Bank routing number

The bank routing number was first developed in 1910 by the American Bankers Association. Each bank may have up to four additional routing numbers beyond the “principal office number.” The ABA’s Routing Number Administrative Board manages the assignment of routing numbers. Each nine-digit routing number has three components:

There are two numbers you'll need to provide. Your bank routing number is a nine-digit code that's based on the U.S. Bank location where your account was opened. It's the first set of numbers printed on the bottom of your checks, on the left side.

You may not know your bank’s routing number by memory in the same way as your Social Security number or debit card PIN, but your bank routing number works behind the scenes of the banking system in important ways. Your bank routing number helps you move money.

ABA routing numbers are symbols of quality and legitimacy. These numbers are issued only to federal or state-chartered financial institutions eligible to maintain an account at a Federal Reserve Bank. Your bank’s routing number proves to the banking system that it’s a legitimate chartered financial institution.