Bill that would give Eastvale its own ZIP code is reintroduced

Eastvale is getting another shot at having its own ZIP code.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) has reintroduced a bill that will give the city in northwest Riverside County one ZIP code, two years after a similar piece of proposed legislation failed to accomplish that task.

Once again, Rep. Norma Torres, D-Ontario, is co-sponsoring the bill.

“The lack of a unique ZIP code that properly identifies the City of Eastvale continues to negatively impact residents and businesses,” Calvert said in a statement “For years, city leaders, residents, and the local business community have consistently expressed their desire for a distinct zip code to the U.S. Postal Service, which has refused to take this step.

“It shouldn’t take an act of Congress for a government agency to do the right thing.”

Because Eastvale shares ZIP codes with several surrounding cities, police and fire personnel often have a difficult time finding addresses when they’re responding to emergencies, according to Mike McMinn, Eastvale’s mayor.

“Eastvale has grown into a thriving city, yet we continue to face challenges due to our shared ZIP codes,” said McMinn in a statement. “This bill is a crucial step toward securing an independent ZIP code for Eastvale, which would enhance mail delivery, reduce insurance rates, and attract businesses.”

Eastvale has dealt with the confusion of multiple zip codes long enough, according to Torres.

“Eastvale residents and businesses have long struggled with the confusion and challenges of being split between two ZIP codes,” Torres said in her statement. “Together, we will ensure Eastvale finally receives the distinct ZIP code it needs and deserves.”

Since it incorporated in 2010, parts of Eastvale have shared the 91752 ZIP code with Mira Loma and Jurupa Valley. Other sections of the city have shared the 92880 ZIP code with Corona and Chino.

That practice has caused some confusion, with mail being delivered to the wrong address.  Sales taxes, and some and insurance rates, have also been calculated incorrectly, according to Councilman Clint Lorimore.

“We get lumped in with areas that are not like Eastvale,” Lorimore said. “If we had one ZIP code it would solve a lot of problems. It’s something a lot of our residents and businesses really want.”

The bill, which was introduced in December, “direct(s) the United States Postal Service to designate a single, unique ZIP code for Eastvale, California.”

To become law, it must receive a majority vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate. If that happens, the five-digit code must be put into place no more than 180 days from the date of the bill’s passage.

Two years ago, when Calvert and Torres first introduced the bill, the U.S. Postal Service recommended that Eastvale be granted the 92880 ZIP code exclusively. That was a step in the right direction, but it was not enough to get the bill passed.

That Eastvale must still deal with multiple ZIP codes 15 years after it became a city has left its elected officials and business community “dumbfounded,” according to Lorimore.

“The whole effort has been frustrating,” said Lorimore, who was elected to the city council in 2014. “It doesn’t seem like it should be difficult to get this passed, but it takes an act of Congress to make it happen.

“I guess it’s difficult to get anything through this Congress.”

ZIP codes were introduced in 1963, but they got started well before that.

In 1943, the U.S. Post Office Department – precursor to the U.S. Postal Service – developed a zone and address system meant to simplify delivering and sorting mail.  Those zones were only found in large cities, and were identified by one or two digits, according to the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan office used by members of Congress and Congressional committees.

During the next two decades, the amount of mail in the United States doubled. In 1963, to handle the extra load, the postal service developed the Zoning Improvement Plan – ZIP – which speeded deliveries by improving the automated sorting of mail.

Although intended for mail only, other entities eventually found uses for ZIP codes.

Auto insurance rates are often based in part on traffic and crime statistics within a person’s ZIP code. Also, public opinion pollsters sometimes ask a person for their ZIP code, so data from the survey can be assessed geographically.

As of November 2023, there were 41,704 ZIP codes in the United States. Just under 2,100 new codes are changed every year, according to the postal service.

New codes are also created annually, but the exact number of new codes is not available..

Perhaps the most baffling aspect of Eastvale’s ZIP code battle is why anyone, particularly anyone outside of Riverside County, would be opposed to what the city (pop. 70,510) is trying to do.

“There shouldn’t be any issues or members opposed to the passage of this bill,” said Marysol Ibarra, Torres’ communications director, in an email. “It is a matter of ensuring there is time for consideration of the legislation, and what priority the House, Senate, and the president may have.”

When the bill was introduced two years ago, it was approved by the House but not the Senate, which adjourned before a vote was taken. By the time the Senate reconvened it had moved on to other issues.

“Unfortunately, they had other priorities,” Ibarra said.

Because the U.S. Postal Service doesn’t turn a profit, and because individual ZIP code changes can be expensive, the postal service is often reluctant to consider them, said Jason Gagnon, Calvert’s spokesman.

“The committee with jurisdiction over the bill (the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability) has historically been hesitant to advance bills changing individual ZIP codes,” Gagnon said in an email interview. “There was a push late last year to combine our bill with other bills addressing similar zip code issues impacting cities across the country.

“We will continue with that push this year.”

Now is the right time to get the bill passed, according to Lorimore.

“There’s a lot of interest in getting this passed, and we’re confident we can get it done,” he said. “We have to do a little better than we did the last time, but I think we can build up enough steam to get it across the finish line.”