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ZIP Code 48222 may be one of the most unique ones in the United States. It designates mail delivered by a boat called the J.W. Westcott II, to ships passing through the Detroit River. It is the only floating ZIP Code in the U.S.

First and foremost, Detroit gets a ton of maritime traffic. The Great Lakes have been a major freight route for generations, and continue to be. Detroit was originally a French fort built at a strategic point between Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Any ships traveling from Montreal or the Erie Canal, en route to Lake Huron or Lake Superior, must first pass by Detroit.

Detroit’s unique location has long made it a center of heavy manufacturing, such as automobile assembly. But it has also given rise to unique industries, such as delivering mail to passing boats.

Captain John Ward Westcott began using a rowboat to ferry supplies to freighters passing Detroit in 1874. By 1895, his company had secured the contract to deliver mail to passing boats. But catching up to the passing ships via rowboat was hard work. So in 1949, the company commissioned Paasch Marine Service of Erie, Pennsylvania to build a boat.

J.W. Westcott II tender boat sails past the Ambassador Bridge in the Detroit River.
J.W. Westcott II | Sara Hattie via WikiMedia Commons

The J.W. Westcott II is a 45-foot long and 13-foot wide boat. Instead of oars, it came with a 220-horsepower Detroit Diesel marine engine. It pulls up next to passing freighters in the Detroit River and they lower a bucket on a rope for their mail, packages, and supplies. Thus the company motto: “Mail by the pail.” Crews can even order products from Amazon and have them delivered as they pass by Detroit.

The J.W. Westcott II‘s 75 years of service haven’t been without incident. On October 23rd, 2001, it was sucked into the wake of Norweigen oil tanker MT Sidsel Knutsen. The J.W. Westcott II sank in the deep water under the Ambassador Bridge that runs from Detroit to Windsor, Canada. The accident killed the captain and crew member. Both the passengers, professional Detroit harbor pilots, survived. The J.W. Westcott Company salvaged and refurbished the original boat. In 2010, the company upgraded its boat with a 305-horsepower Cummins marine engine, so hopefully it doesn’t get sucked into any wakes again.

If you want to send mail to a ship passing Detroit you address it as follows:

[Recipient, Vessel Name]

Marine Post Office

Detroit, Michigan

48222

The U.S. Postal Service will route the mail to the Detroit post office where the J.W. Westoctt II is docked, and the crew will take it out to the ship on their next run.

Next, learn about 4 unique U.S. towns with no cars, or see a day in the life of the J.W. Westcott II in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.