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{{short description|Postcode area within the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox UK postcode area|area_code=SO}}
The '''SO postcode area''', also known as the '''Southampton postcode area''',<ref>Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004)</ref> is a group of 23 postcode districts in southern [[England]], within nine [[post town]]s. These cover south and central [[Hampshire]], including [[Southampton]], [[Winchester]], [[New Alresford|Alresford]], [[Brockenhurst]], [[Eastleigh]], [[Lymington]], [[Lyndhurst, Hampshire|Lyndhurst]], [[Romsey]] and [[Stockbridge, Hampshire|Stockbridge]].

The SO area originally had both single and double-digit postcode districts.<ref>Geographers' A-Z Map Co., Ltd, ''Street Atlas of Southampton'', (1991)</ref> From the inception of postcodes in Southampton, "large users" within the SO1 and SO2 postcode areas (which broadly covered the area of the city) were allocated SO9 postcodes.<ref>Kelly's Directory (1970) gives the address of the Head Post Office as 59 High Street, SO9 1AA.</ref> In the early 1990s, a shortage of available postcodes occurred due to increased demand.<ref>{{cite web |title=Postcodes |url=https://www.restore.ac.uk/geo-refer/38330ctuks00y00000000.php |website=Geographical Referencing Learning Resources |publisher=National Centre for Research Methods / University of Southampton |access-date=11 December 2021}}</ref> On 1 December 1993 Royal Mail took the step of dividing each of the existing single-digit districts, the numbers of the new subdivisions containing two digits rather than one. For example, the SO1 and SO2 districts were divided into SO14-19.<ref>Geographers' A-Z Map Co., Ltd, ''Street Atlas of Southampton'', (1991)</ref> At the same time, ordinary "geographical" postcodes replaced the SO9 codes. Whilst this created thousands more possible postcode combinations, it resulted in the unusual situation where the centre of the postcode area, Southampton, lacks a district numbered 1. The area is one of only a few in the country where this is the case.

