First three digits · North Carolina
ZIP Codes Starting with
50 ZIP codes start with 281, sorted at the Charlotte, NC (SCF 282) sectional center (USPS labeling list L005, effective October 1, 2026) in North Carolina: 43 residential ZIP codes across 11 counties and 7 PO Box or single-organization codes (Census 2020 ZCTAs and GeoNames postal codes, October 2026).
What do the digits 281 mean?
The first digit, 2, is one of ten national areas (District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia). The first three, 281, route mail to a sectional center: USPS labeling list L005 (effective October 1, 2026) sends letters for 281 to the Charlotte, NC (SCF 282) facility. The last two digits pick the delivery area. By residents, the largest town names among the 281 ZIP codes are Mooresville, Monroe, Salisbury, Matthews, Waxhaw and Shelby.
The same facility sorts 5 prefixes, 305 ZIP codes in all: 280, 281, 282, 286, 297.
Where are the 281 ZIP codes?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries; ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B19013).
All ZIP codes starting with 281
| County | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28101 | McAdenville | Gaston County | 898 | 1,761 | $111k | $365k |
| 28102 | McFarlan | Anson County | 164 | 178 | – | $115k |
| 28103 | Marshville | Union County | 10,714 | 70 | $77k | $248k |
| 28104 | Matthews | Union County | 36,641 | 1,238 | $138k | $534k |
| 28105 | Matthews | Mecklenburg County | 46,817 | 2,015 | $108k | $431k |
| 28106 | Matthews | Mecklenburg County | PO Box or unique | – | – | – |
| 28107 | Midland | Cabarrus County | 10,244 | 210 | $105k | $386k |
| 28108 | Mineral Springs | Union County | 34 | 166 | – | – |
| 28109 | Misenheimer | Stanly County | 664 | 1,153 | $31k | $187k |
| 28110 | Monroe | Union County | 56,971 | 447 | $84k | $343k |
| 28111 | Monroe | Union County | PO Box or unique | – | – | – |
| 28112 | Monroe | Union County | 28,461 | 215 | $81k | $297k |
| 28114 | Mooresboro | Cleveland County | 7,104 | 108 | $61k | $151k |
| 28115 | Mooresville | Iredell County | 43,544 | 584 | $88k | $360k |
| 28117 | Mooresville | Iredell County | 48,826 | 1,249 | $113k | $615k |
| 28119 | Morven | Anson County | 2,182 | 33 | $50k | $80k |
| 28120 | Mount Holly | Gaston County | 25,805 | 823 | $78k | $322k |
| 28123 | Mount Mourne | Iredell County | PO Box or unique | – | – | – |
| 28124 | Mount Pleasant | Cabarrus County | 7,010 | 121 | $81k | $311k |
| 28125 | Mount Ulla | Rowan County | 2,765 | 72 | $86k | $361k |
| 28126 | Newell | Mecklenburg County | PO Box or unique | – | – | – |
| 28127 | New London | Stanly County | 8,506 | 114 | $69k | $256k |
| 28128 | Norwood | Stanly County | 6,587 | 96 | $54k | $222k |
| 28129 | Oakboro | Stanly County | 5,852 | 135 | $70k | $267k |
| 28130 | Paw Creek | Mecklenburg County | PO Box or unique | – | – | – |
| 28133 | Peachland | Anson County | 2,060 | 25 | $47k | $189k |
| 28134 | Pineville | Mecklenburg County | 13,245 | 1,588 | $86k | $384k |
| 28135 | Polkton | Anson County | 4,655 | 46 | $67k | $209k |
| 28136 | Polkville | Cleveland County | 66 | 846 | $83k | – |
| 28137 | Richfield | Stanly County | 2,664 | 60 | $67k | $253k |
| 28138 | Rockwell | Rowan County | 10,271 | 228 | $67k | $216k |
| 28139 | Rutherfordton | Rutherford County | 20,008 | 110 | $57k | $240k |
| 28144 | Salisbury | Rowan County | 27,977 | 930 | $53k | $227k |
| 28145 | Salisbury | Rowan County | PO Box or unique | – | – | – |
| 28146 | Salisbury | Rowan County | 31,292 | 322 | $69k | $248k |
| 28147 | Salisbury | Rowan County | 25,812 | 333 | $65k | $269k |
| 28150 | Shelby | Cleveland County | 28,142 | 257 | $56k | $211k |
| 28151 | Shelby | Cleveland County | PO Box or unique | – | – | – |
| 28152 | Shelby | Cleveland County | 26,134 | 329 | $58k | $205k |
| 28159 | Spencer | Rowan County | 3,250 | 1,454 | $63k | $200k |
| 28160 | Spindale | Rutherford County | 3,665 | 666 | $41k | $164k |
| 28163 | Stanfield | Stanly County | 6,491 | 187 | $72k | $314k |
| 28164 | Stanley | Gaston County | 16,874 | 411 | $80k | $310k |
| 28166 | Troutman | Iredell County | 11,875 | 410 | $94k | $349k |
| 28167 | Union Mills | Rutherford County | 2,253 | 31 | $60k | $235k |
| 28168 | Vale | Lincoln County | 10,484 | 120 | $61k | $205k |
| 28169 | Waco | Cleveland County | 108 | 184 | – | $70k |
| 28170 | Wadesboro | Anson County | 10,103 | 57 | $40k | $154k |
| 28173 | Waxhaw | Union County | 65,274 | 614 | $151k | $608k |
| 28174 | Wingate | Union County | 9,573 | 263 | $71k | $227k |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0) for codes without a residential area.