How to Fill Out Your Address: A Simple Guide to State, Zip Code, and Country Fields

ELI5 Introduction: Imagine you’re sending a letter to a friend. You need to write their state, zip code, and country on the envelope so the post office knows exactly where to deliver it. This article explains the three boxes you see on a website when you’re buying something or signing up. We’ll break down every option so you know exactly what to pick!

What Is This Form?

This is the "Address Section" of a checkout or registration form. It asks for three key pieces of information to figure out where you live:

1. State/Province/Region (a dropdown menu)
2. Zip/Postal Code (a text box you type in)
3. Country (a very long dropdown menu)

1⃣ The State/Province/Region Dropdown

This menu lets you pick your specific region. It covers US States, US Territories, Military Addresses, and Canadian Provinces.

US States (50 Options)

Pick the state where you live:

• Alabama (AL)
• Alaska (AK)
• Arizona (AZ)
• Arkansas (AR)
• California (CA)
• Colorado (CO)
• Connecticut (CT)
• Delaware (DE)
• Florida (FL)
• Georgia (GA)
• Hawaii (HI)
• Idaho (ID)
• Illinois (IL)
• Indiana (IN)
• Iowa (IA)
• Kansas (KS)
• Kentucky (KY)
• Louisiana (LA)
• Maine (ME)
• Maryland (MD)
• Massachusetts (MA)
• Michigan (MI)
• Minnesota (MN)
• Mississippi (MS)
• Missouri (MO)
• Montana (MT)
• Nebraska (NE)
• Nevada (NV)
• New Hampshire (NH)
• New Jersey (NJ)
• New Mexico (NM)
• New York (NY)
• North Carolina (NC)
• North Dakota (ND)
• Ohio (OH)
• Oklahoma (OK)
• Oregon (OR)
• Pennsylvania (PA)
• Rhode Island (RI)
• South Carolina (SC)
• South Dakota (SD)
• Tennessee (TN)
• Texas (TX) (Default Selected)
• Utah (UT)
• Vermont (VT)
• Virginia (VA)
• Washington (WA)
• West Virginia (WV)
• Wisconsin (WI)
• Wyoming (WY)

US Territories & Special Districts

• Washington D.C. (DC)
• Puerto Rico (PR)
• US Virgin Islands (VI)
• Northern Mariana Islands (MP)
• Guam (GU)
• American Samoa (AS)

Military "States" (For APO/FPO Addresses)

If you are stationed overseas with the military, you pick one of these:

• Armed Forces Americas (AA)
• Armed Forces Europe (AE)
• Armed Forces Pacific (AP)

Canadian Provinces & Territories

• Alberta (AB)
• British Columbia (BC)
• Manitoba (MB)
• New Brunswick (NB)
• Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)
• Northwest Territories (NT)
• Nova Scotia (NS)
• Nunavut (NU)
• Ontario (ON)
• Prince Edward Island (PE)
• Quebec (QC)
• Saskatchewan (SK)
• Yukon Territory (YT)

Other Pacific Territories (Freely Associated States)

• Marshall Islands (MH)
• Federated States of Micronesia (FM)
• Palau (PW)

2⃣ The Zip/Postal Code Box

This is a text box where you type your code.

• Label: "Zip code" (hidden visually but read by screen readers)
• Max Length: 7 characters (works for US 5-digit, US ZIP+4, and Canadian formats like A1A 1A1)
• Required: Yes (you cannot submit the form without it)

Pro Tip: If you are in the US, just type your 5-digit zip code (e.g., 90210). If you are in Canada, type your postal code with a space (e.g., V5K 0A1).

3⃣ The Country Dropdown

This is a massive list of every country and major territory in the world. The default is United States of America (US).

Important: The list below includes every single option from the original form, organized alphabetically by country name.

