LL postcode area
The LL postcode area, also known as the Llandudno postcode area, is one of the postcode areas established by Royal Mail for efficient mail sorting and delivery across the United Kingdom, comprising 67 postcode districts within 62 post towns that primarily encompass north and north-west Wales.[1] This postal region spans several Welsh principal areas, including the Isle of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Wrexham County Borough, serving a diverse landscape from coastal towns to inland valleys and serving as a key identifier for administrative, statistical, and commercial purposes in the region.[2] Notable districts include LL11 (Wrexham), LL18 (Rhyl), LL30 (Llandudno), LL55 (Caernarfon), LL57 (Bangor), and LL65 (Holyhead), reflecting major urban centers and rural communities alike.[3] The area's postcode structure follows the standard UK format, with outward codes like LL11 to LL78 denoting broader districts and inward codes specifying precise delivery sectors, facilitating the handling of mail across approximately 24,700 individual postcodes (as of February 2025).[1] While predominantly Welsh, a minor portion (about 0.12% of the area) extends into the English county of Shropshire near the border.[4]Overview
Description and Naming
The LL postcode area, also known as the Llandudno postcode area, serves as a key geographic unit within the United Kingdom's postal system, encompassing the majority of north and north-west Wales.[5] This area is defined by Royal Mail to group addresses for streamlined mail processing and delivery, forming part of the broader outward code structure that directs correspondence to specific regions before finer sorting occurs.[6] The naming of the LL area originates from Llandudno, its principal town and a prominent seaside resort in Conwy county, with the "LL" prefix directly derived from the initial letters of the town's Welsh name to represent the region served.[7] This choice of a double-letter code distinguishes it from the single-letter "L" postcode area assigned to Liverpool, preventing overlap in the national system where single letters are reserved for major urban centers.[4] The LL area supports efficient postal operations across 67 postcode districts, enabling precise routing of mail to post towns and local delivery offices throughout its coverage.[4] In terms of geographic scope, the LL postcode area spans diverse terrains, including coastal stretches along the Irish Sea from Anglesey to the Dee Estuary, inland uplands and valleys of historic counties like Gwynedd and Clwyd, and a minor extension into eastern Shropshire in England, covering approximately 0.12% of its total land area in that English county.[4] This configuration reflects the postal system's adaptation to Wales's varied topography while maintaining connectivity to adjacent English border regions for cross-boundary mail flow.[5]Key Statistics
The LL postcode area encompasses 67 postcode districts distributed across 62 post towns, serving as the primary geographic units for mail organization within the region.[4] These districts are further subdivided into 150 postcode sectors, which play a key role in refining delivery routes.[1] As of February 2025, the area supports 20,299 live postcodes alongside 4,376 terminated ones, yielding a total of 24,675 postcodes recorded in official directories.[1] This infrastructure addresses the needs of an approximate population of 533,000, drawn from 2021 Census data and subsequent 2022 estimates. The postcode area spans roughly 2,147 square kilometers, encompassing diverse urban and rural landscapes in north and north-west Wales.[4]| Statistic | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Postcode Districts | 67 | ONS Postcode Directory User Guide, February 2025 |
| Post Towns | 62 | Streetlist.co.uk |
| Postcode Sectors | 150 | ONS Postcode Directory User Guide, February 2025 |
| Live Postcodes | 20,299 | ONS Postcode Directory User Guide, February 2025 |
| Terminated Postcodes | 4,376 | ONS Postcode Directory User Guide, February 2025 |
| Total Postcodes | 24,675 | ONS Postcode Directory User Guide, February 2025 |
| Approximate Population | 533,000 | ONS Mid-2022 Population Estimates |
