The M postcode area, also known as the Manchester postcode area, is a group of postcode districts in the North West of England. The districts are subdivisions of three

post town A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system.Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004) Including the correct post town in the address increases ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

and Sale and cover parts of all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, primarily the cities of

and

and the majority of the borough of

Trafford Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of 235,493 in 2017. It covers Retrieved on 13 December 2007. and includes the area of Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, Ur ...

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Coverage

The approximate coverage of the postcode districts: , - ! M1 , MANCHESTER , Piccadilly, City Centre, Market Street ,

, - ! M2 , MANCHESTER , Deansgate, City Centre , Manchester , - ! M3
(Sectors 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9) , MANCHESTER , City Centre, Deansgate,

Castlefield Castlefield is an inner-city conservation area in Manchester, North West England. The conservation area which bears its name is bounded by the River Irwell, Quay Street, Deansgate and Chester Road. It was the site of the Roman era fort of Mam ...

, Manchester , - ! M3
(Sectors 5, 6 and 7) , SALFORD , Blackfriars, Greengate, Trinity ,

, - ! M4 , MANCHESTER , Ancoats, Northern Quarter, Strangeways , Manchester , - ! M5 , SALFORD , Ordsall,

Seedley Seedley is an inner city suburb of City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. Buile Hill Park is a large park in Seedley. History The area is mostly made up of terraced housing, dating from the late 19th century and early 20th century. I ...

, Weaste,

University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

, Salford , - ! M6 , SALFORD , Pendleton,

Irlams o' th' Height Irlams o' th' Height is a suburb of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is located on top of the Irwell Valley, on higher ground than Pendleton, hence the reference to ''The Height''. The first part of the name derives from the Irlam fami ...

, Langworthy,

, Charlestown , Salford , - ! M7 , SALFORD ,

Higher Broughton Broughton is a suburb and district of Salford, City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, on the east bank of the River Irwell, it is northwest of Manchester and south of Prestwich. Historically in Lancashire, Broughton was a township ...

, Cheetwood, Lower Broughton, Kersal , Salford , - ! M8 , MANCHESTER ,

Crumpsall Crumpsall is an outer suburb and electoral ward of Manchester, England, north of Manchester city centre, bordered by Cheetham Hill, Blackley, Harpurhey, Broughton, and Prestwich. The population at the 2011 census was 15,959. Historically par ...

, Cheetham Hill , Manchester , - ! M9 , MANCHESTER ,

Harpurhey Harpurhey ( ) is an inner-city suburb of Manchester in North West England, three miles north east of the city centre. Historically in Lancashire, the population at the 2011 census was 17,652. Areas of Harpurhey include Kingsbridge Estate, Bar ...

Blackley Blackley is a suburban area of Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, it is approximately north of Manchester city centre, on the River Irk. History The hamlet of Blackley was mentioned in the Domesday Book. The name derives from ...

, Manchester , - ! M11 , MANCHESTER , Clayton, Openshaw, Beswick , Manchester , - ! M12 , MANCHESTER , Ardwick,

Longsight Longsight is an inner city suburb of Manchester, England, located south of the city centre. It is bounded by Ardwick and West Gorton to the north; Levenshulme to the south; and Chorlton-on-Medlock, Victoria Park and Fallowfield to the west ...

Chorlton-on-Medlock Chorlton-on-Medlock or Chorlton-upon-Medlock is an inner city area of Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, Chorlton-on-Medlock is bordered to the north by the River Medlock, which runs immediately south of Manchester city centre ...

, Manchester , - ! M13 , MANCHESTER , Ardwick,

, Manchester , - ! M14 , MANCHESTER ,

Fallowfield Fallowfield is a suburb of Manchester, England, with a population at the 2011 census of 15,211. Historically in Lancashire, it lies south of Manchester city centre and is bisected east–west by Wilmslow Road and north–south by Wil ...

Moss Side Moss Side is an inner-city area of Manchester, England, south of the city centre, It had a population of 20,745 at the 2021 census. Moss Side is bounded by Hulme to the north, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Rusholme and Fallowfield to the east, W ...

