Would you be surprised to learn that New York state is home to America's lowest ZIP code? And chances are, you may not like who it belongs to.

HISTORY OF ZIP CODES

ZIP codes in the United States date back to the early 1960s when the United States Postal Service realized the need for a more efficient mail sorting and delivery system. Prior to ZIP codes, mail sorting was a laborious process that relied on manual sorting.

In 1943, an army officer named Robert Moon proposed a postal code system to improve the delivery efficiency. But it wasn't until nearly two decades later, in 1963, that the USPS implemented the Zoning Improvement Plan (ZIP).

ZIP codes themselves may seem completely arbitrary, but they're not. The five digits represent a specific area, such as a city, town, or region. The initial implementation covered major metropolitan areas, but over time, the system expanded to include the entire country.

The adoption of ZIP codes revolutionized mail processing, allowing for more automated sorting machines and increasing the speed and accuracy of mail delivery. (Think about how frustrating Amazon Prime deliveries would be without it.)

SO WHO'S GOT THE LOWEST?

The lowest functioning ZIP in America is 00501, which is Holtsville, New York, in Long Island. But more importantly than the where is the who it belongs to...

Yes, the IRS has its own ZIP code...

Turns out the IRS uses 00501 to process tax returns, which is a very important process, but one that nobody likes doing very much.

So maybe it's only appropriate that's it's oh, so low...