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CB postcode area
CB postcode area
CB postcode area
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Template:Attached KML/CB postcode area
KML is from Wikidata

The CB postcode area, also known as the Cambridge postcode area,[2] is a group of sixteen postcode districts in the east of England, within five post towns. These cover much of south and east Cambridgeshire (including Cambridge and Ely), plus parts of west Suffolk (including Newmarket and Haverhill) and north-west Essex (including Saffron Walden), and a very small part of Norfolk.

Key Information

Districts CB21 to CB25 were formed in September 2006 from the parts of districts CB1 to CB5 lying outside of the city of Cambridge.[3][4][5]

Coverage

[edit]

The approximate coverage of the postcode districts:

Postcode district Post town Coverage Local authority area(s)
CB1 CAMBRIDGE Cambridge (Central, South), Teversham (parts of) Cambridge; South Cambridgeshire
CB2 CAMBRIDGE Cambridge (West) Cambridge; South Cambridgeshire
CB3 CAMBRIDGE Cambridge (North-West), Girton Cambridge; South Cambridgeshire
CB4 CAMBRIDGE Cambridge (North) Cambridge; South Cambridgeshire
CB5 CAMBRIDGE Cambridge (East) Cambridge; South Cambridgeshire
CB6 ELY Ely (west), Aldreth, Apes Hall, Black Horse Drove, Chettisham, Coveney, Haddenham, Little Downham, Little Thetford, Littleport, Mepal, Pymore, Stretham, Sutton, Wardy Hill, Wentworth, Wilburton, Witcham, Witchford East Cambridgeshire; King's Lynn and West Norfolk
CB7 ELY Ely (east and city centre), Barway, Brandon Bank, Brandon Creek, Broad Hill, Chippenham, Down Field, Fordham, Isleham, Prickwillow, Queen Adelaide, River Bank, Soham, Stuntney, Upware, Wicken East Cambridgeshire
CB8 NEWMARKET Newmarket, Ashley, Brinkley, Burrough End, Burrough Green, Carlton, Cheveley, Clopton Green, Cowlinge, Dalham, Denston, Ditton Green, Dullingham, Dunstall Green, Exning, Gazeley, Great Bradley, Kennett, Kentford, Kirtling, Kirtling Green, Lady's Green, Landwade, Lidgate, Moulton, Ousden, Saxon Street, Six Mile Bottom, Snailwell, Stetchworth, Stradishall, Thorns, Upend, Westley Waterless, Wickhambrook, Woodditton West Suffolk; East Cambridgeshire; South Cambridgeshire
CB9 HAVERHILL Haverhill, Barnardiston, Great Thurlow, Great Wratting, Helions Bumpstead, Kedington, Little Bradley, Little Thurlow, Little Wratting, Steeple Bumpstead, Sturmer, Withersfield West Suffolk; Braintree
CB10 SAFFRON WALDEN Saffron Walden (north and town centre), Ashdon, Church End, Great Chesterford, Great Sampford, Hempstead, Hinxton, Howlett End, Ickleton, Little Chesterford, Little Sampford, Little Walden, Radwinter, Red Oaks Hill, Sewards End, Wimbish, Wimbish Green Uttlesford; South Cambridgeshire
CB11 SAFFRON WALDEN Saffron Walden (south), Arkesden, Audley End, Clavering, Debden, Debden Green, Duddenhoe End, Elmdon, Langley, Littlebury, Littlebury Green, Newport, Pond Street, Quendon, Rickling, Rickling Green, Shortgrove, Starling's Green, Strethall, Upper Green, Wendens Ambo, Wicken Bonhunt, Widdington Uttlesford
CB21 CAMBRIDGE Abington, Balsham, Bartlow, Castle Camps, Fulbourn, Great Wilbraham, Hadstock, Hildersham, Horseheath, Linton, Little Abington, Little Wilbraham, Shudy Camps, Teversham (parts of), Weston Colville, West Wickham, West Wratting South Cambridgeshire; Uttlesford
CB22 CAMBRIDGE Babraham, Barrington, Duxford, Foxton, Great Shelford, Harston, Hauxton, Little Shelford, Newton, Pampisford, Sawston, Stapleford, Whittlesford South Cambridgeshire
CB23 CAMBRIDGE Bar Hill, Barton, Bourn, Boxworth, Caxton, Comberton, Conington, Coton, Dry Drayton, Elsworth, Great Cambourne, Great Eversden, Hardwick, Harlton, Haslingfield, Highfields Caldecote, Kingston, Knapwell, Little Eversden, Lolworth, Longstowe, Lower Cambourne, Madingley, Papworth Everard, Papworth St Agnes, Toft, Upper Cambourne South Cambridgeshire; Cambridge
CB24 CAMBRIDGE Cottenham, Fen Drayton, Histon, Impington, Longstanton, Milton, Northstowe, Oakington, Over, Rampton, Swavesey, Willingham South Cambridgeshire
CB25 CAMBRIDGE Bottisham, Burwell, Chittering, Cottenham (parts of), Horningsea, Landbeach, Lode, Reach, Stow cum Quy, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Prior, Waterbeach South Cambridgeshire; East Cambridgeshire

