Tuscaloosa ZIP Code

University of Alabama ZIP Code 35487: Campus Mail and Street Addresses

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Wesley Jackson
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The University of Alabama ZIP code for campus mail is 35487. Every address template UA Campus Mail publishes, for departments and for students, ends in “Tuscaloosa, AL 35487” plus a four-digit extension. That code is UA’s unique ZIP. Letters and packages for departments, faculty, staff and students are addressed to 35487 and pass through the university’s own mail operation. A 35487 address is a mailing address, though, not a guide to where a building physically stands. Several UA offices list their street addresses with 35401, and UA’s map links often use 35401 too.

This guide covers the official mailing formats, how box numbers and ZIP+4 codes work, how physical addresses differ from mailing addresses, and what to enter in a GPS when you are visiting campus.

University of Alabama ZIP code 35487: what a unique ZIP means

Most ZIP codes cover streets and neighborhoods. A unique ZIP code is assigned to a single organization that receives a large volume of mail. Postal directories list 35487 as a Unique ZIP for the University of Alabama, with Tuscaloosa as its city name, and list “University Of Al” as a city name to avoid on mail.

On campus, mail addressed to 35487 is handled by UA’s Campus Mail Service Center. That is a university facility, not a U.S. Postal Service post office. According to Campus Mail, the student mail center is on the first floor of the UA Student Center, past Starbucks, and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Departmental mail is handled at a separate Departmental Mail Center at 325 Kirkbride Lane. Check UA Campus Mail for any change in hours.

Because 35487 is tied to the institution, it has no residential neighborhood, schools or parks of its own. The Census Bureau does publish a statistical ZIP Code Tabulation Area for 35487, with a population estimate of 1,950 in the ACS 2024 five-year data reported by Census Reporter. That figure describes the census approximation, not a town.

How to address mail to a UA department or office

UA Campus Mail publishes a standard departmental address template built around a box number. It lists the department name, the street address, the box number and the city line. Using the Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office box from Campus Mail’s departmental box number list, the last two lines look like this:

Box 870268
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0268

The box number tells you the ZIP+4 code. Campus Mail’s template fills in the four-digit extension after 35487 with the “last 4 of your box #.” Box 870268 becomes 35487-0268, and Box 870134 becomes 35487-0134. If you know a department’s box number, you can work out its full ZIP+4. If you don’t, look for the box on the department’s contact page. Don’t guess one.

Mail to UA students: the MSC number

Students use a different format. Campus Mail’s student mail FAQ and UA Housing’s mail and deliveries page gives it as:

Student Name
1831 University Station
MSC # (the student’s six-digit mail number)
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0002

The MSC number is a six-digit mail code that identifies the individual student’s mail. Housing tells residents not to address packages to their residence hall. Mail goes first to the Campus Mail Service Center, and Housing lists parcel lockers at Bryce Lawn, Presidential 1 and 2, Paty, and Tutwiler. Students who live off campus use their own street address, which carries the ZIP code of wherever they live and not 35487. The guide to finding the correct ZIP code for a Tuscaloosa address explains how to check one.

Physical address vs. mailing address on campus

The University of Alabama ZIP code question gets confusing because UA offices often publish two addresses. One is a street address for visitors. The other is a box address for mail. The Office of the University Registrar is a clear example. On its locations page, its physical address is 801 Campus Drive W, 206 Student Services Center, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, and its mailing address is Box 870134, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0134.

The two addresses do different jobs. The street address with 35401 is for finding the building. The box address with 35487 is for getting paper mail to the office. A visitor who types “Box 870134” into a map app will not reach the Student Services Center.

UA is not consistent about street-address ZIP codes

UA units don’t all follow the Registrar’s pattern. Some publish street addresses with 35487:

  • The Alabama Museum of Natural History lists 427 Sixth Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, along with a mailing address of Box 870340, 35487-0340.
  • The Paul W. Bryant Museum lists 300 Paul W. Bryant Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.
  • UA Parking Services lists 315 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 in its contact block, but the map link on the same page uses 315 Hackberry Ln, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.
  • The Randall Welcome Center’s directions page pairs 200 Bryce Lawn Dr. with Box 870168, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, while its own map link uses “Bryce Lawn Dr, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.”

