What is a FedEx Shipping Zone? (how it works, meaning + more)
If you’ve ever shipped something to a friend in the next town and then something else across the country, you’ve probably noticed a huge difference in price.
Don’t worry, you’re not imagining things. Even if the package weighs the same, packages that travel further distances will cost significantly more. This is due to the so-called transport zone. In this article, we’ll explain what FedEx shipping zones are and why they exist.
What is the FedEx shipping zone in 2022?
FedEx uses shipping zones to determine shipping prices—the more miles a package has to travel, the more expensive it is. In the continental United States, FedEx divided the country into 7 shipping zones (numbered zones 2-8) in 2022. Shipments are divided into 16 zones. FedEx’s Area Locator Tool can be used to identify areas prior to shipping.
Knowing what shipping zones are and how they work can be confusing, so if you still have questions, be sure to check out the rest of this article.
How does the FedEx Shipping Zone work?
FedEx uses shipping zones to determine prices. Essentially, the farther a package must travel, the higher the shipping cost.
That’s because FedEx needs to spend more money to ship your package over longer distances. So, naturally, the rate will rise proportionally with the distance the customer travels.
In other words, area is closely related (but often not completely) to driving distance.
For example, the starting zip code for a package from Knoxville, Tennessee is 377. Postal codes with the first 3 digits between 376-379 are considered part of Zone 2.
On the other hand, shipments with zip codes starting with 902 are destined for California and are located in zone 8.
In terms of pricing, shipping to zone 2 costs $9.87, but shipping to zone 8 costs $14.97.
As you can see, distance matters when it comes to pricing.
How does FedEx determine regions?
FedEx determines its shipping area based on the distance (in miles) from the originating warehouse to the final destination.
If the warehouse is further away from the customer address, then it is considered a higher zone.
How many shipping zones does FedEx have?
In the continental United States, FedEx divides its ground services (FedEx Home Delivery and FedEx Ground) into 7 distinct regions. These zones are numbered 2-8.
Because of its extreme time sensitivity, the Express service is divided into 16 zones for increased accuracy and precision.
What is a FedEx Shipping Zone?
Here are FedEx shipping areas by distance:
| Area | Distance (miles) from origin to destination |
| 2 | 0-150 |
| 3 | 151-300 |
| 4 | 301-600 |
| 5 | 601-1,000 |
| 6 | 1,001-1,400 |
| 7 | 1,401-1,800 |
| 8 | 1,801 or more in the continental U.S. |
In addition to these 7 areas, there are separate areas for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and military addresses (FPO and APO)
Why does FedEx have shipping zones?
Shipping zones help FedEx determine how much to charge customers for shipping to reflect the time and effort required to ship.
Because long-distance transportation requires more time and resources (eg, truck drivers, fuel, equipment wear and tear), FedEx needs to charge more to remain competitive and profitable.
How do you find FedEx shipping zones?
You can use the Zone Locator tool on the FedEx website to obtain a complete list of FedEx shipping zones for packages from your ZIP code.
After entering a zip code, you’ll get a full list of shipping zones for each destination zip code in the United States.
Even easier, however, you can use a price calculator to find shipping rates based on origin and destination zip codes.
To use this tool, you need to know the weight and dimensions of the package, as well as the shipping service you are interested in.
Has FedEx ever used something other than region for pricing?
For contingent shippers, FedEx published rates and shipping zones will determine their shipping charges.
However, high-volume shippers, such as trucking companies and e-commerce businesses, may be able to negotiate with FedEx for cheaper shipping rates.
For more information, please contact your fulfillment warehouse.
Are UPS and FedEx regions the same?
In general, major US carriers such as FedEx, UPS, and USPS use the same 7 shipping zones when determining shipping rates.
These areas may differ by miles here or there, but in general, they divide the country into similar parts.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on FedEx Informed Delivery, how long FedEx holds packages, and whether FedEx packages are insured.
in conclusion
On the surface, FedEx shipping zones can seem a little confusing, but once you understand the rationale that more distance equals more money, you know pretty much everything you need to know about shipping zones.