Map

[edit]
Postcode districts of Cambridge superimposed on its electoral boundaries
KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/CB postcode area
KML is from Wikidata
CB postcode area map, showing postcode districts, post towns and neighbouring postcode areas.CM postcode areaCO postcode areaIP postcode areaPE postcode areaSG postcode area
CB postcode area map, showing postcode districts in red and post towns in grey text, with links to nearby CM, CO, IP, PE and SG postcode areas.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

CB postcode area

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The CB postcode area, also known as the Cambridge postcode area, is a postal region in the east of England managed by Royal Mail for mail delivery purposes. It comprises 16 postcode districts that primarily cover the city of Cambridge and surrounding locales in Cambridgeshire, extending into parts of Suffolk and Essex. These districts encompass approximately 11,114 live postcodes (as of February 2025), serving both residential and commercial addresses across urban and rural settings. The area is organized under five main post towns: Cambridge (covering districts CB1–CB5, CB21–CB25), Ely (CB6–CB7), Haverhill (CB9), Newmarket (CB8), and (CB10–CB11). This structure facilitates efficient sorting and delivery, with boundaries defined by Royal Mail's (PAF), which includes around 1.81 million live postcodes nationwide (as of November 2025). The CB area's districts align loosely with administrative boundaries, often requiring geographic adjustments for statistical or service planning due to its mix of historic university city centers, market towns, and agricultural villages.

Overview

Location and Extent

The CB postcode area primarily encompasses south and , including the city of and extensive surrounding rural landscapes that form the core of its geographical footprint. This region is situated within the , characterized by a mix of urban development around Cambridge and expansive fenland and agricultural areas to the east. The area extends beyond Cambridgeshire into parts of neighboring counties, specifically west Suffolk around Newmarket and Haverhill, and north-west in the vicinity of . These extensions reflect the postal system's accommodation of local settlement patterns and transport links, integrating border communities without strict alignment to county lines. Approximately 75% of the area lies in , with about 14% in and 11% in . Centered approximately at 52.19°N 0.14°E, the CB postcode area covers an irregular landmass of roughly 711 square miles (1,842 km²), derived from the combined polygons of its constituent . These boundaries exhibit notable irregularity, shaped by historical postal adjustments that prioritized delivery over uniform , resulting in elongated extensions and enclaves along edges. It adjoins several neighboring postcode areas, including CM to the south, CO and IP to the east, PE to the north, and SG to the west.

