OR is the official Oregon abbreviation for mail, the two-letter code the US Postal Service assigned to the state. The traditional short form is Ore., with a capital O and a period, and you will mostly see it in news datelines.
Because OR is also a common English word, the code can look odd in the middle of a sentence. That is one reason writers keep it for addresses and forms and spell out Oregon everywhere else.
Quick facts
Postal code
ORTraditional
Ore. (older government style also used Oreg.)AP style
Ore. in datelinesCapital
SalemZIP codes start with
97Not to be confused with
OK (Oklahoma), OH (Ohio)
Which Oregon abbreviation fits your writing?
| Form | Use it for | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| OR | Addresses, labels, online forms, spreadsheets | Bend, OR 97701 |
| Ore. | News datelines, some older references | MEDFORD, Ore. |
| Oreg. | Seen in older government documents | Salem, Oreg. |
| Oregon | Sentences in essays, emails and stories | Oregon has a rugged coast. |
For most people the choice is simple: OR on an envelope or a form, the full name in a sentence. Ore. is mainly for newsrooms and readers of older material.
OR as the abbreviation for Oregon on envelopes
Put OR after the city name, followed by the ZIP code. Stick to capitals and skip the periods.
Return address: "1207 Cedar Hollow Dr, Corvallis, OR 97330." Sorting machines read OR plus a ZIP code that starts with 97 and route the letter to Oregon.
Online checkout pages and job applications use the same code in their state menus. If you are filling in a spreadsheet of customer addresses, keep every state as its two-letter code so the list sorts cleanly.
Ore. in news and traditional style
Long before ZIP codes, writers used abbreviations such as Ore. These forms are longer than the postal codes and end with a period. Newspapers that follow AP style still use them in datelines, the place name that starts a story, but spell out the state in the body. Older federal publications sometimes used Oreg. instead; you may see it on historic maps or documents.
Outside of those settings, do not shorten the name in a sentence. Write "She grew up in Oregon," not "She grew up in OR."
When OR reads like the word or
Since OR spells a common word, a code in a list can be misread. "Portland OR Salem" looks like a choice between two cities. Adding a comma helps: "Portland, OR." In headings and tables, a short column title like "State" keeps things clear.
Hospitals use OR for operating room, and logic and search tools use OR to join terms. On a form, the state box tells you which meaning is in play.
Do not confuse OR with these codes
Three state codes start with O, and typing errors happen.
- OR is Oregon.
- OK is Oklahoma, see Oklahoma abbreviation.
- OH is Ohio, see Ohio abbreviation.
Oregon's neighbors use WA to the north (Washington), ID to the east (Idaho), and CA and NV to the south. Every code is listed on the state abbreviations page.
Oregon abbreviation in sample sentences
- "Mail the form to the clinic in Eugene, OR 97401."
- "ASTORIA, Ore. Fishing crews returned early as the storm moved in."
- "Our team has offices in Hillsboro, OR, and Tacoma, WA."
- "The trail crosses from Oregon into California near the coast."
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for Oregon?
The postal abbreviation for Oregon is OR. In AP style datelines and older writing, the traditional abbreviation Ore. is used.
Is OR Oregon or Oklahoma?
OR is Oregon. Oklahoma uses OK, so the two should not be swapped.
Should I write Ore. or OR in a letter?
Use OR in the mailing address on the envelope and in the address block. In the body of the letter, spell out Oregon.
Is there a period after OR?
No. OR never takes a dot after either letter. Ore., the older style, is the version with a period.