Calabar Postal Codes — Travo.ng Local Address Guide

Updated 28 September 2026 · Travo.ng

Calabar is the capital of Cross River State, and the city is split between two local government areas: Calabar Municipal and Calabar South. Calabar Municipal alone covers about 142 square kilometres and had 179,392 residents at the 2006 census, according to its Wikipedia entry. That is a lot of streets for one code, which is why NIPOST divides the area into delivery districts, each with its own six-digit postcode.

This guide lists the Calabar Municipal district codes, explains how to read them, flags the places where online directories disagree, and shows you how to write a Calabar address that couriers and banks will accept first time.

Calabar Municipal postal codes by district

The table below follows the district list published on the zipcode.com.ng NIPOST directory and cross-checked against nigeriapostcodes.com. Where the two sources differ, we say so.

Source: zipcode.com.ng Calabar Municipal and Calabar Town lists (2018, 2021) and nigeriapostcodes.com (21 March 2018), checked 28 September 2026. NIPOST has not published an online postcode lookup that we could verify.

Where the directories disagree

• Ikorinim: the zipcode.com.ng Calabar Municipal page groups Ikorinim with Essien Town under 540271, while its Calabar Town page and nigeriapostcodes.com give 540281. We list 540281 because two of the three pages agree, but if the address is near the Essien Town boundary, ask the sender or your local post office which one they use.
• Ikot Ansa: one directory prints 240212. Codes that start with 24 belong to a different part of the country, so the correct code is 540212.
• Calabar South: some sites copy this same list under a “Calabar South” heading. The codes describe delivery districts rather than LGA boundaries, so do not assume there is a separate Calabar South list unless the post office confirms it.

How Calabar postcodes are structured

Nigerian postcodes have six digits. The opening digits point to the area and the closing digits narrow the address down to a delivery district. For Calabar, every district code in the table starts with 540, the prefix Wikipedia gives for Calabar Municipal, and the last three digits change from district to district:

• 54021x: Ediba, Ikot Ansa and Ikot Omin
• 54022x: Airport and State Housing Estate
• 54024x: Bogobiri, Eta Agbor and Goldie
• 54025x: Dan Archibong, Ekpo Abasi and Uwanse
• 54026x to 54028x: Egerton, Stadium, Essien Town and Ikorinim

This matters because a code that starts with 540 can look correct but still send a parcel to the wrong delivery district if the last digits are wrong. For a nationwide explanation, see our Nigeria postal code guide and how the Nigerian ZIP code system works.

How to write a Calabar address correctly

Couriers, banks and online shops usually want a street address plus the postcode. A clean format is:

1. Full name of the recipient
2. House number and street name, for example 12 Marian Road
3. District or neighbourhood, for example Ediba
4. Calabar, Cross River State
5. Postcode, for example 540211
6. A working Nigerian phone number

Add a landmark on a separate line if the street is hard to find. Dispatch riders in Calabar rely on landmarks and phone calls far more than on postcodes, so the phone number is the part of the address that saves the most time.

When you actually need the Calabar postcode

• International orders and forms: foreign websites, visa and embassy forms, and some payment platforms will not accept an address without a postcode.
• Bank and fintech KYC: account opening and address verification forms often ask for it.
• Couriers: DHL, UPS, FedEx and local couriers use it to route parcels to the right hub. If you are shipping abroad from Calabar, our FedEx in Nigeria guide and package tracking guide explain the next steps.
• NIPOST mail and PO boxes: letters travel faster when the postcode matches the district.

If a form insists on a postcode and you are not sure which district you are in, 540211 is the code most directories use for Calabar Municipal as a whole. It is better to use the exact district code, but the lead code is a sensible fallback.

Tips to avoid failed deliveries in Calabar

• Use the district name as well as the code. “Goldie, Calabar 540243” is much harder to misroute than a code alone.
• Double-check the first three digits. Anything that does not start with 540 is not a Calabar Municipal code.
• Include a phone number that is switched on during delivery hours.
• For high-value items, use a courier with tracking rather than ordinary mail. Our courier comparison covers the main options.
• For same-day deliveries inside the city, a dispatch rider is usually faster than any postcode-based service. See how to book a dispatch rider near you.

Checking a code with NIPOST

The Nigerian Postal Service is the official owner of the postcode system. Its website, nipost.gov.ng, has a post office finder and contact page, but at the time of writing it did not offer an online postcode search that we could use to confirm each district. If a code matters for a legal document or a visa application, visit the Calabar head post office or call NIPOST through the numbers on its contact page and ask them to confirm the code for your street.

Frequently asked questions

What is the postal code for Calabar Municipal?

Calabar Municipal uses codes from 540211 to 540281. 540211 (Ediba) is the lead code most directories give for the LGA as a whole, but each district has its own code, listed in the table above.

What is the postal code for State Housing Estate, Calabar?

State Housing Estate uses 540222. The numbered avenues and named streets inside the estate share this code.

Is the Calabar postal code the same as a ZIP code?

Yes. Nigeria calls them postcodes, but foreign websites often label the field “ZIP code”. Enter the six-digit code in that box.

What is the postal code for Calabar airport area?

Directories list 540221 for the Airport district and the layouts around it.

Why do some websites give a different code for Ikorinim?

Online directories were compiled at different times and do not all agree. Most list Ikorinim as 540281, but one lists 540271. Confirm with the post office if it matters.

Does Calabar South have its own postcodes?

Many directories show the same 5402xx district list for “Calabar town” and for Calabar South. We could not verify a separate Calabar South list, so check with NIPOST for addresses south of the city centre.

Related guides

• Nigeria postal code guide: find your NIPOST code
• Owerri North postal codes for all towns and villages
• Osogbo postal code area guide
• Nigeria ZIP code: your complete guide
• Same-day delivery in Nigeria with Travo

Sources: zipcode.com.ng Calabar Municipal LGA and Calabar Town postcode lists; nigeriapostcodes.com Calabar Municipal list (2018); Wikipedia, Calabar Municipal; NIPOST website. Postcodes are assigned by NIPOST and can be revised. Fares and prices change often — confirm before you travel or pay.