Ladybarn Ladybarn is a small suburban area in Manchester, England, around Ladybarn Lane. It is now part of Manchester's urban sprawl but some of the village's original cobbled streets remain. The oldest properties are probably Rose Cottages, dating from th ...

Rusholme Rusholme () is an area of Manchester, England, two miles south of the city centre. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 13,643. Rusholme is bounded by Chorlton-on-Medlock to the north, Victoria Park and Longsight to the east, F ...

Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to: Places Australia * Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales * Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse * Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...

, Manchester , - ! M15 , MANCHESTER ,

Hulme Hulme () is an inner city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England, immediately south of Manchester city centre. It has a significant industrial heritage. Historically in Lancashire, the name Hulme is derived from the Old Norse word ...

, Manchester Science Park, Old Trafford , Manchester,

, - ! M16 , MANCHESTER , Firswood, Old Trafford, Whalley Range,

, Manchester,

, - ! M17 , MANCHESTER ,

Trafford Park Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, opposite Salford Quays on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, southwest of Manchester city centre and north of Stretford. Until the l ...

, The Trafford Centre , Trafford , - ! M18 , MANCHESTER ,

Abbey Hey Abbey Hey is an area of Gorton, in the city of Manchester, England. It is known mainly for Debdale Park, Wright Robinson College, Parkstone Park also known as Cat Valley field, the donkey sanctuary & Delamere Park Sports Although located jus ...

Gorton Gorton is an area of Manchester in North West England, southeast of the city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 36,055. Neighbouring areas include Levenshulme and Openshaw. A major landmark is Gorton Monastery, a 19th-century Hig ...

, Manchester , - ! M19 , MANCHESTER ,

Levenshulme Levenshulme () is an area of Manchester, England, bordering Fallowfield, Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel and Reddish; it is approximately halfway between Stockport and Manchester city centre on the A6. Levenshulme is predominant ...

Burnage Burnage is a suburb of the city of Manchester in North West England, about south of Manchester city centre and bisected by the dual carriageway of Kingsway. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, the population of the B ...

, Manchester, Stockport , - ! M20 , MANCHESTER , Didsbury,

Withington Withington is a suburb of Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it lies from Manchester city centre, about south of Fallowfield, north-east of Didsbury and east of Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Withington has a population of just ...

, Manchester , - ! M21 , MANCHESTER ,

Chorlton-cum-Hardy Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of Manchester, England, southwest of the city centre. Chorlton ward had a population of 14,138 at the 2011 census, and Chorlton Park 15,147. By the 9th century, there was an Anglo-Saxon settlement her ...

, Barlow Moor , Manchester , - ! M22 , MANCHESTER ,

Wythenshawe Wythenshawe () is a district of the city of Manchester, England. Historically in Cheshire, Wythenshawe was transferred in 1931 to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a massive housing estate there in the 1920s. With an area of approx ...

Northenden Northenden is a suburb of Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 14,771 at the 2011 census. It lies on the south side of the River Mersey, west of Stockport and south of Manchester city centre, bounded by Didsbury to ...

, Sharston Industrial Area , Manchester , - ! M23 , MANCHESTER ,

Baguley Baguley ( ) is an electoral ward of the city of Manchester in Wythenshawe, England. The population at the 2011 census was 14,794. Baguley is derived from the Old English words Bagca, badger, and Leah, clearing or meadow. Historically in Cheshi ...

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfie ...

, Roundthorn Industrial Estate , Manchester,

, - ! M24 , MANCHESTER , Middleton,

Alkrington Alkrington Garden Village is a suburban area of Middleton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester England. Historically a part of Lancashire, in the Middle Ages Alkrington was a township in the parish of Prestwich-cum- ...

Chadderton Chadderton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, on the River Irk and Rochdale Canal. It is located in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Oldham, south of Rochdale and north-east of Manchester. ...

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham ...

, - ! M25 , MANCHESTER , Prestwich,

Sedgley Park Prestwich ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury. Historically part of Lancashire, Prestwich was the seat of the ancient parish ...

Simister Simister is a small suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it is located between the districts of Prestwich, Rhodes and Langley. Although the village's proximity to Manchester ...

