Who would have thought that zip codes, invented in 1963 by Mr. Zippy, Robert Moon, would provide the basis for a handy map tool that people use when traveling for business and leisure. With the advent of Internet technology and global positioning systems (GPS), the original five-digit numbers are no longer just a numbering system for coding timely mail delivery to all addresses in the
. country.Perhaps, friends book a trip to a theater to see the latest musical and they want to reserve hotel rooms within walking distance from the theater. Suppose an individual wants to check the distance between two or more zip codes. A business owner may want to plot zip code areas that the startup business should cover.New zip code radius finders help persons locate a range of locations that they can reach from a fixed point. Families and individuals can discover places they can travel to, on land, from a starting point they specify. Using online zip code radius tools, they only need to specify the starting point or zip code and the distance in miles they wish to travel in any direction from that point.The first digit in the zip code sequence represents one of the ten large geographic areas in the United States, ranging from zero in the Northeast to nine in the far West. The second and third zip code digits specify metropolitan areas and sectional centers that are accessible via common transportation. The fourth and fifth digits point out local post offices or zones in larger cities.There are many websites that offer free map tools for locating the radius around a specific point or zip code on a map. In order to use a zip code radius finder on a website, individuals must input a zip code and the desired radius in miles. The finder generates all the available zip codes within that radius around the point or center zip code. More reference links: http://www.zipcodedownload.com/Lookup/ http://www.zip-codes.com/zip-code-radius-finder.asp