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Where 48659 is
Approximate ZIP boundary (Census ZCTA 2020). ZIP codes are mail routes, not areas, so the shape shown is the Census tabulation area that approximates it.
- 🔢 Type 48659 into a pocket calculator and turn it upside down: GSgBh — not quite a word, sorry.
- ➕ As a number, 48,659 = 13 × 19 × 197. Its digits add up to 32, a total 644 other ZIP codes share.
- 💾In binary, the way a computer stores it:
1011111000010011 - 🏠 Its numerical neighbours: 48658 (Standish, MI, 8 mi away) and 48661 (West Branch, MI, 20 mi away).
- 🔄 Backwards, 48659 becomes 95684 — and that is a real ZIP code: Somerset, CA, 1,913 miles away.
- 👥 36 other ZIP codes are made of exactly the same digits (45698, 45869, 45896, 46859, 46895, 46958, …). The farthest-flung twin is 96548 in APO AA, a military post office, 9,879 miles away.
- 🧭 Farther north than 88% of all ZIP codes, and farther east than 60%.
- 🎯801 miles northeast of the geographic center of the Lower 48, near Lebanon, Kansas.
- 🌏 Dig straight through the Earth from 48659 and you would come out at 44.07°S, 95.95°E — 1,266 miles from Port-aux-Français, French Southern Territories, the nearest big city to that spot.
- ☀Longest day of the year: 15h 30m of daylight. Shortest: 8h 53m.
- 📏 At 76.1 square miles of land, 48659 is bigger than 71% of ZIP codes — room for about 58 Central Parks.
- Working out the sun…
- Checking the USGS…
Source: USGS.
People and housing
| Population | 2,563This ZIP2,563 |
|---|---|
| Households | 993This ZIP993 |
| Housing units | 1,279This ZIP1,279 |
| Median age | 39.6This ZIP39.6Michigan40.2US 38.9 |
| Median household income | $58,750This ZIP$58,750Michigan$72,875US $80,734 |
| Median home value | $146,200This ZIP$146,200Michigan$231,600US $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $853This ZIP$853Michigan$1,129US $1,413 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.6%This ZIP13.6% |
| Mean commute | 27.9 minThis ZIP27.9 min |
| Population density | 33.7 / sq miThis ZIP33.7 / sq mi |
Business and tax activity
| Business establishments | 38This ZIP38 |
|---|---|
| Employees | 342This ZIP342 |
| Annual payroll | $16,286,000This ZIP$16,286,000 |
| Tax returns filed | 1,260This ZIP1,260 |
| Total adjusted gross income | $70,094,000This ZIP$70,094,000 |
Land area
| Land area | 76.13 sq miThis ZIP76.13 sq mi |
|---|---|
| Water area | 0.31 sq miThis ZIP0.31 sq mi |
Counties 48659 spans
A ZIP code is a mail route and ignores county lines. Shares are by overlapping land area.
| County | Share of this ZIP |
|---|---|
| Arenac County | 97.9% |
| Bay County | 2.1% |
Other place names in 48659
Census places whose land this ZIP code overlaps. The Postal Service may accept other city names in an address, too.
ZIP codes near 48659
| ZIP | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|
48749 | Omer, MI | 7.5 mi |
48658 | Standish, MI | 8.4 mi |
48610 | Alger, MI | 8.8 mi |
48613 | Bentley, MI | 9.7 mi |
48766 | Twining, MI | 10.1 mi |
48756 | Prescott, MI | 12.2 mi |
48650 | Pinconning, MI | 15.1 mi |
48652 | Rhodes, MI | 17.1 mi |
48770 | Whittemore, MI | 17.4 mi |
48765 | Turner, MI | 17.5 mi |
Find every ZIP code within 10 miles of 48659 →
Questions about this ZIP code
Where is ZIP code 48659?
48659 is in Sterling, Michigan, in Arenac County. Its published point location is 44.0655, -84.0508.
What county is 48659 in?
48659 spans 2 counties: Arenac County and Bay County. Most of it falls in Arenac County, measured by overlapping land area — the county holding the most land in a ZIP code is not always the one holding the most residents.
What area code is 48659?
Sterling uses area code 989, from NANPA's telephone records.
What time zone is 48659 in?
48659 uses America/Detroit.
How many people live in 48659?
About 2,563 people live in ZIP code 48659, in 993 households, at 33.7 people per square mile. These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the ZIP Code Tabulation Area, not a headcount.
What is the median household income in 48659?
$58,750 a year, against $72,875 across Michigan.
What ZIP codes are near 48659?
The closest are 48749 (7.5 mi), 48658 (8.4 mi), 48610 (8.8 mi), 48613 (9.7 mi) and 48766 (10.1 mi).
Is 48659 a PO Box ZIP code?
48659 is a standard ZIP code. A normal ZIP code with street delivery.
Download or cite
Cite this page
zipcodes.pro. “48659 ZIP Code — Sterling, Michigan (Arenac County).” Data release 2026-10-12. Retrieved 2026-10-20. https://zipcodes.pro/zip/48659
Machine-readable version of these facts:
curl https://zipcodes.pro/zip/48659.jsonUnderlying data is public domain or openly licensed — sources, vintages and licences.