relies heavily on correct ZIP Code usage.

If you are in doubt as to your ZIP Code, or if you want to know your ZIP+4 
Code (which we highly recommend) you may go online at usps.com and use our 
convenient "ZIP Code Lookup" tool; you can call 1-800-ASKUSPS; or, you can 
call your local Post Office. The Postal Service appreciates your business 
and will continue to provide reliable service.

Irma Hill
Officer-In-Charge - Dallas, TX

Comments? Please drop us an email.
Material Copyright © 1998-2008 Northwood Hills Homeowners Association, Inc.