Canada
Canada Address Format: How to Write It Correctly
How to write a Canadian address: line order, unit and street number conventions, province abbreviations, French-language style and rural forms.
Updated 14 October 2026 · 3 min read
A Canadian address follows a simple order: recipient, street line, then municipality, province and postal code. The street number comes before the street name in both English and French addresses.
The main lines
- Recipient. Person or organization.
- Street line. Unit, civic number and street name, including the street type and any direction.
- Municipality, province, postal code. The city or town, a two-letter province or territory abbreviation, and the six-character postal code.
- Country. Only for international mail.
Units and civic numbers
Canadian apartments are often written with the unit number first, joined to the civic number by a hyphen, such as 12-123 Example Street. The words Unit, Suite or Apt are equally accepted when written before the number. In Quebec, the word app. (appartement) is common in French addresses.
Street names and language
Street names are written as they officially appear, whether in English or French. In French, the street type usually comes first, for example rue Exemple or avenue Exemple, and the type is part of the name. Accents are acceptable and should be kept. Do not translate a street name, because that may result in a location that does not exist.
Province and territory codes
Provinces and territories use two-letter abbreviations, such as ON, QC, BC and AB. The abbreviation is followed by the postal code, separated by a space. Use the abbreviation, not the full name, when space is limited.
Rural and special forms
In rural areas you may see a rural route number, a post office box, or general delivery rather than a street. Post office boxes receive only postal mail. When a delivery depends on a courier, a street or civic description is preferable to a box number.
Formatted example
Jane Doe
12-123 Example Street
Sampletown ON A1A 1A1
CANADA
The values are placeholders and do not correspond to a real address.
Adding an exact location
A cottage road, a farm lane or a service entrance is hard to describe in words. A short UPCS code, in the form CA-XXXX-XXXX (placeholder), can be added to an order note or a special field to show a courier the exact point. It does not replace the postal code. See the postal code format and the country overview for background.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the unit number go in a Canadian address?
The usual form is the unit first, then a hyphen and the street number, as in 12-123 Example Street. Writing it as Unit 12, 123 Example Street is also common.
Should I write an address in English or French?
Use the language of the street name as it officially appears, and keep the street type as part of the name. You can write the surrounding words in the language the sender uses.