Complete Country List

• United States of America (US) (Default Selected)
• US Virgin Islands (VI)
• United States Minor Outlying Islands (UM)
• Canada (CA)
• Mexico, United Mexican States (MX)
• Bahamas, Commonwealth of the (BS)
• Cuba, Republic of (CU)
• Dominican Republic (DO)
• Haiti, Republic of (HT)
• Jamaica (JM)
• Afghanistan (AF)
• Albania, People’s Socialist Republic of (AL)
• Algeria, People’s Democratic Republic of (DZ)
• American Samoa (AS)
• Andorra, Principality of (AD)
• Angola, Republic of (AO)
• Anguilla (AI)
• Antarctica (AQ)
• Antigua and Barbuda (AG)
• Argentina, Argentine Republic (AR)
• Armenia (AM)
• Aruba (AW)
• Australia, Commonwealth of (AU)
• Austria, Republic of (AT)
• Azerbaijan, Republic of (AZ)
• Bahrain, Kingdom of (BH)
• Bangladesh, People’s Republic of (BD)
• Barbados (BB)
• Belarus (BY)
• Belgium, Kingdom of (BE)
• Belize (BZ)
• Benin, People’s Republic of (BJ)
• Bermuda (BM)
• Bhutan, Kingdom of (BT)
• Bolivia, Republic of (BO)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA)
• Botswana, Republic of (BW)
• Bouvet Island (BV)
• Brazil, Federative Republic of (BR)
• British Indian Ocean Territory (IO)
• British Virgin Islands (VG)
• Brunei Darussalam (BN)
• Bulgaria, People’s Republic of (BG)
• Burkina Faso (BF)
• Burundi, Republic of (BI)
• Cambodia, Kingdom of (KH)
• Cameroon, United Republic of (CM)
• Cape Verde, Republic of (CV)
• Cayman Islands (KY)
• Central African Republic (CF)
• Chad, Republic of (TD)
• Chile, Republic of (CL)
• China, People’s Republic of (CN)
• Christmas Island (CX)
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CC)
• Colombia, Republic of (CO)
• Comoros, Union of the (KM)
• Congo, Democratic Republic of (CD)
• Congo, People’s Republic of (CG)
• Cook Islands (CK)
• Costa Rica, Republic of (CR)
• Cote D’Ivoire, Ivory Coast (CI)
• Cyprus, Republic of (CY)
• Czech Republic (CZ)
• Denmark, Kingdom of (DK)
• Djibouti, Republic of (DJ)
• Dominica, Commonwealth of (DM)
• Ecuador, Republic of (EC)
• Egypt, Arab Republic of (EG)
• El Salvador, Republic of (SV)
• Equatorial Guinea, Republic of (GQ)
• Eritrea (ER)
• Estonia (EE)
• Ethiopia (ET)
• Faeroe Islands (FO)
• Falkland Islands (FK)
• Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands (FJ)
• Finland, Republic of (FI)
• France, French Republic (FR)
• French Guiana (GF)
• French Polynesia (PF)
• French Southern Territories (TF)
• Gabon, Gabonese Republic (GA)
• Gambia, Republic of the (GM)
• Georgia (GE)
• Germany (DE)
• Ghana, Republic of (GH)
• Gibraltar (GI)
• Greece, Hellenic Republic (GR)
• Greenland (GL)
• Grenada (GD)
• Guadaloupe (GP)
• Guam (GU)
• Guatemala, Republic of (GT)
• Guinea, Revolutionary People’s Rep’c of (GN)
• Guinea-Bissau, Republic of (GW)
• Guyana, Republic of (GY)
• Heard and McDonald Islands (HM)
• Holy See (Vatican City State) (VA)
• Honduras, Republic of (HN)
• Hong Kong (HK)
• Croatia (Hrvatska) (HR)
• Hungary, Hungarian People’s Republic (HU)
• Iceland, Republic of (IS)
• India, Republic of (IN)
• Indonesia, Republic of (ID)
• Iran, Islamic Republic of (IR)
• Iraq, Republic of (IQ)
• Ireland (IE)
• Israel, State of (IL)
• Italy, Italian Republic (IT)
• Japan (JP)
• Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of (JO)
• Kazakhstan, Republic of (KZ)
• Kenya, Republic of (KE)
• Kiribati, Republic of (KI)
• Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of (KP)
• Korea, Republic of (KR)
• Kuwait, State of (KW)
• Kyrgyz Republic (KG)
• Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LA)
• Latvia (LV)
• Lebanon, Lebanese Republic (LB)
• Lesotho, Kingdom of (LS)
