There are two forms of the Indiana abbreviation to know. IN is the two-letter postal code from the U.S. Postal Service, used on mail, shipping labels and forms. Ind. is the traditional abbreviation, still used in AP style, the guide most newsrooms rely on, in datelines and lists where room is tight.
Which one you need depends on what you are writing. An address calls for IN. A newspaper dateline or a list in a news story may call for Ind. A normal sentence in an essay or email works best with the full word, Indiana.
Quick facts
Postal code
INTraditional
Ind.AP style
Ind. where abbreviations are used; Indiana in body textPeriod
None for IN; one for Ind.Capital city
IndianapolisNot to be confused with
IA (Iowa), IL (Illinois), ID (Idaho)
Postal code vs traditional Indiana abbreviation
| IN | Ind. | |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | USPS postal code | Traditional abbreviation |
| Letters | Two capitals | Capital I, then lowercase n and d |
| Period | No | Yes |
| Best for | Envelopes, forms, tables, databases | News datelines, lists, some citations |
The two forms are not interchangeable. Writing "Ind. 46204" on a package is not standard, and writing "IN" in a news story would break the style most papers use.
Using IN on mail and forms
The IN state abbreviation shares the final address line with the town and the ZIP code. Indiana ZIP codes start with 46 or 47.
A return address on a package:
Sam Rivera
220 Elm Street
Bloomington, IN 47401
Notice the order: town, comma, IN, then the ZIP, with no dot after the code.
On online forms, the state list may show full names or two-letter codes. If it shows codes, choose IN. In a spreadsheet with a state column, IN is the value to type for Indiana.
When to write Ind. instead
The traditional form Ind. shows up in a few kinds of writing:
- News datelines and lists: "GARY, Ind." at the start of a story, or "Fort Wayne, Ind." in a list of locations.
- Some legal and academic citations that follow older conventions.
- Older printed records, maps and directories.
Inside the story itself, current practice is to spell out the state name: "The festival returns to Indiana next week." For school papers, follow your teacher's guide; if none is given, use the full name.
IN, IA, IL, ID: keep the I states straight
Four states have codes beginning with I, and they trip people up:
| Code | State | Traditional |
|---|---|---|
| IN | Indiana | Ind. |
| IL | Illinois | Ill. |
| IA | Iowa | None in common use; Iowa is spelled out |
| ID | Idaho | None in common use; Idaho is spelled out |
The most frequent error is using IA for Indiana. Remember that Indiana takes its first two letters, I and N, while Iowa takes its first and last, I and A.
When the code looks like the word "in"
Because IN is also a common English word, it can cause confusion in tables or text messages. "Ships to IN only" means Indiana, not "in" something. Writing the code in capitals helps, and in running text the full name avoids any doubt. On a form, a dropdown menu removes the problem, since you pick from a list instead of typing.
About Indiana
Indiana is in the Midwest, between Illinois and Ohio, with a short shoreline on Lake Michigan. It became the 19th state in 1816. The capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Its nickname is the Hoosier State, and residents are known as Hoosiers.
See every state's postal code and traditional abbreviation on the state abbreviations page, and check how to abbreviate when you want the broader rules for periods and capital letters.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for Indiana?
The postal abbreviation is IN. The traditional abbreviation is Ind., which you will still find in newspaper datelines and a few formal citations.
Is the Indiana state abbreviation IN or IND?
For mail and forms, use IN in capitals. Ind. with a period is the traditional form; IND in all capitals is not a standard state abbreviation.
Is IA Indiana or Iowa?
IA is Iowa. Indiana is IN, and people confuse the two on forms all the time.
Does AP style abbreviate Indiana?
In story text, AP style spells out state names. Where it does use abbreviations, such as datelines, it uses Ind.
Is IN an acronym for Indiana?
No. IN is a postal code made from the first two letters of the name, so it is an abbreviation rather than an acronym.