# ZIP Code Helper (`rl1987/zip-code-helper`) Actor

Resolves a list of US ZIP codes into city, state, county, and other location data using the Python zipcodes package.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/rl1987/zip-code-helper.md
- **Developed by:** [R.L.](https://apify.com/rl1987) (community)
- **Categories:** Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.01 / actor run

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

### What does ZIP Code Helper do?

**ZIP Code Helper** turns a plain list of US ZIP codes into human-readable location data — city, state, county, timezone, area codes, and coordinates — using the offline [`zipcodes`](https://pypi.org/project/zipcodes/) Python package. No external API calls, no rate limits, no geocoding service required. Just give it ZIP codes and get structured location data back in seconds.

Because it runs on the Apify platform, you get instant API access, scheduling, and easy integration with Zapier, Make, Google Sheets, and other tools without writing any code.

### Why use ZIP Code Helper?

- **Data enrichment** — attach city/state/county to customer or lead records that only have a ZIP code.
- **Address validation** — quickly check whether a ZIP code is real and active.
- **Market/territory analysis** — group ZIP codes by county, state, or timezone.
- **Lightweight and fast** — the dataset is embedded in the package, so lookups are local and instant.

### How to use ZIP Code Helper

1. Open the Actor's **Input** tab.
2. Enter a list of ZIP codes (5-digit or ZIP+4 format).
3. Click **Start**.
4. Once the run finishes, open the **Dataset** tab to view or export the results.

### Input

The Actor accepts a single input field:

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `zipCodes` | array of strings | List of US ZIP codes to resolve (e.g. `["10001", "90210", "77429-1145"]`) |

Example input:

```json
{
    "zipCodes": ["10001", "90210", "77429"]
}
```

### Output

Each ZIP code produces one dataset item per matching record. You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel.

```json
{
    "zip_code": "77429",
    "found": true,
    "city": "Cypress",
    "state": "TX",
    "county": "Harris County",
    "country": "US",
    "zip_code_type": "STANDARD",
    "active": true,
    "lat": "29.9766",
    "long": "-95.6358",
    "timezone": "America/Chicago",
    "area_codes": ["281", "346", "713", "832"]
}
```

If a ZIP code isn't found or is invalid, the item will have `"found": false` (and an `"error"` field for invalid input) instead.

### Data table

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `zip_code` | The 5-digit ZIP code |
| `found` | Whether the ZIP code was matched in the database |
| `city` | City name |
| `state` | Two-letter state abbreviation |
| `county` | County name |
| `country` | Country code (always `US`) |
| `zip_code_type` | e.g. `STANDARD`, `PO BOX`, `UNIQUE` |
| `active` | Whether the ZIP code is currently active |
| `lat` / `long` | Approximate coordinates |
| `timezone` | IANA timezone name |
| `area_codes` | List of phone area codes serving the ZIP code |

### Pricing / Cost estimation

This Actor performs only local, in-memory lookups — no network requests are made per ZIP code — so runs are extremely fast and cheap, typically completing in a few seconds regardless of list size.

### Tips

- You can pass thousands of ZIP codes in one run; lookups are local and very fast.
- ZIP+4 codes (e.g. `77429-1145`) are automatically normalized to their 5-digit form.

### FAQ and support

This Actor only covers **US ZIP codes**. Data accuracy depends on the underlying `zipcodes` package's embedded dataset. Found a bug or have a feature request? Use the Actor's **Issues** tab to let us know.

# Actor input Schema

## `zipCodes` (type: `array`):

List of US ZIP codes (5-digit, or Zip+4) to resolve into location data.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "zipCodes": [
    "10001",
    "90210",
    "77429"
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One item per resolved ZIP code with city, state, county, and other location data.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "zipCodes": [
        "10001",
        "90210",
        "77429"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("rl1987/zip-code-helper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "zipCodes": [
        "10001",
        "90210",
        "77429",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("rl1987/zip-code-helper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "zipCodes": [
    "10001",
    "90210",
    "77429"
  ]
}' |
apify call rl1987/zip-code-helper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=rl1987/zip-code-helper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/e4ruXjaqAMm522scE/builds/C64My0tpt8Mlc7iLz/openapi.json