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

{{postcode area table start}}
|-
! SO14
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Southampton City Centre|City Centre]], [[St Mary's, Southampton|St. Mary's]], Newtown, [[Nicholstown]], [[Northam, Southampton|Northam]], [[Ocean Village, Southampton|Ocean Village]], Chapel, [[Eastern Docks]], [[Bevois Valley]]
| [[Southampton]]
|-
! SO15
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Shirley, Southampton|Shirley]], [[Freemantle]], [[Regents Park, Southampton|Regents Park]], [[Banister Park]], [[The Polygon, Southampton|Polygon]], [[Millbrook, Southampton|Millbrook]], [[Maybush]] [[Redbridge, Southampton|Redbridge]]
| Southampton
|-
! SO16
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Bassett, Southampton|Bassett]], [[Lordswood, Southampton|Lordswood]], [[Lordshill]], [[Redbridge, Southampton|Redbridge]], [[Rownhams]], [[Nursling]], [[Chilworth, Hampshire|Chilworth]], Shirley Warren
| Southampton, [[Test Valley]]
|-
! SO17
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Highfield, Southampton|Highfield]], [[Portswood]], [[St Denys]], [[Swaythling]]
| Southampton
|-
! SO18
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Bitterne]], [[Bitterne Park]], [[Harefield, Southampton|Harefield]], [[Townhill Park]], [[Chartwell Green]], [[Mansbridge]], [[Southampton Airport]]
| [[Borough of Eastleigh|Eastleigh]], Southampton
|-
! SO19
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Sholing]], Merry Oak, [[Thornhill, Southampton|Thornhill]], [[Woolston, Southampton|Woolston]], [[Weston, Southampton|Weston]]
| Southampton
|-
! SO20
| STOCKBRIDGE
| [[Stockbridge, Hampshire|Stockbridge]], [[King's Somborne]], [[Middle Wallop]]
| Test Valley
|-
! SO21
| WINCHESTER
| [[Compton and Shawford|Compton]], [[Colden Common]], [[Easton, Hampshire|Easton]], [[Hursley]], [[Itchen Abbas]], [[Martyr Worthy]], [[Micheldever]], [[Owslebury]], [[Compton and Shawford|Shawford]], [[South Wonston]], [[Sutton Scotney]], [[Sparsholt, Hampshire|Sparsholt]], [[Twyford, Hampshire|Twyford]]
| [[Winchester]]
|-
! SO22
| WINCHESTER
| [[Badger Farm]], Fulflood, [[Hursley]], [[Littleton and Harestock]], [[Olivers Battery]], Pitt, St Cross (W), [[Stanmore, Winchester|Stanmore]], Weeke
| Winchester
|-
! SO23
| WINCHESTER
| City Centre, [[Abbotts Barton]], [[Bar End]], Highcliffe, Hyde, St Cross (E), [[Winnall, Hampshire|Winnall]]
| Winchester
|-
! SO24
| ALRESFORD
| [[New Alresford]], [[Old Alresford]], [[Cheriton, Hampshire|Cheriton]], [[Tichborne]], [[Ropley]]
| Winchester
|-
! style="background:#FFFFFF;"|SO25
| style="background:#FFFFFF;"|WINCHESTER
| style="background:#FFFFFF;"|''Bulk users''
| style="background:#FFFFFF;"|''non-geographic''
|-
! SO30
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Botley, Hampshire|Botley]], [[Hedge End]], [[West End, Hampshire|West End]], [[Curbridge, Hampshire|Curbridge]]
| Eastleigh, Winchester
|-
! SO31
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Warsash]], [[Hamble-le-Rice]], [[Locks Heath]] [[Netley Abbey]]
| Eastleigh, [[Borough of Fareham|Fareham]]
|-
! SO32
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Bishop's Waltham]], [[Corhampton]], [[Curdridge]], [[Droxford]], [[Durley]], [[Exton, Hampshire|Exton]], [[Meonstoke]], [[Shedfield]], [[Soberton]], [[Swanmore]], [[Upham, Hampshire|Upham]], [[Warnford]], [[Wickham, Hampshire|Wickham]]
| Eastleigh, Winchester
|-
!rowspan=2|SO40
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Totton]], [[Cadnam]], [[Marchwood]]
|rowspan=2|[[New Forest District|New Forest]]
|-
| LYNDHURST
| [[Lyndhurst, Hampshire|Lyndhurst]]
|-
! SO41
| LYMINGTON
| [[Lymington]], [[Milford-on-Sea]], [[Pennington, Hampshire|Pennington]], [[Boldre]], [[Hordle]], [[Sway, Hampshire|Sway]]
| New Forest
|-
! SO42
| BROCKENHURST
| [[Beaulieu, Hampshire|Beaulieu]], [[Brockenhurst]], [[East Boldre]]
| New Forest
|-
! SO43
| LYNDHURST
| [[Lyndhurst, Hampshire|Lyndhurst]], [[Minstead]], [[Bramshaw]]
| New Forest
|-
! SO45
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[Hythe, Hampshire|Hythe]], [[Fawley, Hampshire|Fawley]], [[Blackfield, Hampshire|Blackfield]], [[Calshot]], [[Hardley, Hampshire|Hardley]]
| New Forest
|-
! SO50
| EASTLEIGH
| Town Centre, [[Boyatt Wood]], [[Fair Oak]], [[Bishopstoke]], [[Horton Heath, Hampshire|Horton Heath]]
| Eastleigh
|-
! SO51
| ROMSEY
| [[Romsey]], [[Ampfield]], [[Lockerley]], [[Mottisfont]], [[Wellow, Hampshire|Wellow]]
| Test Valley
|-
! SO52
| SOUTHAMPTON
| [[North Baddesley]]
| Test Valley
|-
! SO53
| EASTLEIGH
| [[Chandler's Ford]]
| Eastleigh, Test Valley
|-
! style="background:#FFFFFF;"|SO97
| style="background:#FFFFFF;"|SOUTHAMPTON
| style="background:#FFFFFF;"|''[[Jobcentre Plus]]''
| style="background:#FFFFFF;"|''non-geographic''
|}

==Map==
{{Attached KML|display=inline}}
{{Postcode area imagemap|map=SO postcode area|size=550x550px}}

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

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.poweredbypaf.com/ Royal Mail's Postcode Address File]
*[http://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)]

{{Postcode areas in the United Kingdom}}

[[Category:Postcode areas covering South East England]]

SO postcode area - Revision history

imported>Keith D: Add BOT tag