, Bury , - ! M26 , MANCHESTER , Radcliffe, Stoneclough , Bury,

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ...

, - ! M27 , MANCHESTER , Swinton, Clifton, Pendlebury, Wardley, Agecroft , Salford , - ! M28 , MANCHESTER ,

Worsley Worsley () is a village in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, which in 2014 had a population of 10,090. It lies along Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, there is evi ...

Walkden Walkden is a town in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, northwest of Salford, and of Manchester. Historically in the township of Worsley in Lancashire, Walkden was a centre for coal mining and textile manufacture. In 20 ...

Boothstown Boothstown is a suburban village in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. Boothstown forms part of the Boothstown and Ellenbrook ward, which had a population at the 2011 Census of 9,599. The village is within the boundaries of th ...

Mosley Common Mosley Common is a suburb of Tyldesley at the far-eastern edge of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it was anciently a hamlet in the east of the township of Tyldesley cum Shakerle ...

, Wardley Industrial Estate , Salford,

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...

, - ! M29 , MANCHESTER ,

Tyldesley Tyldesley () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it is north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, southeast of Wigan ...

, Astley , Wigan , - ! M30 , MANCHESTER , Eccles,

Monton Monton is a suburb of Eccles, Greater Manchester, England, in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford. Geography and administration Historically in Lancashire, Monton was administered by the municipal borough of Eccles until its abolition ...

Peel Green Peel Green is a suburb at the western end of Eccles, Greater Manchester, England, in the historic county of Lancashire. Transport Peel Green is split by the M60 motorway, which runs north–south through its centre. It is served by the followi ...

, Winton,

Patricroft Patricroft is a suburb near Eccles, Greater Manchester, England. History Patricroft may derive its name from 'Pear-tree croft', or more likely, 'Patrick's Croft'. In 1836, Scottish engineer James Nasmyth, in partnership with Holbrook Gaskell, bu ...

Barton-upon-Irwell Barton upon Irwell (also known as Barton-on-Irwell or Barton) is a suburb of the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 12,462 in 2014. History Barton Old Hall, a brick-built house degraded to a farmhouse, was the se ...

Ellesmere Park Ellesmere Park is an area of Eccles, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, Ellesmere Park today is an affluent, predominantly residential area. History Ellesmere Park grew up around the turn of the 20th century. Cont ...

, Salford , - ! M31 , MANCHESTER , Carrington,

Partington Partington is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south-west of Manchester city centre. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Cheshire, it lies on the southern bank of the M ...

, Trafford , - ! M32 , MANCHESTER , Stretford , Trafford , - ! M33 , SALE , Sale,

, Manchester , - ! M34 , MANCHESTER , Denton,

Audenshaw Audenshaw is a market town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, east of Manchester. Historically part of Lancashire, in 2011 it had a population of 11,419. The name derives from Aldwin, a Saxon personal name, and the Old English suffix ...

Tameside The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in England. It is named after the River Tame, which flows through the borough, and includes the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, ...

, - ! M35 , MANCHESTER ,

Failsworth Failsworth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England, north-east of Manchester city centre and south-west of Oldham. The orbital M60 motorway skirts it to the east. The population at the 2011 census was ...

, Oldham , - ! M38 , MANCHESTER ,

Little Hulton Little Hulton is an area in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, south of Bolton, northwest of Salford, and northwest of Manchester. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, Little Hulton is bordered by ...

, Salford , - ! M40 , MANCHESTER ,

Collyhurst Collyhurst is an inner city area of Manchester, England, northeast of the Manchester city centre, city centre on Rochdale Road (A664) and A62 road, Oldham Road (A62), bounded by Smedley, Manchester, Smedley, Harpurhey and Monsall tram stop, Mons ...

Miles Platting Miles Platting is an inner city part of Manchester, England, northeast of Manchester city centre along the Rochdale Canal and A62 road, bounded by Monsall to the north, Collyhurst to the west, Newton Heath to the east, and Bradford, Holt To ...

, Moston,

New Moston New Moston is a suburb of Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies four and a half miles north east of Manchester city centre, between Moston, Failsworth and Chadderton. New Moston Primary School was founded in 1901. New M ...

