Street Address
The primary line of a mailing address that identifies a specific building or location on a named street, typically including a house number and street name.
A street address is the most granular level of location identification in a mailing address. In the United States, it typically follows the format: house number, directional prefix (if any), street name, street suffix (St, Ave, Blvd), and directional suffix. For example, '123 N Main St' identifies house number 123 on the north portion of Main Street.
The USPS maintains a standardized address database and prefers addresses to follow specific formatting rules: approved abbreviations for suffixes (ST, AVE, BLVD), directionals (N, S, E, W), and secondary unit designators (APT, STE, UNIT). Address standardization improves automated sorting accuracy.
In countries outside the United States, street address formats vary significantly. In Japan, addresses are based on area blocks rather than street names. In many European countries, the house number follows the street name.