Key Statistics

The CB postcode area encompasses approximately 471,000 residents as of the mid-year population estimate, reflecting growth across its covered districts in and adjacent counties. This figure draws from data aggregated for the relevant local authority areas primarily served by CB postcodes. The area includes 87 postcode sectors and 16 postcode districts, supporting efficient mail distribution across its extent. As of February 2025, there are 11,114 live postcodes and a total of 19,661 postcodes when including terminated ones, indicating moderate expansion in addressing needs over recent years. Postal operations in the CB area involve 48 delivery offices, which handle inbound and outbound for the region's diverse settlements. On average, each postcode serves about 15 addresses, aligning with national norms, though density varies significantly: urban sectors in often cover up to 100 addresses per postcode due to high residential and commercial concentration, while rural outskirts feature lower densities with many postcodes linked to just 1–5 addresses in sparse villages.

Postcode Structure

Districts and Post Towns

The CB postcode area is subdivided into 16 postcode districts, which are hierarchically organized under five post towns to streamline mail sorting, routing, and delivery operations by the Royal Mail. These post towns—, Ely, Newmarket, Haverhill, and —represent central hubs for postal administration within their respective districts, enabling precise geographic targeting for incoming mail. The districts serve as intermediate subdivisions between the broad postcode area (CB) and finer sectors, ensuring efficient distribution across eastern . The primary post town of covers the largest number of districts, including CB1–CB5 for central urban areas and CB21–CB25 for surrounding suburbs and villages; the latter group was introduced in to address growing postal demands in the region. Ely oversees CB6 and CB7, Newmarket handles CB8, Haverhill manages CB9, and administers CB10 and CB11. This assignment reflects geographic proximity and administrative convenience for local delivery offices.
Post TownPostcode Districts
CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB21, CB22, CB23, CB24, CB25
ElyCB6, CB7
NewmarketCB8
HaverhillCB9
CB10, CB11

Sectors and Delivery Details

The postcode sector represents a further subdivision within each postcode district of the CB area, formed by appending a single digit (ranging from 0 to 9) to the district code, such as CB1 1 or CB22 3. This structure enables more granular geographic targeting within the broader district boundaries. As of February 2025, the CB postcode area encompasses 87 such sectors in total, as documented in the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory. Sectors play a crucial role in precise identification by delineating smaller delivery zones, where each complete postcode—comprising the outward (including the sector) and the inward —typically serves 15 to 100 or delivery points. For instance, the sector CB1 1 primarily covers central , facilitating targeted mail routing in a densely populated urban core. In terms of delivery logistics, the outward code incorporating the sector is essential for initial sorting at regional mail centers, directing items to the appropriate local delivery office, while the inward code handles the final hand-delivery to specific streets or buildings. This hierarchical process, managed by , ensures efficient nationwide distribution by breaking down the CB area's coverage into manageable units. Sector density exhibits notable variations across the CB area, with higher concentrations of addresses in urban sectors such as those in CB1 through CB5, which align with Cambridge's city center and suburbs, in contrast to the lower densities in more rural sectors like CB21 through CB25, encompassing villages and countryside south of the city. These differences reflect the area's mix of metropolitan and agricultural landscapes, influencing mail volume and routing priorities.

History

Origins in the UK Postcode System

The origins of the UK postcode system lie in efforts to streamline mail sorting amid rapid urbanization and increasing postal volumes in the . Postal districts were first introduced in in 1857–1858 by Sir Rowland Hill, dividing the city into ten zones such as EC (east central) and WC (west central) to improve delivery efficiency within a 12-mile radius of the central . These districts were subdivided into numbered sub-districts in 1917 as a wartime measure to accelerate processing during , a practice that extended to other major cities by 1934. The modern alphanumeric postcode system, comprising an outward code for geographic sorting and an inward code for precise delivery, emerged from mid-20th-century planning to support mechanized handling. The Post Office trialed the format in Norwich in 1959, using a six-character structure like NOR 20F for the city's sorting office and street details, before launching the national rollout in Croydon in 1967 and completing it across the UK by 1974. This implementation assigned 121 postcode areas, each with multiple districts, to cover every address and reflect existing postal infrastructure. The CB postcode area, denoting Cambridge, was designated during this nationwide rollout as one of the provincial areas outside London, building on pre-existing local postal arrangements from the early 20th century. Its districts originated in the 1920s, when single-digit codes for Cambridge mail were expanded into numbered formats like CB1 to CB9, later extending to CB11 to accommodate growth. These initial districts CB1–CB11 were structured around 19th- and 20th-century postal routes, centering on Cambridge University's historic core (primarily CB1–CB5 for the city center and west) and radiating to market towns like Ely (CB6–CB7), Newmarket (CB8), Haverhill (CB9), and Saffron Walden (CB10–CB11). The boundaries of these early CB districts were influenced by established transportation networks, including 19th-century railways that linked to via the and to Ely along the , facilitating mail distribution along key routes. Road improvements in the early further shaped delivery zones by connecting rural outposts to the central sorting office. This integration of historical infrastructure ensured the postcode system's alignment with practical logistics, a principle carried forward from the 1917 . The CB area's foundational setup evolved minimally until the 2006 reorganization, which added new districts without altering the core historical framework.