Newton Heath Newton Heath is an area of Manchester, England, north-east of Manchester city centre and with a population of 9,883. Historically part of Lancashire, Newton was formerly a farming area, but adopted the factory system following the Industrial R ...

, Manchester , - ! M41 , MANCHESTER ,

Urmston Urmston is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, which had a population of 41,825 at the 2011 Census. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, it is southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is the ...

Davyhulme Davyhulme is an area of Greater Manchester, England, historically in Lancashire. The population at the 2011 census was 19,634. Davyhulme Sewage Works The area is notable for Davyhulme Sewage Works, one of the largest wastewater treatment p ...

, Flixton,

, Trafford , - ! M43 , MANCHESTER ,

Droylsden Droylsden is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, east of Manchester city centre and west of Ashton-under-Lyne, with a population at the 2011 Census of 22,689. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, in the ...

, Tameside , - ! M44 , MANCHESTER ,

Irlam Irlam is a suburb in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, it had a population of 19,933. It lies on flat ground on the south side of the M62 motorway and the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, southwest of Salfo ...

Cadishead Cadishead is a village in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 10,739 in 2014. Within the historic county of Lancashire. History The earliest record of Cadishead date to 1212, and show that the whole of Cad ...

, Salford , - ! M45 , MANCHESTER , Whitefield , Bury , - ! M46 , MANCHESTER , Atherton , Wigan , - ! M50 , SALFORD ,

Salford Quays Salford Quays is an area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom fol ...

, MediaCityUK , Salford , - ! M60
(Sectors 1 and 7) , MANCHESTER , ''Large user and PO Box (located geographically in M1)'' , Manchester , - ! M60
(Sectors 2 and 8) , MANCHESTER , ''Large user and PO Box (located geographically in M2)'' , Manchester , - ! M60
(Sectors 3 and 9) , MANCHESTER , ''Large user and PO Box (located geographically in M3)'' , Manchester , - ! M60
(Sectors 4 and 0) , MANCHESTER , ''Large user and PO Box (located geographically in M4)'' , Manchester , - ! M60
(Sectors 5 and 6) , MANCHESTER , ''Manchester X'' , Manchester , - ! M60
(Sector 9) , SALFORD , ''Large user and PO Box'' , Salford , - ! M61 , MANCHESTER , ''Manchester X'' , Manchester , - ! M90 , MANCHESTER , Manchester Airport , Manchester , - ! M99 , MANCHESTER , ''Manchester X; JD Williams (located geographically in M1 and M3)'' , Manchester

Changes

*M10 was recoded to M40 in 1993. Today, M10 is the postcode district for the fictional town of Weatherfield in the ITV

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

'' Coronation Street'', with the eponymous street having the postcode M10 9KC. *Part of M30 was recoded to M44 in 1994 including Cadishead and Irlam. *Part of M31 was recoded to M41 in 1994 including Davyhulme, Flixton and Urmston. *The Trafford Centre was allocated the sector M17 8 (it is surrounded by the M41 district). *The M90 designation has served Manchester Airport since 1994. The M50 district of Salford was formed out of west of M5 in 2002.

Map

Former scheme

Before the introduction of postcodes in the 1960s, Manchester along with other major cities like

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

and

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...

was divided into numbered postcode districts. With a few exceptions these numbers made up the outcode (the first part of the postcode). The districts were based on Manchester and Salford together and districts outside the city boundaries were also included. For example, the City Centre had postcode districts 1 - 4 (north-east, south, west and north-west respectively: Manchester 1 was around Piccadilly and 4 was around Victoria). 5, 6, 7 and 8 were in Salford and then the sequence continued across north Manchester and so round to M17 (Trafford Park). M18 onwards were further out still.

References

External links

Royal Mail's Postcode Address FileA quick introduction to Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF)
{{Postcode areas in the United Kingdom Metropolitan Borough of Bolton Metropolitan Borough of Bury Manchester Metropolitan Borough of Oldham Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale City of Salford Tameside Trafford Metropolitan Borough of Wigan Geography of Greater Manchester Postcode areas covering North West England

Coverage

Changes

Map

Former scheme

See also

References

External links