• Liberia, Republic of (LR)
• Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (LY)
• Liechtenstein, Principality of (LI)
• Lithuania (LT)
• Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of (LU)
• Macao (MO)
• Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of (MK)
• Madagascar, Republic of (MG)
• Malawi, Republic of (MW)
• Malaysia (MY)
• Maldives, Republic of (MV)
• Mali, Republic of (ML)
• Malta, Republic of (MT)
• Marshall Islands (MH)
• Martinique (MQ)
• Mauritania, Islamic Republic of (MR)
• Mauritius (MU)
• Mayotte (YT)
• Micronesia, Federated States of (FM)
• Moldova, Republic of (MD)
• Monaco, Principality of (MC)
• Mongolia, Mongolian People’s Republic (MN)
• Montserrat (MS)
• Morocco, Kingdom of (MA)
• Mozambique, People’s Republic of (MZ)
• Myanmar (MM)
• Namibia (NA)
• Nauru, Republic of (NR)
• Nepal, Kingdom of (NP)
• Netherlands Antilles (AN)
• Netherlands, Kingdom of the (NL)
• New Caledonia (NC)
• New Zealand (NZ)
• Nicaragua, Republic of (NI)
• Niger, Republic of the (NE)
• Nigeria, Federal Republic of (NG)
• Niue, Republic of (NU)
• Norfolk Island (NF)
• Northern Mariana Islands (MP)
• Norway, Kingdom of (NO)
• Oman, Sultanate of (OM)
• Pakistan, Islamic Republic of (PK)
• Palau (PW)
• Palestinian Territory, Occupied (PS)
• Panama, Republic of (PA)
• Papua New Guinea (PG)
• Paraguay, Republic of (PY)
• Peru, Republic of (PE)
• Philippines, Republic of the (PH)
• Pitcairn Island (PN)
• Poland, Polish People’s Republic (PL)
• Portugal, Portuguese Republic (PT)
• Puerto Rico (PR)
• Qatar, State of (QA)
• Reunion (RE)
• Romania, Socialist Republic of (RO)
• Russian Federation (RU)
• Rwanda, Rwandese Republic (RW)
• Samoa, Independent State of (WS)
• San Marino, Republic of (SM)
• Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of (ST)
• Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of (SA)
• Senegal, Republic of (SN)
• Serbia and Montenegro (CS)
• Seychelles, Republic of (SC)
• Sierra Leone, Republic of (SL)
• Singapore, Republic of (SG)
• Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (SK)
• Slovenia (SI)
• Solomon Islands (SB)
• Somalia, Somali Republic (SO)
• South Africa, Republic of (ZA)
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GS)
• Spain, Spanish State (ES)
• Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of (LK)
• St. Helena (SH)
• St. Kitts and Nevis (KN)
• St. Lucia (LC)
• St. Pierre and Miquelon (PM)
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines (VC)
• Sudan, Democratic Republic of the (SD)
• Suriname, Republic of (SR)
• Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands (SJ)
• Swaziland, Kingdom of (SZ)
• Sweden, Kingdom of (SE)
• Switzerland, Swiss Confederation (CH)
• Syrian Arab Republic (SY)
• Taiwan, Province of China (TW)
• Tajikistan (TJ)
• Tanzania, United Republic of (TZ)
• Thailand, Kingdom of (TH)
• Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of (TL)
• Togo, Togolese Republic (TG)
• Tokelau (TK)
• Tonga, Kingdom of (TO)
• Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of (TT)
• Tunisia, Republic of (TN)
• Turkey, Republic of (TR)
• Turkmenistan (TM)
• Turks and Caicos Islands (TC)
• Tuvalu (TV)
• Uganda, Republic of (UG)
• Ukraine (UA)
• United Arab Emirates (AE)
• United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland (GB)
• Uruguay, Eastern Republic of (UY)
• Uzbekistan (UZ)
• Vanuatu (VU)
• Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of (VE)
• Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of (VN)
• Wallis and Futuna Islands (WF)
• Western Sahara (EH)
• Yemen (YE)
• Zambia, Republic of (ZM)
• Zimbabwe (ZW)