2006 Reorganization

In September 2006, the Royal Mail implemented a significant reorganization of the CB postcode area through its Update 43, creating five new postcode districts—CB21, CB22, CB23, CB24, and CB25—by splitting the outer, rural portions of the existing districts CB1 through CB5 that extended beyond the city limits. This change primarily affected suburban and rural villages surrounding , including reassignment of addresses in new housing developments such as to the new districts for more precise geographic alignment. The primary rationale for the reorganization was to address the exhaustion of available postcodes within existing sectors due to rapid suburban growth and increased housing development around , which had overloaded mail sorting and delivery operations at central Cambridge facilities; this allowed for the creation of additional postcodes to improve overall sorting efficiency and capacity. Prior to the split, the CB area comprised 11 (CB1–CB11); post-reorganization, the total rose to 16 districts, with postcode sectors increasing from 77 to 82 and total postcodes (live and terminated) expanding from 14,614 to 17,299 by late 2006. Post-implementation, post towns remained unchanged, preserving continuity for residents and businesses, while delivery accuracy improved through better geographic segmentation of mail volumes. The transition was phased over 12 months, during which both old and new postcodes were accepted to minimize disruption, with providing online tools for address verification to facilitate the switch.

Administration and Coverage

Local Government Areas

The CB postcode area is predominantly administered by local government districts within county, with overseeing the urban core around the city of , District Council managing much of the surrounding rural and semi-urban parishes, and District Council covering the eastern and settlements like Ely. These councils operate under the two-tier system of , which handles broader strategic services such as education and transport, while the districts focus on planning, housing, and environmental health. The postcode area's boundaries extend beyond Cambridgeshire into adjacent counties, including significant portions under West Suffolk District Council in , particularly around Newmarket and Haverhill, as well as District Council in near Saffron Walden. Minor extensions reach into the Borough Council of in , primarily affecting small rural pockets in the northwest. This creates notable mismatches between postal and administrative boundaries; for instance, the CB9 district overlaps both West Suffolk and Council in , complicating service delivery and planning coordination across jurisdictions. In the UK's address system, district councils and unitary authorities play a key role in postal address verification through their statutory responsibility for street naming and numbering, ensuring new developments receive official addresses before assigns postcodes. Parish councils, as the lowest tier of , contribute by consulting on proposed names to reflect and avoid confusion, particularly in rural parts of the CB area where they maintain community-level oversight. This collaborative process integrates with the maintained by , linking verified addresses to postcodes for accurate mail delivery and official records.

