Automate Your Data Updates

Connection options

Choose the protocol that suits your environment. Any of these ports may need a firewall allowance.

Sample scripts

Copy one and go. Replace the placeholders with your own credentials and your folder or file names.

curl -u USERNAME:PASSWORD ftp://ftp.zip-codes.com/FOLDER/

curl -u USERNAME:PASSWORD -o FILENAME.zip ftp://ftp.zip-codes.com/FOLDER/FILENAME.zip

wget --ftp-user=USERNAME --ftp-password=PASSWORD ftp://ftp.zip-codes.com/FOLDER/FILENAME.zip -O /path/to/save/FILENAME.zip

0 2 5 * * wget --ftp-user=USERNAME --ftp-password=PASSWORD ftp://ftp.zip-codes.com/ZIP-DELUXE/zip-codes-database-DELUXE-csv.zip -O /data/zipcode-update.zip

# FTP Download Script for Windows
$ftpUrl = "ftp://ftp.zip-codes.com/FOLDER/FILENAME.zip"
$username = "USERNAME"
$password = "PASSWORD"
$localPath = "C:\Data\FILENAME.zip"

$webClient = New-Object System.Net.WebClient
$webClient.Credentials = New-Object System.Net.NetworkCredential($username, $password)
$webClient.DownloadFile($ftpUrl, $localPath)

Write-Host "Download complete: $localPath"

# Connect via SFTP (Port 222 for ECDSA)
sftp -P 222 USERNAME@ftp.zip-codes.com

# Once connected, navigate and download:
cd FOLDER
get FILENAME.zip
exit

Automation best practice

Set your scripts up once and let them run reliably month after month.

#!/bin/bash
# Download ZIP Code database only if updated

FTP_USER="USERNAME"
FTP_PASS="PASSWORD"
REMOTE_FILE="ftp://ftp.zip-codes.com/ZIP-DELUXE/zip-codes-database-DELUXE-csv.zip"
LOCAL_FILE="/data/zipcode-current.zip"
LAST_DOWNLOAD="/data/.last-download-timestamp"

# Get remote file timestamp
REMOTE_DATE=$(curl -s -I -u $FTP_USER:$FTP_PASS $REMOTE_FILE | grep -i "Last-Modified" | cut -d' ' -f2-)

# Compare with last download
if [ -f "$LAST_DOWNLOAD" ]; then
    LAST_DATE=$(cat $LAST_DOWNLOAD)
    if [ "$REMOTE_DATE" == "$LAST_DATE" ]; then
        echo "No update available. Skipping download."
        exit 0
    fi
fi

# Download new file
curl -u $FTP_USER:$FTP_PASS -o $LOCAL_FILE $REMOTE_FILE
echo $REMOTE_DATE > $LAST_DOWNLOAD
echo "Downloaded updated file: $REMOTE_DATE"

Files and naming

File names do not change from month to month, so a script can rely on them.

File sizes, compressed CSV

Frequently asked questions

The ones we are actually asked.

Getting Started

How do I request FTP access?

If you are a current subscriber, email us at info@zip-codes.com and include your account username. We'll activate FTP access within minutes and send you a confirmation email with all the connection details.

Where do I find my FTP credentials?

Your FTP credentials are the same as your account login. You can manage your FTP password and view your assigned folders from your account dashboard.

Can I upload, edit, or delete files?

No. All FTP accounts have read-only access. You can download files from your subscribed folders, but you cannot upload, modify, or delete any files. This is for security purposes.

What FTP clients do you recommend?

We recommend using a dedicated FTP client to browse folder structures and test connections. Popular options include FileZilla, WinSCP, Cyberduck, and SmartFTP. All support FTP, SFTP, and FTPS protocols.

Connection & Security

Do you support secure connections (SFTP/FTPS)?

Absolutely. We support SFTP on Ports 22 and 222, and FTPS (Implicit SSL/TLS) on Port 990. This allows us to comply with HIPAA, corporate security policies, and other requirements for secure data transfer.

What's the difference between Port 22 and Port 222?

Port 22 uses an older ssh-dss key for compatibility with legacy systems. Port 222 uses a modern ECDSA key for organizations whose security policies prohibit ssh-dss. Both are maintained separately, and both may require firewall allowance.

Can I use my own SSH public key?

Yes. We can configure your public SSH key for password-less authentication. Contact us to set this up.

Is the IP address static?

Yes. Our FTP server IP address (216.250.119.190) is static and will not change. You can safely use it to configure firewall rules.

Can you push data to my server instead?

Unfortunately, we cannot push data to your server. Our FTP service is pull-only - you'll need to set up scripts to download from our server on your schedule.

Files & Data

When do you publish new data?

US databases (ZIP Code, ZIP+4, Area Code) are published on the 1st of each month. Canadian databases are published around the 10th, though this can vary. We recommend scheduling scripts for the 5th (US) and 15th (Canadian) to ensure you capture the latest data even if there's a delay.

Do file names change each month?

No. Full data set file names remain consistent each month (e.g., zip-codes-database-DELUXE-csv.zip). You can hardcode these in your automation scripts. Check the file's last modified date to confirm the latest version.

URL Construction

Can I use an FTP URL string?

Yes! You can construct a URL for direct FTP access. Use this template:

ftp://USERNAME:PASSWORD@ftp.zip-codes.com:21/FOLDER/FILENAME.zip

Example:

ftp://jsmith:mypassword@ftp.zip-codes.com:21/ZIP-DELUXE/zip-codes-database-DELUXE-csv.zip

Security note: Credentials in URLs may appear in browser history, shell history, and system logs. For production use, consider more secure methods.

When it will not connect

Four things account for nearly every support call about FTP.

Ready to get started?

Request FTP access for your account and start automating your data updates today.