Tuscaloosa has four PO box ZIP codes: 35402, 35403, 35407 and 35486. These Tuscaloosa PO box ZIP codes are assigned to post office boxes rather than to streets, so they do not describe a neighborhood, a school zone or a part of town. If you are sending mail to a box, use the box’s own ZIP code. If you are looking for where someone lives or where a business is located, a PO-box ZIP will not tell you.
This guide explains what a PO-box ZIP code is, what official records say about each of the four Tuscaloosa codes, and how to address box mail correctly.
What is a PO-box ZIP code?
Most ZIP codes are standard codes, which cover street addresses that carriers deliver to. A PO-box ZIP code is reserved for post office boxes rented at a postal facility. Mail addressed to it is sorted into boxes instead of going out on a delivery route.
Because of that, a PO-box ZIP code has no residents, no parks and no schools in the usual sense. You will not find a “35403 neighborhood” because one does not exist. For the standard ZIP codes that do cover homes and streets, see the guides to ZIP code 35401, ZIP code 35405 and the rest of the collection.
A note on Census data
The Census Bureau’s ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical approximations of ZIP codes. The Census Bureau notes that a ZCTA can sometimes represent a single delivery point or a PO-box-only ZIP. Even so, any figure attached to a PO-box ZIP should not be read as the population of a residential area. This site does not publish population numbers for these four codes.
The four Tuscaloosa PO box ZIP codes
| ZIP | Mailing city | Official record | Facility linked in directories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35402 | Tuscaloosa | USPS OIG names it as a PO-box ZIP served by the Tuscaloosa Main Post Office unit | Tuscaloosa Post Office, listed at 1313 22nd Ave. |
| 35403 | Tuscaloosa | USPS OIG names it as a PO-box ZIP served by the Tuscaloosa Main Post Office unit | Tuscaloosa Post Office, listed at 1313 22nd Ave. |
| 35486 | Tuscaloosa | USPS OIG names it as a PO-box ZIP served by the Tuscaloosa Main Post Office unit; USPS Postal Bulletin 22474 (2017) references it | Tuscaloosa Post Office, listed at 1313 22nd Ave. |
| 35407 | Tuscaloosa | Not named in the OIG Tuscaloosa report | Skyland Post Office, listed at 3201 Skyland Blvd. E (directory link only) |
Post office street addresses in this table come from third-party ZIP directories, not from a USPS page. Before visiting, confirm the location and current hours with USPS Find a Location.
What the USPS Inspector General report says
In September 2024, the USPS Office of Inspector General published a report on delivery operations and property conditions at the Tuscaloosa Main Post Office. The report says that delivery unit serves ZIP codes 35401 and 35406, and a footnote adds that it also services 35402, 35403 and 35486, which are used for PO boxes. That footnote is the clearest official confirmation of those three codes as Tuscaloosa PO box ZIP codes.
The uncertain case: 35407
Third-party directories classify 35407 as a PO-box ZIP and connect it with the Skyland Post Office on Skyland Boulevard East. The OIG report on the main office does not mention 35407, which fits with it being handled elsewhere, but no USPS page was found that confirms the Skyland connection. Treat that link as unverified.
Directories also disagree with themselves. One widely used ZIP directory classifies 35403 and 35407 as PO-box ZIPs while also stating on those same pages that they are not PO-box-only zones. Third-party directories do not fully agree, so confirm with USPS or with the box holder before relying on any one source.
35486 and the former University station
ZIP 35486 has a history with the University of Alabama campus. USPS Postal Bulletin 22474, published in 2017, lists the “University” classified station in Tuscaloosa as discontinued effective August 12, 2017, with the instruction “Use Tuscaloosa, AL 35486 as last line of address.” Earlier, in 2013, the Crimson White student newspaper reported that the USPS office in UA’s Ferguson Center had been replaced by a university-run mail center and that its PO boxes had moved to the downtown post office.
Today, UA continues to use its own unique ZIP code, 35487, for campus and departmental mail handled by UA Campus Mail. That code is not a PO-box ZIP, and it is covered in the University of Alabama 35487 guide. Do not swap 35486 and 35487; use whichever code the recipient gives you.
