National ZIP Code Advocacy Coalition

Residents of the Village of Somers who have a PO Box are currently the only one with a unique Somers Zoning Improvement Plan (ZIP) code: 53171.

All other residents’ addresses are separated in 13 other ZIP Codes, which include Racine, Pleasant Prairie, Bristol, Caledonia, Sturtevant. Union Grove and Kenosha.

In the Fall of 2022, the Village requested that the United States Postal Service conduct a ZIP Code Boundary Review to issue the Village a unique ZIP Code, which was denied in 2025.
Additionally, the Village has sought the aid of our representatives in Congress for support. The Village of Somers is also conducting outreach to community partners and stakeholders for letters of support, and a petition is available for residents to sign at the Village Hall.

Why it matters

In June of 2024, a resident required emergency transportation to a hospital via ambulance. Upon submission of the bill for payment, the insurance company denied coverage, stating that the ambulance service was not a preferred provider for the resident’s address. Subsequent communication between the local Fire Department and the insurance company revealed that the denial stemmed from the resident’s address being associated with a different municipality and ZIP Code.

Additionally, hazardous spills submitted to the Department of Natural Resources are being transferred to the incorrect municipality following their submission. This issue was highlighted after a recent incident on the interstate.

What is the National ZIP Code Advocacy Coalition?

The National ZIP Code Advocacy Coalition is a collaborative working group comprised of more than 80 municipalities from across 30 states. Founded in 2023 through a joint effort between the cities of Eastvale, California and Castle Pines, Colorado, the coalition brings together communities facing identical postal boundary hurdles.

Rather than battling localized bureaucracy individually, member cities pool their collective resources, political connections, and spatial data to lobby federal representatives in Washington, D.C. The coalition advocates for structural changes to how the USPS establishes boundary lines for fast-growing and distinct suburban communities.

Why We Formed & Joined This Movement

We then joined other municipalities throughout the country experiencing the same problem and lobbied Congress to fix the issue. We were successful to be on several House and Senate bills. Unfortunately, none were approved by the full Congress yet.

We are continuing our efforts through federal legislation. We are working with our federal representatives to support legislative measures — originally introduced as H.R. 672, H.R. 3095, S. 1455, and S. 2961—which have since been consolidated into S. 4505, the unified bill introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) that mandates the USPS to correct municipal boundaries. S. 4505 is now before the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).