Is ‘zip code-ology’ a legitimate scientific pursuit?

Newton Falls, Ohio, is proud of its unique niche in U.S. postal history. The community is the only village in the United States that has a zip code with all five numbers being identical – 44444. 

It has been that way since the zip code system was introduced by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in 1963. 

Located in the northeastern corner of Ohio near Youngstown, Newton Falls has a population of about 4,444. It attracts visitors who are traveling along the Ohio Turnpike (Interstate 80) between Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Many come to drive across Newton Falls’ 117-foot-long covered bridge, which was constructed in 1831 over the East Branch of the Mahoning River. 

Among the “bridge superlatives,” the Newton Falls covered bridge is the second-oldest surviving covered bridge in Ohio, the oldest still in use on its original site and the oldest covered bridge in the state with a covered crosswalk. (The crosswalk was added in 1921-22 for the safety of students walking to school.)

 

A settlement began to sprout up along the river here in 1802, and it was known as Duck Creek. The first families came from Newtown, Conn. 

They found that two waterfalls on the branches of the Mahoning River provided a good power source for assorted mills (grist, flax, woolen, cotton and saw). 

Additionally, the Mahoning Canal passed through Newton Falls on its way from New Castle, Pa., to Akron, Ohio, so the village became a manufacturing and transportation hub. 

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, the steel industry came to Newton Falls. Founded in 1919, Newton Steel Company employed 1,200 people by 1923. Unfortunately, during the Great Depression, the plant closed in 1931. 

The construction of the Ravenna Arsenal in the early 1940s, just a few miles west of Newton Falls, had a major impact on the village. 

Spanning more than 21,000 acres, the arsenal was built to produce bombs and large-caliber artillery for World War II. (The arsenal, now known as Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center, is currently being licensed to the Ohio Army National Guard for use as a training site, according to the local library.)

In 1965, a General Motors automobile complex was constructed six miles away in Lordstown, Ohio. Many Newton Falls residents work at that site or in supply companies for the auto industry. 

Perhaps most importantly, Newton Falls (44444) is “half-way” to the North Pole. Santa Claus’ official zip code is 88888.

 

The USPS designated 88888 exclusively for jolly St. Nicholas, in order to ensure that children’s Christmas lists and letters don’t end up in the dreaded DLO (dead letter office). 

Here’s the scoop: All correspondence to Santa should be addressed to Santa Claus, 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888. (Monitor the “Operation Santa” website for information about the 2021 mailing deadline.) 

The USPS officially launched Operation Santa in New York City in 1912, authorized by Postmaster General Frank Harris Hitchcock of Amherst, Ohio. He was appointed by U.S. President William Howard Taft of Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Hitchcock directed local postmasters to open letters to Santa and allow postal employees to read and respond. Operation Santa gave rise to the Santa Claus Association in New York. That group found hundreds of volunteers to answer letters and deliver gifts to children. 

A USPS spokesperson said the purpose of Operation Santa is to “encourage individuals, groups and organizations to ‘adopt a letter’ and help a child or family have a happy holiday when they otherwise might not.”