The Pennsylvania abbreviation on mail is PA, the two capital letters the US Postal Service uses for the state. In news datelines the AP style form is Pa., and older papers and signs also show Penn. or Penna.
Pennsylvania has one of the longest state names to write out, which is why short forms show up so often on its signs, schools and businesses. Knowing which one fits where saves a lot of second guessing.
Quick facts
Postal code
PATraditional
Pa., Penn., Penna.AP style
Pa. in datelinesCapital
HarrisburgOfficial name
Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaZIP codes start with
15 through 19Not to be confused with
PR (Puerto Rico)
PA state abbreviation and its older cousins
| Form | Type | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| PA | Postal code | Addresses, forms, databases |
| Pa. | Traditional, AP style | News datelines, many older references |
| Penn. | Traditional | Older writing and some names |
| Penna. | Traditional | Older documents and historic signs |
For anything that will be mailed or typed into a form, PA is the right choice. Pa. is the one to use if you follow AP style in a dateline. Penn. and Penna. are still correct as traditional forms, but they are less common today.
Writing PA on mail and forms
Place PA after the city and a comma, and follow it with the ZIP code. No periods and no lowercase letters.
Address block on an envelope: "Jordan Lee, 615 Walnut St, Lancaster, PA 17602." The code tells sorting machines the state, and the ZIP code fills in the rest.
Driver license forms, voter forms and college applications all ask for the same two letters in the state box. If a form gives you a drop-down list, PA sits between OR and RI.
What is the abbreviation for Pennsylvania in AP style?
AP style puts Pa. at the top of news reports, in the dateline, such as "ERIE, Pa." In the story itself, the state name is spelled out. Newspapers across the state follow this pattern.
Chicago style and most school papers prefer the full name in sentences, too. Save PA for addresses, tables and charts where space is short.
Pennsylvania abbreviation on signs and names
The state name joins Penn, the family name of the colony's founder, with "sylvania," from a Latin word for woods. That is why Penn shows up in so many local school, street and club names. Penna. turns up mostly in older documents and on some historic signs.
When a group or business has its own name, keep it as written. Use the postal code only for the state part of an address.
PA codes and look-alikes
- PR is Puerto Rico, a common slip for PA on fast typing.
- PA also means physician assistant in health care and public address in sound systems. Context makes it clear.
- Neighbors include NY (New York), NJ (New Jersey), DE (Delaware), MD (Maryland), WV and OH.
Maryland uses MD, not MA, which belongs to Massachusetts. All of the codes are listed on our state abbreviations page.
Pennsylvania abbreviation used in lines
- "Mail payments to PO Box 410, Scranton, PA 18501."
- "ALLENTOWN, Pa. A water main break closed two roads Monday."
- "We grew up in western Pennsylvania, near the Ohio line."
- "Branches: Reading, PA; Camden, NJ; Wilmington, DE."
Note the pattern: the code on the address, Pa. in the dateline and the full name in the sentence.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for Pennsylvania?
The postal abbreviation for Pennsylvania is PA. In AP style datelines it is Pa., and older traditional forms include Penn. and Penna.
Is it PA or Penn?
Use PA in addresses and forms. Penn. is an older traditional form and is rarely used for the state in modern writing.
Why is Pennsylvania called a commonwealth?
The state's formal title is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The word is part of its formal title and does not change how the state is abbreviated.
Does the PA state abbreviation take periods?
No. PA is a postal code, so it stays as two bare capitals. The traditional Pa. carries one period.