| Area Coverage | ~2,147 km² | Streetlist.co.uk |
History and Development
Origins of Postcodes in the UK
The United Kingdom's postcode system was developed in response to the rapid increase in mail volumes following the Second World War, which strained manual sorting processes and necessitated mechanization for efficiency. The General Post Office (GPO), responsible for postal services at the time, initiated trials to introduce a coding scheme that could facilitate automated sorting using early machines like the Experimental Letter Sorting and Issuing Equipment (ELSIE). This effort aimed to divide the country into identifiable geographic units, reducing delivery times and handling the projected growth in correspondence.[8][9] The first full implementation of a modern postcode trial occurred in Norwich on 28 July 1959, launched by Postmaster General Ernest Marples, marking the world's initial experiment with an alphanumeric format.[8] The system used a six-character code, such as "NOR 09N," where the outward code (e.g., "NOR") denoted the postal area and district for initial sorting, while the inward code (e.g., "09N") specified the sector and unit for finer delivery routing.[10] This structure was designed to be machine-readable, with envelopes printed in binary dot patterns for optical scanning.[8] National rollout began in phases during the 1960s and 1970s, starting with large urban areas like Croydon in 1966 after an announcement by Postmaster General Tony Benn in October 1965.[8] By 1968, postcodes had been introduced in London and 21 provincial towns, with plans to complete coding for London and 70 major provincial towns by 1970.[11] The GPO oversaw this expansion until 1969, when it transitioned into a public corporation known as the Post Office, later evolving into Royal Mail.[8] The alphanumeric format was standardized nationwide, enabling progressive mechanization across sorting offices.[10] A key milestone was achieved in 1974, when the entire UK achieved full postcode coverage, including the recoding of Norwich to align with the national system.[12] This completion supported increased mail handling, establishing the postcode as a foundational element of the UK's postal infrastructure.[9] The system's design provided a scalable framework that later influenced regional adaptations, such as the LL postcode area for North Wales.[10]Establishment and Evolution of LL
The LL postcode area was introduced during the national rollout of the alphanumeric postcode system in the late 1960s and early 1970s, targeting the North Wales region to facilitate efficient mail sorting and delivery. This implementation followed the initial trials in Norwich in 1959 and Croydon in 1966, extending the system to provincial areas outside major cities like London. The area's designation, "LL" for Llandudno, reflected its geographic focus on northern Wales, covering counties such as Gwynedd, Conwy, and Denbighshire.[13][10] Postcode districts within the LL area begin numbering from LL11 onward, encompassing a total of 67 districts across 62 post towns. This sequencing helped organize the region without overlapping established single-letter codes, such as those in Liverpool (L1–L9). The area excludes certain border regions near the England-Wales boundary, which fall under the adjacent CH postcode area centered on Chester, ensuring clear delineation for cross-border mail handling— for instance, parts of Flintshire are assigned to CH rather than LL.[4][14] Post town spelling changes occurred in the LL area during the 1970s, such as CONWAY to CONWY on 1 December 1972 and CAERNARVON to CAERNARFON on 1 April 1974. In the 2000s, integration with digital addressing systems enhanced its utility, including management through the Postcode Address File (PAF) and collaboration via the Code-Point consortium involving Royal Mail, Ordnance Survey, and the Office for National Statistics, enabling precise geolocation and online verification for addresses.[13][15]Postal Components
Post Towns
