ZIP Code Distance Database

If the size of the full data file is too large and distances for only a handful of ZIPs is required, then running the calculations for the necessary ZIP codes only using the ZCTA centroid data file might be one helpful approach.

ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTA) are from Census 2000 SF1, Census 2010 SF1, and Census Gazetteer files.

2010 and 2000 Decennial Census Short Form (SF1) ZCTA-level data for is also available.

Jean Roth created the SAS, Stata, and CSV distance files to make the data easier to use.

The size of the file increases with the radius. Smaller files (<= 25 or <= 50 miles) may be easier to use if only ZIP Code distances <= 25 or <= 50 miles respectively are needed. The ∞ has all combinations of ZIP Codes.

Information that might be helpful for opening the large files in Access or Excel is available.

Updates and changes.

Internal users can access the programs and data for years prior to 2019 in a UNIX shell or RDP at /homes/data/distance, or on an NBER PC at Network Neighborhood --> NBER --> home --> data --> distance. For 2019 onward, the files can be found at /homes/data/distance/zip.

Data

Centroid, distance and smaller radius distance files are available for the following years for easier access. Each link has a the full distance file in csv, dta, and sas format, as well as folder containing similar files centroid data and 5, 25, 100, and 500 mile radius.  

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017

Historical Data

Census ZCTA Centroids

Census Zip Code Distance Data

Contact data@nber.org with questions, comments, or suggestions.