WHEATFIELD, N.Y. (WKBW) — For more than 20 years, the Town of Wheatfield has been fighting for a single ZIP code that reflects where residents actually live.
Right now, Wheatfield is divided across four ZIP codes tied to nearby cities:
- Lockport — 14094
- Sanborn — 14132
- North Tonawanda — 14120
- Niagara Falls — 14304
Town officials said that the patchwork of postal identities is a real problem.
"Sometimes packages, when you have deliveries, people know Wheatfield, but they don't realize that you have a North Tonawanda, Niagara Falls, a Lockport and a Sanborn ZIP code," said Council member Larry Helwig. "It's hard associating ZIP codes with a municipality when we only have four of them."
The community said the confusion impacts everyday life.
“We’ve had so much growth, so many new developments, we’d love to have our own," longtime Wheatfield resident Lisa Larisha said.
Linda Scibetta, who’s lived in Wheatfield for years, agreed.
“People think I live in North Tonawanda,” she said. “But Wheatfield is big enough now. It deserves its own identity.”
Town leaders said they’re not pushing for a new post office — just one ZIP code to unify the community. A new bill in Congress, H.R. 3095, would do just that. But Helwig said it’s currently in committee.
“These kinds of bills often die unless there’s enough public support,” Helwig said. “We need people to speak up.”
Wheatfield’s population has doubled over the past 30 years, from 10,000 to about 20,000, and officials said it’s time for federal lawmakers to catch up.
Residents can send letters to the town to show their support.