In the United Kingdom's postal system, a post town is a mandatory element of every address, serving as the key routing instruction for mail delivery to the relevant sorting and distribution office. It denotes the headquarters of the local delivery office and facilitates efficient mail handling, though it may not always align precisely with the geographic locality of the address.[16] The LL postcode area comprises 62 post towns, which collectively manage the routing for its 67 postcode districts across North Wales and adjacent regions. Each post town is associated with one or more postcode districts, enabling localized sorting and delivery; in certain instances, multiple post towns may share responsibility for portions of the same district to optimize operational coverage.[17][4] Given the area's location in Wales, many post towns feature official Welsh-language names used alongside English equivalents in addressing, particularly in bilingual communities, to accommodate cultural and linguistic preferences while maintaining postal functionality. The following table enumerates all 62 post towns in alphabetical order:| Post Town |
|---|
| Aberdovey |
| Abergele |
| Amlwch |
| Arthog |
| Bala |
| Bangor |
| Barmouth |
| Beaumaris |
| Betws-y-Coed |
| Blaenau Ffestiniog |
| Bodorgan |
| Brynteg |
| Caernarfon |
| Cemaes Bay |
| Colwyn Bay |
| Conwy |
| Corwen |
| Criccieth |
| Denbigh |
| Dolgellau |
| Dolwyddelan |
| Dulas |
| Dyffryn Ardudwy |
| Fairbourne |
| Gaerwen |
| Garndolbenmaen |
| Harlech |
| Holyhead |
| Llanbedr |
| Llanbedrgoch |
| Llandudno |
| Llandudno Junction |
| Llanfairfechan |
| Llanfairpwllgwyngyll |
| Llangefni |
| Llangollen |
| Llanerch-y-Medd |
| Llanrwst |
| Llwyngwril |
| Marianglas |
| Menai Bridge |
| Moelfre |
| Penmaenmawr |
| Penrhyndeudraeth |
| Pentraeth |
| Penysarn |
| Porthmadog |
| Prestatyn |
| Pwllheli |
| Rhosgoch |
| Rhosneigr |
| Rhyl |
| Ruthin |
| St. Asaph |
| Talsarnau |
| Talybont |
| Trefriw |
| Ty Croes |
| Tyn-y-Gongl |
| Tywyn |
| Wrexham |
| Y Felinheli |
Postcode Districts
The postcode districts in the LL postcode area use the outward code format LLnn, where nn denotes numeric values from 11 to 78, encompassing 67 districts in total. This sequence excludes LL10, as well as any single-digit designations (LL1 through LL9), to align with the overall UK postcode numbering conventions that prioritize clarity in mail routing.[18] Districts are allocated to specific post towns, though some cover multiple towns to reflect local geographic and administrative patterns, ensuring efficient address standardization across north Wales and adjacent areas. Each postcode district is subdivided into sectors by adding a third numeric character ranging from 0 to 9, creating up to 10 sectors per district. In practice, the LL area utilizes 145 such sectors, providing finer granularity for mail processing without fully populating all possible combinations in every district.[4] Representative examples include LL11, which serves Wrexham; LL18, covering Rhyl; and LL55, associated with Caernarfon, illustrating how districts correspond to key population centers.[19] The following table enumerates all 67 postcode districts in the LL area, along with their primary post towns:| District | Post Town |
|---|---|
| LL11 | Wrexham |
| LL12 | Wrexham |
| LL13 | Wrexham |
| LL14 | Wrexham |
| LL15 | Ruthin |
| LL16 | Denbigh |
| LL17 | St Asaph |
| LL18 | Rhyl |
| LL19 | Prestatyn |
| LL20 | Llangollen |
| LL21 | Corwen |
| LL22 | Abergele |
| LL23 | Bala |
| LL24 | Betws-y-Coed |
| LL25 | Dolwyddelan |
| LL26 | Llanrwst |
| LL27 | Trefriw |
| LL28 | Colwyn Bay |
| LL29 | Colwyn Bay |
| LL30 | Llandudno |
| LL31 | Conwy |
| LL32 | Conwy |
| LL33 | Llanfairfechan |
| LL34 | Penmaenmawr |
| LL35 | Aberdovey |
| LL36 | Tywyn |
| LL37 | Dolgellau |
| LL38 | Fairbourne |
| LL39 | Llanfair |
| LL40 | Dolgellau |
| LL41 | Blaenau Ffestiniog |
| LL42 | Barmouth |
| LL43 | Dyffryn Ardudwy |
| LL44 | Dyffryn Ardudwy |
| LL45 | Llanbedr |
| LL46 | Harlech |
| LL47 | Talsarnau |
| LL48 | Penrhyndeudraeth |
| LL49 | Porthmadog |
| LL51 | Criccieth |
| LL52 | Pwllheli |
| LL53 | Pwllheli |
| LL54 | Caernarfon |
| LL55 | Caernarfon |
| LL56 | Y Felinheli |
| LL57 | Bangor |
| LL58 | Beaumaris |
| LL59 | Menai Bridge |
| LL60 | Gaerwen |
| LL61 | Llanfairpwllgwyngyll |
| LL62 | Bodorgan |
| LL63 | Rhosneigr |
| LL64 | Holyhead |
| LL65 | Holyhead |
| LL66 | Rhosgoch |
