what do cardinal directions mean in an address?

Question

when an address like:
123 1st AVE SE
has the "SE" meaning southeast in the name. is that direction indicating the southern-east part of the city? of the county?

Answer 1

Definately part of the city the address is located. But I wanted to add that not only could it have been set up relative to the center of the original town as discussed above, but it could have been set up relative to a landmark. In Washington DC, the NW -NE-SW-SE sections are uneven quadrants of the city whose lines are set up as the center lines of The US Capital building.

Answer 2

Prlobably when the system was set up it was decided a particular the spot would the starting point of the directions. So the address would be SE of the begining point.

When I lived in Michigan, they set up house numbers for those living in the country. The street I lived runs north to south. But the street address ended in SE because it was SE of the village proper,

In Oklahoma City the address would read 123 SE 49th St. Which means it's in the SE quadrant of the city.

Answer 3

It usually means that the address is in that direction from the original center of the city

Answer 4

What Does Cardinal Directions Mean

Answer 5

Sometimes it means higher level, it can mean North but I've heard people use it for even places in the south east or west.