View source for M postcode area

{{short description|Postcode area within the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox UK postcode area|area_code=M}}
The '''M postcode area''', also known as the '''Manchester postcode area''',<ref>Royal Mail ''Address Management Guide Edition 4'', (2004)</ref> is a group of [[Postcodes in the United Kingdom|postcode districts]] in the North West of England.

The districts are subdivisions of three [[post town]]s: [[Manchester]], [[Salford]], and [[Sale, Greater Manchester|Sale]], and cover parts of all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, primarily the cities of [[Manchester]] and [[City of Salford|Salford]] and the majority of the borough of [[Trafford]]. The M postcode area is one of six with a population above 1 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/business-transparency/freedom-of-information/previous-foi-requests/people--population-and-community/population-for-every-postcode-district-in-england-and-wales/index.html |title=FOI request: Population for every postcode district in England and Wales |website=The National Archives |access-date=26 April 2021 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/business-transparency/freedom-of-information/previous-foi-requests/people--population-and-community/population-for-every-postcode-district-in-england-and-wales/index.html |archive-date=5 January 2016 }}</ref>

Mail for the M postcode area is processed at Manchester Mail Centre, along with mail for the [[BL postcode area|BL]], [[OL postcode area|OL]], and [[SK postcode area|SK]] postcode areas.

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==Coverage==
The approximate coverage of the postcode districts:

{{postcode area table start}}
|-
! M1
|MANCHESTER
|[[Manchester City Centre|Piccadilly]], [[Manchester City Centre|City Centre]], Market Street, Gay Village 
|[[Manchester]]
|-
! M2
|MANCHESTER
|[[Deansgate]], [[Manchester City Centre|City Centre]]
|Manchester
|-
!rowspan=2|M3
|MANCHESTER
|[[Manchester City Centre|City Centre]], [[Deansgate]], [[Castlefield]]
|Manchester
|-
|SALFORD
|[[Blackfriars, Salford|Blackfriars]], [[Greengate, Salford|Greengate]], Trinity
|[[City of Salford|Salford]]
|-
! M4
|MANCHESTER
|[[Manchester Arndale|Arndale]], [[Ancoats]], [[Northern Quarter (Manchester)|Northern Quarter]], [[Strangeways, Manchester|Strangeways]], Shudehill
|Manchester
|-
! M5
|SALFORD
|[[Ordsall, Greater Manchester|Ordsall]], [[Seedley]], [[Weaste]], [[Salford University|University]]
|Salford
|-
! M6
|SALFORD
|[[Pendleton, Greater Manchester|Pendleton]], [[Irlams o' th' Height]], [[Langworthy, Salford|Langworthy]], [[Seedley]], [[Pendleton, Greater Manchester|Charlestown]]
|Salford
|-
! M7
|SALFORD
|[[Broughton, Salford|Higher Broughton]], Cheetwood, [[Broughton, Salford|Lower Broughton]], [[Kersal]]
|Salford
|-
! M8
|MANCHESTER
|[[Crumpsall]], [[Cheetham Hill]]
|Manchester
|-
! M9
|MANCHESTER
|[[Harpurhey]], [[Blackley]]
|Manchester
|-
! M11
|MANCHESTER
|[[Clayton, Manchester|Clayton]], [[Openshaw]], [[Beswick, Greater Manchester|Beswick]]
|Manchester
|-
! M12
|MANCHESTER
|[[Ardwick]], [[Longsight]], [[Chorlton-on-Medlock]]
|Manchester
|-
! M13
|MANCHESTER
|[[Ardwick]], [[Longsight]], [[Chorlton-on-Medlock]]
|Manchester
|-
! M14
|MANCHESTER
|[[Fallowfield]], [[Moss Side]], [[Ladybarn]], [[Rusholme]], [[Victoria Park, Manchester|Victoria Park]], [[Longsight]]
|Manchester
|-
! M15
|MANCHESTER
|[[Hulme]], Manchester Science Park, [[Old Trafford (district)|Old Trafford]]
|Manchester, [[Trafford]]
|-
! M16
|MANCHESTER
|[[Firswood]], [[Old Trafford (district)|Old Trafford]], [[Whalley Range, Greater Manchester|Whalley Range]], [[Moss Side]]
|Manchester, [[Trafford]]
|-
! M17
|MANCHESTER
|[[Trafford Park]], [[Trafford Centre|The Trafford Centre]]
|Trafford
|-
! M18
|MANCHESTER
|[[Abbey Hey]], [[Gorton]]
|Manchester
|-
! M19
|MANCHESTER
|[[Levenshulme]], [[Burnage]]
|Manchester, [[Metropolitan Borough of Stockport|Stockport]]
|-
! M20
|MANCHESTER
|[[Didsbury]], [[Withington]]
|Manchester
|-
! M21
|MANCHESTER
|[[Chorlton-cum-Hardy]], Barlow Moor
|Manchester
|-
! M22
|MANCHESTER
|[[Wythenshawe]], [[Northenden]], Sharston Industrial Area
|Manchester
|-
! M23
|MANCHESTER
|[[Baguley]], [[Brooklands, Greater Manchester|Brooklands]], Roundthorn Industrial Estate
|Manchester, [[Trafford]]
|-
! M24
|MANCHESTER
|[[Middleton, Greater Manchester|Middleton]], [[Alkrington]], [[Chadderton]]
|[[Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale|Rochdale]], [[Metropolitan Borough of Oldham|Oldham]]
|-
! M25
|MANCHESTER
|[[Prestwich]], [[Sedgley Park]], [[Simister]]
|[[Metropolitan Borough of Bury|Bury]]
|-
! M26
|MANCHESTER
|[[Radcliffe, Greater Manchester|Radcliffe]], [[Stoneclough]]
|Bury, [[Metropolitan Borough of Bolton|Bolton]]
|-
! M27
|MANCHESTER
|[[Swinton, Greater Manchester|Swinton]], [[Clifton, Greater Manchester|Clifton]], [[Pendlebury]], [[Wardley, Greater Manchester|Wardley]], [[Pendlebury|Agecroft]]
|Salford
|-
! M28
|MANCHESTER
|[[Worsley]], [[Walkden]], [[Boothstown]], [[Mosley Common]], Wardley Industrial Estate
|Salford, [[Metropolitan Borough of Wigan|Wigan]]
|-
! M29
|MANCHESTER
|[[Tyldesley]], [[Astley, Greater Manchester|Astley]]
|Wigan
|-
! M30
|MANCHESTER
|[[Eccles, Greater Manchester|Eccles]], [[Monton]], [[Peel Green]], [[Winton, Greater Manchester|Winton]], [[Patricroft]], [[Barton-upon-Irwell]], [[Ellesmere Park]]
|Salford
|-
! M31
|MANCHESTER
|[[Carrington, Greater Manchester|Carrington]], [[Partington, Greater Manchester|Partington]]
|Trafford
|-
! M32
|MANCHESTER
|[[Stretford]]
|Trafford
|-
! M33
|SALE
|[[Sale, Greater Manchester|Sale]], [[Brooklands (Greater Manchester)|Brooklands]]
|[[Trafford]], Manchester
|-
! M34
|MANCHESTER
|[[Denton, Greater Manchester|Denton]], [[Audenshaw]]
|[[Tameside]]
|-
! M35
|MANCHESTER
|[[Failsworth]]
|Oldham
|-
! M38
|MANCHESTER
|[[Little Hulton]]
|Salford
|-
! M40
|MANCHESTER
|[[Collyhurst]], [[Miles Platting]], [[Moston, Greater Manchester|Moston]], [[New Moston]], [[Newton Heath]]
|Manchester
|-
! M41
|MANCHESTER
|[[Urmston]], [[Davyhulme]], [[Flixton, Greater Manchester|Flixton]], [[Trafford Park]]
|Trafford
|-
! M43
|MANCHESTER
|[[Droylsden]]
|Tameside
|-
! M44
|MANCHESTER
|[[Irlam]], [[Cadishead]]
|Salford
|-
! M45
|MANCHESTER
|[[Whitefield, Greater Manchester|Whitefield]], [[Besses o' th' Barn]]
|Bury
|-
! M46
|MANCHESTER
|[[Atherton, Greater Manchester|Atherton]], Over Hulton
|Wigan, Bolton
|-
! M50
|SALFORD
|[[Salford Quays]], [[MediaCityUK]]
|Salford
|-
! M60<br><small>(Sectors 1 and 7)</small>
|MANCHESTER
|''Large user and PO Box (located geographically in M1)''
|Manchester
|-
! M60<br><small>(Sectors 2 and 8)</small>
|MANCHESTER
|''Large user and PO Box (located geographically in M2)''
|Manchester
|-
! M60<br><small>(Sectors 3 and 9)</small>
|MANCHESTER
|''Large user and PO Box (located geographically in M3)''
|Manchester
|-
! M60<br><small>(Sectors 4 and 0)</small>
|MANCHESTER
|''Large user and PO Box (located geographically in M4)''
|Manchester
|-
! M60<br><small>(Sectors 5 and 6)</small>
|MANCHESTER
|''Manchester X''
|Manchester
|-
! M60<br><small>(Sector 9)</small>
|SALFORD
|''Large user and PO Box''
|Salford
|-
! M61
|MANCHESTER
|''Manchester X''
|Manchester
|-
! M90
|MANCHESTER
|[[Manchester Airport]]
|Manchester
|-
! M99
|MANCHESTER
|[[Manchester Victoria station|Victoria]], ''Manchester X''
|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]] ''[[Coronation Street]]'', with the eponymous street having the postcode M10 9KC.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.tntmagazine.com/lifestyle-career/renting-tvs-most-famous-properties |title=Renting TV's most famous properties |magazine=[[TNT (magazine)|TNT Magazine]] |date=9 February 2017 |access-date=15 April 2017}}</ref>
*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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beacon-dodsworth.co.uk/site/support/postcode_update_34/ |title=Royal Mail Postcode Update 34 |publisher=Beacon Dodsworth |access-date=22 April 2017}}</ref>

==Map==
{{Attached KML|display=inline}}
{{Postcode area imagemap|map=M postcode area|size=750x750px}}

== Former scheme ==
Before the introduction of postcodes in the 1960s, Manchester along with other major cities like [[Birmingham]], [[Liverpool]] and [[Sheffield]] 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.

==See also==
*[[Postcode Address File]]
*[[List of postcode areas in the United Kingdom]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[https://archive.today/20130423202810/http://planning.stockport.gov.uk/PlanningData/AcolNetCGI.gov?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeNeighbours&TheSystemkey=109952]

==External links==
*[http://www.poweredbypaf.com/ Royal Mail's Postcode Address File]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180926234202/https://www.poweredbypaf.com/how-the-royal-mail-postcode-address-file-paf-helps-organisations-verify-their-customers-identities/ A quick introduction to Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF)]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060906031712/http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/maps/postcodes-map.html Map of postcodes of Greater Manchester]}}

{{Postcode areas in the United Kingdom}}

[[Category:Metropolitan Borough of Bolton]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Borough of Bury]]
[[Category:Geography of Manchester]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Borough of Oldham]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale]]
[[Category:City of Salford]]
[[Category:Tameside]]
[[Category:Trafford]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Borough of Wigan]]
[[Category:Geography of Greater Manchester]]
[[Category:Postcode areas covering North West England]]