| LL67 | Cemaes Bay |
| LL68 | Amlwch |
| LL69 | Moelfre |
| LL70 | Dulas |
| LL71 | Llanerchymedd |
| LL72 | Benllech |
| LL73 | Pentraeth |
| LL74 | Tyn-y-Gongl |
| LL75 | Pentraeth |
| LL76 | Llanbedrgoch |
| LL77 | Llangefni |
| LL78 | Brynteg |
Geographic Coverage
Areas and Boundaries
The LL postcode area encompasses much of north and north-west Wales, stretching from the island of Anglesey in the north-west to near the border with Shropshire in the east. It includes extensive stretches of the Irish Sea coastline and extends inland to incorporate upland regions such as Snowdonia National Park. This coverage reflects the area's role in serving postal needs across diverse Welsh landscapes, with a small extension into England near Chirk.[20][21] Key boundaries define the area's limits: the northern and western edges are formed by the Irish Sea, fully incorporating Anglesey as an offshore extension. The southern boundary adjoins the CH postcode area associated with Chester, while the eastern boundary generally aligns with the Wales-England divide but excludes certain near-border localities assigned to the CH and SY postcode areas. These delineations ensure non-overlapping postal coverage while accommodating geographic and administrative realities.[20][22] The terrain varies significantly, blending urban coastal developments along areas like Llandudno Bay with rural uplands in Snowdonia, characterized by mountainous spines, moors, and glacial valleys. Industrial zones, particularly around Wrexham, add pockets of developed land amid the predominantly rural and coastal character.[21][23][24] Approximate geographic coordinates for the LL postcode area range from 52.496°N to 53.464°N in latitude and 2.794°W to 4.851°W in longitude.[20]Overlapping Local Authorities
The LL postcode area intersects with multiple local government jurisdictions, primarily spanning six unitary authorities in north Wales while extending slightly into England. Its principal coverage encompasses the Isle of Anglesey County Council, Gwynedd Council, Conwy County Borough Council, Denbighshire County Council, Flintshire County Council, and Wrexham County Borough Council. These overlaps arise because postcode boundaries, designed for postal efficiency, do not align precisely with administrative divisions established for governance purposes.[19][4] A minor portion of the LL area, approximately 0.12% of its total extent, overlaps into Shropshire Council in England, specifically covering small border villages near the Welsh frontier. This cross-border element is limited and does not significantly alter the area's predominantly Welsh character.[4] The following table summarizes the key overlaps, including representative postcode districts and notes on coverage:| Local Authority | Representative Postcode Districts | Coverage Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Isle of Anglesey County Council | LL60–LL65, LL77–LL78 | Encompasses nearly the entire island, including Holyhead and Menai Bridge; full unitary authority alignment. |
| Gwynedd Council | LL35–LL49, LL51–LL55, LL57 | Covers western and coastal regions, such as Bangor, Caernarfon, and Aberdovey; substantial portion of the authority (partial overlaps with LL21, LL33).[25] |
| Conwy County Borough Council | LL22, LL24, LL26–LL32 | Includes northern coastal towns like Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, and Conwy; primary alignment for the borough's urban areas (partial overlaps with LL18, LL21, LL33–LL34).[26] |
| Denbighshire County Council | LL15–LL19, LL21 | Spans inland and coastal zones, including Ruthin, Denbigh, St Asaph, Rhyl, and Prestatyn; near-complete coverage (partial LL18 with Conwy, partial LL21 with Gwynedd/Conwy).[27] |
| Flintshire County Council | Parts of LL11–LL12 | Limited to eastern border communities like Caergwrle and Cefn-y-bedd; partial overlap with adjacent Wrexham districts.[28] |
| Wrexham County Borough Council | LL11–LL14 | Focuses on the eastern urban and rural areas, including Wrexham town; dominant coverage for the borough. |
| Shropshire Council (England) | Minor parts of LL14 | Confined to a few border villages near Chirk; negligible extent representing cross-border postal routing.[4] |