How to address mail to a Tuscaloosa PO box
A PO box address replaces the street line. A typical format is:
Recipient Name
PO Box [number]
Tuscaloosa, AL [box ZIP code]
A few practical points:
- Use the ZIP code assigned to that box. Do not substitute the recipient’s home ZIP, such as 35401 or 35405, and do not assume all Tuscaloosa boxes share one code.
- Do not put a street address and a PO box on the same line. If both appear, the delivery line closest to the city line is generally the one used for delivery, which can send mail somewhere unexpected.
- Ask the box holder for the exact address, including the ZIP+4 if they have it. This site does not publish box number ranges for any Tuscaloosa PO box ZIP code.
- Check the format with USPS using the ZIP Code Lookup, which can confirm a PO box address.
For street addresses, the guide on finding the correct ZIP code for a Tuscaloosa or Northport address walks through the full lookup process.
Why businesses and offices list PO box ZIP codes
Businesses, churches, nonprofits and public agencies often publish a PO box as their mailing address. A box gives them one stable address even if they move, keeps mail secure, and separates correspondence from a storefront. The result is that an organization’s mailing ZIP code may be 35402 or 35403 while its physical office sits in a completely different standard ZIP.
That matters if you are trying to visit, map or compare locations. A PO-box ZIP tells you where the mail is picked up, not where the building is. Look for a separate street address or “physical address” on the organization’s website. The same mailing-versus-physical split appears across the University of Alabama campus, and the guide to mailing addresses vs. city limits explains why no ZIP code, box or standard, shows which city or school district a property belongs to.
Renting a PO box in Tuscaloosa
USPS rents PO boxes in several sizes, and availability and pricing vary by post office. Box fees change, so this guide does not list prices. To compare options, start at the USPS PO Boxes page, which lets you search by location and reserve online, or ask at a post office counter. The ZIP code you receive depends on the facility where the box is located.
Northport and Coker have their own post offices. If you live north of the Black Warrior River, the Northport ZIP codes guide covers that postal area, and a map of all the codes is in the Tuscaloosa and Northport ZIP code map guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which Tuscaloosa ZIP codes are only for PO boxes?
Directories classify 35402, 35403, 35407 and 35486 as PO-box ZIP codes. A USPS Inspector General report confirms 35402, 35403 and 35486 as PO-box ZIPs served by the Tuscaloosa Main Post Office unit.
Can I live in ZIP code 35402?
No. A PO-box ZIP code is used for rented boxes, not for homes. Your residential ZIP code will be a standard code such as 35401, 35404, 35405 or 35406.
Is 35486 the University of Alabama’s ZIP code?
No. UA’s campus ZIP code is 35487. ZIP 35486 is a Tuscaloosa PO-box ZIP. When USPS discontinued its University station in 2017, the Postal Bulletin told mailers to use Tuscaloosa, AL 35486 as the last line for that station.
What ZIP code goes with my PO box?
Use the ZIP code printed on your box rental paperwork or provided by the post office. Ask the post office if you are unsure.
Facts in this guide were checked against the sources below on October 10, 2026. Addresses, programs and boundaries can change; confirm with the official source before relying on them.
Sources
- USPS Office of Inspector General — Tuscaloosa Main Post Office report 24-125-3-R24 (accessed October 10, 2026)
- USPS — Postal Bulletin 22474, Post Office changes (accessed October 10, 2026)
- USPS — PO Boxes (accessed October 10, 2026)
- USPS — ZIP Code Lookup (accessed October 10, 2026)
- USPS — Find a Location (accessed October 10, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau — ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) (accessed October 10, 2026)
- The University of Alabama, Campus Mail Services — Send and Receive Mail (accessed October 10, 2026)
- The Crimson White — New campus mail service center (Aug. 21, 2013) (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Zip-Codes.com — ZIP code 35403 (cross-check) (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Zip-Codes.com — ZIP code 35407 (cross-check) (accessed October 10, 2026)
- ZipCodes-US — Tuscaloosa post offices (cross-check) (accessed October 10, 2026)
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