| City: | Schenectady, New York |
| Names to Avoid: | General Electric, Schdy |
| County: | Schenectady County |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 11:53:48 PM |
| Population: | No Population Data |
| Area Codes: | 518 / 838 |
| Classification: | Unique [Company/Government] |
| Coordinates: | 42.8145, -73.9403 |
| Quick Link: |
ZIP code 12345 is the easiest-to-remember postal code in the United States, assigned exclusively to General Electric's historic Schenectady campus. GE requested its own ZIP code in the late 1960s as the Zoning Improvement Plan was implemented, and the sequential number has made it memorable nationwide. The facility traces to 1887 when Thomas Edison moved his Machine Works to Schenectady, which became GE headquarters in 1892. Census Business Patterns shows 25 establishments employing 4,283 workers at this 0.18-square-mile industrial complex near Mount Pleasant.
The famous ZIP code creates an unusual problem: thousands of letters addressed to Santa Claus at "North Pole 12345" arrive at GE each December, and mailroom staff occasionally reply to children's letters. While a million people joke about living at 12345, the city has 66,000 residents and none actually live within this commercial-only designation. Schenectady is the valid mailing city.
| Establishments: | 25 |
| Employment: | 4,283 |
ZIP Code 12345 supports both business and residential activity. According to the Business Census (2024), there are 22 business establishments, employing about 4,969 people with an annual payroll of $570,639,000.
| # Residential Mailboxes: | 0Source: USPS |
| # Business Mailboxes: | 0Source: USPS |
| Total Delivery Receptacles: | 0Source: USPS |
| Single Family Delivery Units: | 0Source: USPS |
| Multi Family Delivery Units: | 0Source: USPS |
| # of Businesses: | 22Source: CBP |
| 1st Quarter Payroll: | $142,591,000Source: CBP |
| Annual Payroll: | $570,639,000Source: CBP |
| # of Employees: | 4,969Source: CBP |
ZIP Code 12345 is located in Schenectady County, New York, within the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 10580) and New York's 20th Congressional District. This Metro area has a population of 902,372 people, about 0.00% of whom live in ZIP Code 12345. It covers 0 sq mi of land and a water area of 0 sq mi.
| CBSA Name: | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NYSource: Census |
| CBSA Number: | 10580Source: Census |
| CBSA Type: | MetroSource: Census |
| CBSA Division: | --Source: Census |
| CBSA Population: | 902,372Source: Census |
| MSA: | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSASource: Census |
| Land Area: | --Source: Census |
| Water Area: | --Source: Census |
| Congressional District: | 20Source: USPS |
| Congressional Land Area: | 1231.28 sq miSource: Census |
| PMSA: | --Source: Census |
| Intro Date: | < 2004-10Source: ZIP-Codes.com |
| Place FIPS Code: | 3665508Source: Census |
| Place Name: | Schenectady city; New YorkSource: Census |
ZIP Code 12345 is in the Laramie County School District 1, which serves grades Kindergarten thru 12th. There are 1 public school(s) in this ZIP Code, and we have located 3 private school(s). It also has 6 colleges, universities or post secondary education institutions nearby which would be a short commute to.
Our sources include trusted federal and licensed data from the United States Postal Service, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Geological Survey, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the National Center for Education Statistics, along with proprietary datasets created by ZIP-Codes.com. Data last updated on January 1, 2026.