Street-delivery records point one way. Tuscaloosa County’s 911 address data lists every UA street address this site checked, including 427 Sixth Avenue, 300 Paul W. Bryant Drive, 315 Hackberry Lane, 200 Bryce Lawn Drive and 920 Paul W. Bryant Drive, with ZIP 35401. UA’s own pages, however, still mix the two codes, so no single published rule says every campus building is in 35401, or that every one is in 35487. The practical approach is to use whatever the destination publishes for its purpose: its mailing format for mail, and its directions or map link for travel.

Examples of published UA mailing and street addresses
UA unitStreet or visitor address as publishedMailing addressSource
Office of the University Registrar801 Campus Drive W, 206 Student Services Center, 35401Box 870134, 35487-0134Website
Randall Welcome Center200 Bryce Lawn Dr. (map link uses 35401)Box 870168, 35487Website
Alabama Museum of Natural History427 Sixth Avenue, 35487Box 870340, 35487-0340Website
Paul W. Bryant Museum300 Paul W. Bryant Drive, 35487Not listed separatelyWebsite
UA Parking Services315 Hackberry Lane, 35487 (map link uses 35401)Not listed separatelyWebsite
University LibrariesNot listed on the libraries home pageBox 870266, 35487-0266Website
Campus Mail Service Center (UA Student Center)Student Center, first floor, past StarbucksStudent format: 1831 University Station, MSC #, 35487-0002Website

University of Alabama Tuscaloosa ZIP code for visitors and GPS

When you visit campus for an appointment, a tour, a museum or an event, follow three rules:

  1. Start with the destination’s own directions or parking page. UA’s visitor directions and Parking Services pages give map links meant for navigation. Many of these links use a 35401 street address.
  2. Never navigate to a box number. “Box 870xxx” and “1831 University Station” are mail-routing addresses. They don’t mark a building entrance.
  3. For big venues, use the venue operator’s directions. For football games and other athletics events, follow UA Athletics’ own directions and parking information. Bryant-Denny Stadium’s street address, 920 Paul W. Bryant Drive, appears with 35401 in UA’s Building Bama historic-buildings list and in county address data, while some UA athletics pages print 35487.

On the 2010 Census ZCTA boundaries used for this site’s map, the main campus falls inside the area drawn as 35401, which helps explain why map apps lean toward that code. The 35401 ZIP code guide covers that surrounding area, and the Tuscaloosa ZIP code map explainer shows how Census areas are drawn and why 35487 has no shaded area on the 2010 boundary file.

What happened to the University post office?

Older guides sometimes mention a USPS “University” station. Two records explain its status. The Crimson White reported in August 2013 that the USPS office in the Ferguson Center had been replaced by a UA-run mail center, and that its PO boxes had moved to the downtown post office. Later, USPS Postal Bulletin 22474 listed the University classified station in Tuscaloosa as discontinued effective August 12, 2017, with the note “Use Tuscaloosa, AL 35486 as last line of address.”

UA Campus Mail still uses 35487 in its address templates, and current directories still list 35487 as UA’s unique ZIP. The safest reading is that the USPS station on campus closed while 35487 continues as the university’s institutional mailing ZIP, handled through UA Campus Mail. 35486 is one of Tuscaloosa’s PO-box ZIP codes, explained in the guide to Tuscaloosa PO box ZIP codes. For questions about a specific mailing, contact UA Campus Mail directly.

35487 and other Tuscaloosa colleges

35487 belongs to the University of Alabama only. Stillman College and Shelton State Community College use their own street addresses and ordinary Tuscaloosa ZIP codes. The overview of Tuscaloosa college and campus ZIP codes compares all three. A UA mailing address also says nothing about city limits or school zones. The guide on mailing addresses vs. city limits explains why postal codes and municipal boundaries are separate systems.

Frequently asked questions

What is the University of Alabama’s ZIP code?

For mail, it is 35487, usually with a four-digit extension taken from the department’s box number. Students living on campus use 35487-0002 with their MSC number. Many physical and map addresses on campus use 35401.

Should I put my residence hall address on a package?

No. UA Housing says not to address packages to the residence hall. Use the 1831 University Station / MSC # format so the item reaches the Campus Mail Service Center and your parcel locker.

Is 35487 a good ZIP code to use in a GPS?

Not on its own. Use the street address or map link the destination publishes for visitors, which is often a 35401 address, and don’t enter a box number as a destination.

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

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