Major Settlements and Boundaries

The CB postcode area is dominated by the city of as its core settlement, spanning postcode districts CB1 through CB5, which encompass the urban center, university precincts, and adjacent suburbs. serves as a major educational and technological hub, with its historic core and key institutions like the distributed across these districts, influencing the precise delineation of boundaries to include academic facilities. Other significant settlements include Ely to the northeast in districts CB6 and CB7, a with surrounding rural areas; Newmarket to the east in CB8, a prominent center in ; Haverhill to the south in CB9, an industrial near the border; and to the southeast in CB10 and CB11, a historic in known for its . The area also extends to outer villages such as Fulbourn in CB21, a commuter village south of ; in CB23, a planned new settlement west of the ; and in CB25, a village north of along the River Cam. Postcode district coverage varies by location; for example, CB1 includes central and the village of Teversham to the southeast, while CB22 covers villages like (home to the ) and Great Shelford south of the city. These districts highlight the area's mix of urban, suburban, and rural elements. The boundaries of the CB postcode area are irregular and not strictly aligned with county lines, often following natural features like the River Cam in the vicinity, major transport corridors such as the A14 road linking to Newmarket and beyond, and local parish boundaries in rural zones. Near Newmarket, the eastern edge interfaces irregularly with the adjacent IP postcode area (), creating enclaves where settlements straddle districts. The inclusion of specialized areas, such as 's university precincts and Newmarket's racing establishments, further shapes these boundaries to accommodate institutional and economic priorities.

References

  1. https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/ukgeographies/postalgeography
  2. https://www.gbmaps.com/4-digit-postcode-maps/cb-cambridge-postcode-map.html
  3. https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/ukpostcodesandcorrespondinglocalauthorityfebruary2025/onspduserguidefeb2025.pdf
  4. https://www.simplypostcode.com/royal-mail-paf-daily-data
  5. https://www.doogal.co.uk/UKPostcodes?Search=CB
  6. https://www.streetlist.co.uk/cb/
  7. https://www.plumplot.co.uk/Cambridge-population-changes.html
  8. https://www.royalmail.com/find-a-postcode
  9. http://ukaddresstools.co.uk/Cambridge-postcode-area-CB.html
  10. https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/uk-postcode-format
  11. https://postcodeaddressfile.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/PCL-FLL-EN-CSV-Specification.pdf
  12. http://ukaddresstools.co.uk/postcode-district-CB1.html
  13. https://www.postalmuseum.org/collections/postcodes/
  14. https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Postal-address-history-and-photo-album/2
  15. https://www.hopewiser.com/blog/power-postcode-interesting-facts/
  16. https://www.poweredbypaf.com/the-history-of-uk-postcodes/
  17. https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Postal-address-history-and-photo-album/8
  18. https://doc.ukdataservice.ac.uk/doc/5571/mrdoc/pdf/nspd_version_notes_november_2006.pdf
  19. https://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g3420/Public%2520reports%2520pack%2520Wednesday%252004-Oct-2006%252012.00%2520Weekly%2520Bulletin.pdf?T=10
  20. https://www.doogal.co.uk/AdministrativeAreas?district=E07000008
  21. https://www.doogal.co.uk/AdministrativeAreas?district=E07000012
  22. https://www.doogal.co.uk/AdministrativeAreas?district=E07000009
  23. https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/contact-us/not-sure-which-council-to-contact
  24. https://www.doogal.co.uk/AdministrativeAreas?district=E07000245
  25. https://www.doogal.co.uk/AdministrativeAreas?district=E07000077
  26. https://www.doogal.co.uk/AdministrativeAreas?district=E07000146
  27. https://www.postcodearea.co.uk/postaltowns/cambridge/cb9/
  28. https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/files/postcodes_v.2.pdf
  29. https://www.streetlist.co.uk/cb/cb1
  30. https://www.streetlist.co.uk/cb/cb6
  31. https://www.streetlist.co.uk/cb/cb7
  32. https://www.streetlist.co.uk/cb/cb8
  33. https://www.streetlist.co.uk/cb/cb9
  34. https://www.streetlist.co.uk/cb/cb23
  35. https://www.streetlist.co.uk/cb/cb25
  36. https://www.streetlist.co.uk/cb/cb22
  37. https://www.freemaptools.com/uk-postcode-map.htm
  38. https://www.gbmaps.com/4-digit-postcode-maps/free-uk-postcode-district-maps.htm
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