How to Fill This Out: Step-by-Step

1. Find the "State" dropdown. Click it and scroll to your state, province, or territory. (It starts with US states, then territories, then Canada).
2. Click the "Zip code" box. Type your postal code. Make sure it’s correct!
3. Find the "Country" dropdown. It defaults to "United States of America." If you live in the US, leave it alone. If you live elsewhere, click and scroll to find your country (they are in alphabetical order).
4. Check your work. Did you pick the right state? Is the zip code typed correctly? Is the country right?
5. Click "Continue" or "Submit" on the form.

Important Points to Remember

Key Takeaways:

• Texas (TX) is pre-selected in the State dropdown. Change it if you don’t live in Texas!
• United States (US) is pre-selected in the Country dropdown. Change it if you are international.
• The Zip Code box is REQUIRED. The form won’t let you proceed without it.
• The State list includes Canadian Provinces (AB, BC, ON, etc.) at the very bottom.
• The State list includes Military Codes (AA, AE, AP) for deployed service members.
• The Country list uses official formal names (e.g., "United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland" instead of just "UK").

Summary

This form collects your geographic location using three fields:

1. State/Province: A dropdown with all 50 US states, DC, territories, military codes, and Canadian provinces.
2. Zip/Postal Code: A required text box (max 7 chars) for your local delivery code.
3. Country: A comprehensive dropdown of every sovereign nation and territory, defaulting to the USA.

Just pick your region, type your code, confirm your country, and you’re good to go!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. I live in Canada. Which "State" do I pick?

Scroll to the very bottom of the State dropdown. You will see Canadian provinces listed with two-letter codes like ON (Ontario), BC (British Columbia), QC (Quebec), etc. Pick yours. Then make sure to change the Country dropdown to Canada (CA).

2. I am in the military and stationed overseas. What do I select for State?

Do not pick your home state. Pick the military code that matches your mail routing:

• AA (Armed Forces Americas)
• AE (Armed Forces Europe/Middle East/Africa/Canada)
• AP (Armed Forces Pacific)
  Your Country should remain United States (US).

3. Why does the Zip Code box only allow 7 characters?

This covers the most common formats:

• US Standard: 5 digits (e.g., 10001)
• US ZIP+4: 5 digits + hyphen + 4 digits = 10 chars? Wait, the form says maxlength="7". This suggests the form expects US 5-digit or Canadian 6-char (+space) format (e.g., V5K0A1 or V5K 0A1). If you have a US ZIP+4 (12345-6789), you may only need to enter the first 5 digits.

4. My country isn’t in the list! What do I do?

The list is extremely comprehensive (over 240 entries). It includes almost every UN member state and many territories. Check the spelling carefully (e.g., "Cote D’Ivoire" not "Ivory Coast"; "Myanmar" not "Burma"; "Russia" is listed as "Russian Federation"). If it is truly missing (e.g., a brand new country), contact the website’s support team.

5. The form says "State" but I live in a country without states (like the UK or Japan). What do I enter?

If your country doesn’t use states/provinces (or you don’t know yours), you can often pick a generic option or the first item, but this specific form does not have a "N/A" or "Other" option in the State dropdown. You must pick something.

• Best Practice: Select the first US state (Alabama/AL) as a placeholder, but ensure your Country is set correctly (e.g., United Kingdom (GB)). The website’s backend usually ignores the State field if the Country is not US/CA.