Data Sources & Methodology
Last updated: June 2026
Primary Data Source
PincodeAtlas sources its global postal code data from GeoNames — the world's most comprehensive open geographic database, covering 195+ countries. The GeoNames postal code dataset is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
India — Additional Sources
India has approximately 154,000 active PIN codes managed by India Post. GeoNames covers roughly 35,000 of these with GPS coordinates. For India:
- Primary coordinates: GeoNames postal dataset (CC BY 4.0)
- STD telephone codes: Static reference from the TRAI STD code directory
- PIN code structure: India Post zone/circle/district framework (public domain)
GeoNames coordinates for India are the centroid of the delivery area and are accurate to approximately 5–10 km. They are suitable for map display and nearby-code discovery but should not be used for precise navigation.
Accuracy & Limitations
- Coordinates are approximate. They represent the geographic centre of a delivery area, not a rooftop address.
- Coverage varies by country. Some countries have near-complete coverage; others (especially in Africa and parts of Asia) have partial data.
- PIN codes change. India Post periodically creates, merges, or discontinues PIN codes. Our dataset reflects the GeoNames snapshot as of June 2026.
- STD codes are indicative. The STD code shown is for the district or city the PIN code belongs to. Rates and availability are determined by telecom operators, not postal authorities.
Update Cadence
The database is rebuilt from GeoNames source files on a periodic basis (typically every 3–6 months, or when a major dataset update is published). The current build reflects GeoNames data as of June 2026.
Corrections & Feedback
If you find an error in a specific PIN code, area name, or coordinate — please first verify against the GeoNames community dataset, where corrections can be submitted upstream. For errors specific to India Post data, you can also reference the India Post PIN code finder.
Attribution
When using data from PincodeAtlas, please credit:
Postal code data from PincodeAtlas, sourced from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).