SW Virginia News

U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, along with U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith, have put forward legislation aimed at assigning a unique ZIP code to Fairlawn, Virginia. The proposed bills were introduced in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

"For too long, Fairlawn has unfairly missed out on tax revenue that would otherwise fund education, public safety, and public services due to confusion regarding its ZIP code," stated the lawmakers. They further highlighted an incident following Hurricane Helene where residents faced difficulties accessing individual assistance through FEMA's online portal because they had a Radford ZIP code. "We are proud to introduce this legislation to give Fairlawn its own ZIP code and avoid further confusion and stress for this community."

Fairlawn is currently part of Pulaski County but shares the ZIP code 24241 with the City of Radford. This situation has led to challenges including lost tax revenue and confusion over jurisdictional matters such as representation, regulations, ordinances, and services. The issue was particularly problematic after Hurricane Helene when Fairlawn residents were unable to access disaster assistance since Radford was not included in the disaster declaration.

The new legislation seeks to instruct the United States Postal Service (USPS) to establish a distinct ZIP code for Fairlawn within 180 days. It points out that Virginia's unique status as the only state where all cities are independent from their surrounding counties affects how revenue related to roads, resources, and sales tax is collected and distributed in areas like Fairlawn/Pulaski County.

Rep. Griffith had previously advocated for this measure on the House floor in 2024 with H.R. 169 during the 118th Congress, which also directed USPS to assign a unique ZIP code for Fairlawn. This bill was incorporated into H.R. 8753 and successfully passed in the House on December 11, 2024.