Getting your mail in Chester Heights, PA 19017 - A PO Box Only Zip Code
The Borough of Chester Heights, zip code 19017, is a PO BOX ONLY POST OFFICE. That means, Chester Heights Post Office does not have trucks and will not deliver mail or packages to your house. This also means that a Chester Heights Street Address written as “### Street Name, Chester Heights, PA 19017" often does not validate on the USPS, UPS, FedEx, or other shipping provider websites. This is because the USPS database is often used for verifying the accuracy of the delivery address, i.e. does your house really exist?
Your Property Address:
In Chester Heights the street addresses are assigned by the Fire Marshal, Mike Ciocco. Each address has a unique tax id assigned to it and is recorded on your deed with the Delaware County Recorder of Deeds as ### Street Name, Chester Heights PA, 19017. Not every parcel of land has an address. Some parcels are just part of a larger piece of land that has been divided or combined depending on history. The map of the borough is plotted by the borough engineer and updated as needed to accommodate new developments, and sometimes at the request of a homeowner or the 911 center. All address changes go through the Fire Marshal.
Mailing Address:
It is the responsibility of the person or company at a specific address to sign up with the United States Postal Service (USPS) to receive any mail. The postal system does not keep track of every available address that exists. They keep track of which addresses want mail. If you don't speak up, they assume you either don't want it or don't exist. When a new development is planned a plan is given to the Post Office which will be responsible for completing the deliveries and USPS rolls them into their system and adds them to the carrier schedule.
Current Chester Heights Mail Options:
Get a Post Office Box – Since 19017 is a post office box only zip code, you can rent a PO Box at the Chester Heights Post office which is accessible 24/7. The rent is due annually and varies depending on the size of the box. For more information on PO BOXES CHECK OUT: https://www.usps.com/manage/po-boxes.htm
Get Mail Delivered to a Street Mounted Mailbox - Mail Delivery within the 19017 Zip Code is serviced through four Extension Post Offices using Alternate Post Office Zip Codes:
Glen Mills-19342
Garnet Valley -19060
Media - 19063
Aston -19014
Anyone who lives in Chester Heights and would like to get their mail delivered to a street mounted mailbox or cluster/community mailbox needs to accept the fact that they will have an address with an Alternate Post Office Zip Code and then they need to do some praying that one of the extension post offices will service their mailbox. Cluster mailboxes instead of individual mailboxes are installed at the request of the Post Office who manages the delivery of the mail and are negotiated at the design and build stage of the development.
Chester Heights Communities including Brookfield, Village of Valleybrook, Darlington Woods, Madison at Glen Mills, and Highland Reserves have cluster mailboxes utilizing alternate post office zip codes and are serviced by the extension post offices.
Most homes along Wawa Road, Summit Lane, Lenni Rd, Llewelyn Rd. Ivy Lane, Ivy Mills Road, Heather Lane, Willits Way, Valleybrook Road, Smithbridge Road, Bonnie Lane, Thistle, & Baltimore Pike already have street mounted mailboxes that are also serviced by the extension post offices.
However, several streets in Chester Heights DO NOT currently HAVE MAIL DELIVERY these include: parts of Lenni Rd, parts of Valleybrook Rd., Llewelyn Rd, Rolling Heights Lane, Wilson Circle, and Arbor Way. The issue of receiving mail at those properties has been discussed often and never solved for the residents of Chester Heights.
Ordering Online?– Getting your packages:
As of January 2012, the Post Office allows PO Box owners to sign-up for Street-Style Addressing Service. This service allows you to use 1 Smithbridge Rd # (PO Box #), Chester Heights, PA 19017 as your shipping address. This shipping address will always validate on UPS, FedEx, and other shipper websites. This service requires a contract with the post office and carries no additional cost if you already have a PO Box. - CLICK HERE FOR PBSA(Post Box Street Address) Customer Agreement Here.
If you already have an Alternate Post Office Zip Code address just be sure to use that as your shipping address when ordering online. Ex. XX Bonnie Lane, Media, PA 19063
Having a street mailbox with an Alternate Post Office Zip Code even in combination with a community mailbox helps you get your packages delivered to your house because the Alternate Post Office Zip Code address will now be verifiable and will validate in various shipping systems. Some residents have gone the extra step and created UPS and FedEx accounts which allow you to define multiple delivery addresses and reduce the number of missed shipments.
If you would like to get your mail delivered and live in a home that is on a public street, and do not have cluster/community mailboxes, you can install your own - IN THEORY. First notify the Chester Heights Post Office. John Russo, the postmaster, can help you determine your extension post office.
However, even you obtain your extension post office, I cannot guarantee that the extension post office will honor your address with delivery.
UPDATE***Personal Story by author, Marta Driscoll***
I have been successful in getting an extension post office to accept my home address for delivery. I installed a mailbox. Called the post office. First Aston, then Media, then Aston again. Told them I have moved in, put my number on the mailbox, and started mailing myself letters to the new extension address. Eventually, it all came together. Now I have both a PO box and a home address. I've also set up UPS & FedEx accounts and they can now find my house. Good luck!
Contact us at CHNA@CHNeighborsAlliance.org and let us know if you’ve been struggling with mail/address issues.
POST OFFICE Contacts:
Chester Heights (19017) Post Office: (610) 459-1937
Chester Post Office (Delivers Aston Zip 19014): (610) 892-9215
Glen Mills (19342) Post Office: (610) 358 9500
Media (19063) Post Office : (610) 566-2237
Boothwyn Post Office (Delivers Garnet Valley 19060) - number listed is out of order.
Fire Marshall Mike Ciocco
PO BOX 185
Chester Heights, PA 19017
Email: MGC50MAG@Verizon.net
Phone: 610-558-1636,
Links:
PBSA(Post Box Street Address) Customer Agreement: https://www.usps.com/pobox/customer-agreement-for-premium-po-box-service-enhancements.pdf