What Is the Address Format of Canada?

Last Updated: May 22, 2023 • Published June 29, 2022 • By Ryan Octosa

If you’re familiar with U.S. addresses, then you’ll probably find Canadian addresses format easy to follow because they share very similar structures. But if you’re not, no worries—this post has got you covered!

Illustration by Hogweard (Public Domain)

As a country, Canada is split up into 10 provinces and 3 territories.

Each of these provinces and territories consists of numerous cities and towns.

It's important to familiarize yourself with these provinces and territories first as they form part of the building blocks in Canadian addresses!

The 10 Canadian provinces are Alberta (AB), British Columbia (BC), Manitoba (MB), New Brunswick (NB), Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Nova Scotia (NS), Ontario (ON), Prince Edward Island (PE), Québec (QC), and Saskatchewan (SK).
The 3 Canadian territories are Northwest Territories (NT), Nunavut (NU), and Yukon (YT)

The 3 Canadian Address Formats

There are 3 common variations of the Canadian address formats. The main difference usually lies in whether an address has a unit number or not (think detached homes vs. units in an apartment building).

Format 1:
For Addresses with No Unit Numbers

Detached homes and standalone buildings typically have no unit numbers (unlike apartments or office towers), so you would write its address as follows:

[Civic No][Street Name]
[City/Town], [Province][Postal Code]
Canada

For example:
101 East 22nd Avenue
Toronto, ON M1A 2B3
Canada

Note that Canada uses a 6-character alphanumeric postal code format.

Read Also: What Is the Postal Code Format of Canada?

Format 2:
For Addresses with Unit Numbers

Detached homes and buildings have no unit numbers (unlike apartments or office towers), so you would write the address as follows:

[Unit No]-[Civic No][Street Name]
[City/Town], [Province][Postal Code]
Canada

For example:
303-404 West 55th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V4C 5D6
Canada

This address locates Unit 303 on 404 West 55th Avenue in Vancouver, BC.

Format 3:
For Addresses with Unit Numbers

This is another variation of Format 2, where it is also acceptable to write the Unit Number under the Street Number and Street Name.

[Civic No][Street Name]
[Unit No]
[City/Town], [Province][Postal Code]
Canada

For example:
404 West 55th Avenue
Unit 303
Vancouver, BC V4C 5D6
Canada

Depending on the building type, "Unit 303" can also be written as "Suite 303" or "Apt No. 303."

Tips

You do not need to spell out Canadian provinces or territories when writing out Canadian addresses. For instance, using ON for Ontario and BC for British Columbia will suffice.
If you are sending mail domestically, you can omit “Canada” from the last line of the address.

More on Canadian Addresses

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