New Wheaton zip code rides into town
Sending mail to Wheaton ever since it got a citywide ZIP code 45 years ago was easy. It went to 60187.
Now it has a pal, and senders must choose between them. This week, 60189 took over the southern portion of town.
More than half the city's mailing addresses are affected by the addition of the new ZIP code that Postmaster Jim Pisano says will mean faster and better mail delivery. Of course, that will need to happen over time, as people start giving out their new address and the mail get sorted properly.
Sorting is the key.
When Pisano stepped into the job a little more than a year ago, he noticed a bit of a sorting logjam. All mail for the 27,000 residential and business addresses in Wheaton was processed at the regional Carol Stream United States Post Office facility, then transferred to the downtown Wheaton post office.
From there, it was sorted into two more batches: one delivered from the downtown office and the other sent to carriers working from the Danada Square post office. Then it was driven down to the Danada location.
Carriers on the south side of town had an inherently later start every day.
Once mail items have two distinct ZIP codes, one truck can leave Carol Stream for the downtown branch and another can aim for Danada simultaneously around 7 a.m., Pisano explained.
Carriers at Danada now hit the street with their mail around 10:30 a.m. Once the system is working well, they should be able to get out as early as 9 or 9:30 a.m., meaning an earlier delivery for businesses and residents.
"It's most important to provide better service," Pisano said.
The dividing line for the new ZIP Code essentially is Roosevelt Road. Addresses along Roosevelt aren't affected, but everything south of there will switch to 60189.
About the only folks in town who won't have to change are those living north of Roosevelt or those who had post office boxes at the Danada location. Both Wheaton postal sites have used the 60189 ZIP Code only for P.O. Boxes in the past.
Folks who had a box at Danada will keep their ZIP Code because they're on the south side of town. But those with P.O. Boxes at the downtown offices will switch to 60187, to remain consistent geographically, Pisano explained.
Everyone affected by the change has one year to notify all their friends and billing companies.