Most zip codes are on dry land, yet the JW Westcott II is a floating post office that operates along the Detroit River in Michigan.
Zip codes are a fairly regular part of life for U.S. citizens. If you’re placing an order with a credit card, you need to include your zip code. Sending a letter or a package? You better have the recipient’s zip code for the shipping label (or handwritten address for my purists). In most cases, that zip code refers to a certain area of land. But one spot flips the script: The JW Westcott II, a floating post office zip code.
In 1874, Captain John Westcott formed The Westcott Company, using a rowboat to deliver supplies to passing ships. Westcott incorporated mail into his route 21 years later. As the company expanded, Westcott introduced a boat that could handle larger deliveries, though it’s unclear if he uttered, “We’re going to need a bigger boat,” like Jaws popularized decades later.
A Floating Post Office
In 1948, JW Westcott II became a floating post office. When zip codes came into existence 15 years later, in 1963, the ship officially earned a zip code. Since that monumental occasion, JW Westcott II has continued to deliver mail to passing ships along Michigan’s Detroit River. The ship puts letters and packages in a bucket, then uses a rope and pulleys to send ships to other freighters passing by.
It’s the only floating zip code in the entire United States.
By the 1990s, JW Westcott II was delivering upwards of 1.5 million parcels per year. As email and other electronic communications have become more common, the quantity has diminished, though things like express packages have increased in volume.
The 45-foot freighter delivers packages 24/7 for more than two-thirds of the year, spanning the water from approximately mid-April until December. Since the water is frozen during the winter, ships of all sizes tend to dock until the river thaws in the spring. However, JW Westcott still maintains some wintry hours, open from 10 am to 2 pm Eastern Standard Time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Send a letter to JW Westcott II
Want to send a letter to JW Westcott II or a ship along its route? You sure can! I won’t tell you what to write, but I’ll drop the address format below:
Vessel Name
Marine Post Office
Detroit, Michigan 48222
You likely won’t get to see the rope and pulley system in action for your particular parcel, but maybe you can include a note alongside the letter or package for a little selfie or quick video.
Hey, if this wacky world has taught me anything, it’s that it rarely hurts to ask. Happy floating!
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