An address typically includes several components that specify a location clearly and hierarchically. Common components of an address are:
- House or building number
- Street name or route
- Secondary address information (e.g., apartment, suite)
- City or locality
- District or county (administrative area level 2)
- State or province (administrative area level 1)
- Postal or ZIP code
- Country
These components collectively define the location from the specific building up to the national level
Types of Address Components and Their Differences
Address components can be categorized by their role in defining the location:
- Premise: A named location such as a building or group of buildings with a common name.
- Route: A named road or street.
- Postal Town: The town or city associated with a postal code.
- Administrative Areas: These are hierarchical political or civil divisions below the country level, such as states (administrative_area_level_1), counties (administrative_area_level_2), and further subdivisions (levels 3 to 7).
- Country: The highest-level political entity.
- Postal Code: Used for mail sorting within a country.
- Political: A general term for civil administrative areas.
- Subpremise: Addressable units below the premise level, like apartments or suites.
- Other types: Floor, room, plus codes (location references), landmarks, points of interest, intersections, and natural features can also be part of an address for more precision or context
Differences Among Types
- Precision: Street addresses (including street number and route) provide precise location information, while administrative areas define broader regions.
- Hierarchy: Components are hierarchical, from country (broadest) down to subpremise or room (most specific).
- Purpose: Some components serve postal purposes (postal code, postal town), others define political boundaries (administrative areas), and some provide navigational context (landmarks, intersections).
- Format: Components like house number and postal code can be numeric or alphanumeric, while names of streets, cities, and countries are textual
In summary, an address is a structured set of components that together specify a location, with types ranging from broad political areas to specific building units, each serving distinct roles in location identification and postal delivery.
