Correctly Addressed

Forms of Address

How to address a mayor

A mayor is addressed as "The Honorable [Full Name], Mayor of [City]" on the envelope. The salutation is "Dear Mayor [Last Name]:" and the same short form, "Mayor," is used in conversation. A vice mayor follows the same pattern with "Vice Mayor" in place of "Mayor."

Checked September 10, 2026/5 min read

Claire Post

Written by Claire PostReviewed against USPS Publication 28

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What is on this page6 sections
  1. 01Step by step
  2. 02Quick reference
  3. 03Special cases
  4. 04Key terms
  5. 05Check before you mail
  6. 06Questions people ask
A historic city hall clock tower under a clear blue sky.

A mayor envelope follows the same logic as any other elected official, one level down in scale: The Honorable establishes formality, the full name identifies the person, and “Mayor of [City]” tells the reader which of the country thousands of mayoral offices is meant.

The format holds regardless of the city size, which is easy to forget when addressing the mayor of a major metro area feels like it should require something more elaborate than the same three-line pattern used everywhere else.

Step by step

  1. Start the envelope with The Honorable and the full name

    Then "Mayor of [City]" on the next line, followed by the City Hall address, the standard mailing point for a sitting mayor.

    THE HONORABLE CARLOS R MENDEZMAYOR OF SPRINGFIELD1 CITY HALL PLAZASPRINGFIELD IL 62701
    CorrectStandard envelope format for a sitting mayor.

  2. Use Mayor plus last name in the salutation

    "Dear Mayor [Last Name]:" is the standard formal salutation, the same pattern across cities regardless of size.

  3. Use the same short form in conversation

    "Mayor [Last Name]" on first address, "Mayor" afterward, following the same convention as governor and judge.

  4. Adjust the office line for a vice mayor

    Everything else stays the same; only "Mayor of [City]" changes to "Vice Mayor of [City]." The salutation becomes "Dear Vice Mayor [Last Name]:"

  5. Drop the office once they leave, keep The Honorable

    A former mayor keeps "The Honorable [Full Name]" but drops the "Mayor of [City]" line. "Mayor [Last Name]" is often continued informally as a courtesy title afterward.

A lively downtown street with storefronts and pedestrians.

Quick reference

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WhoEnvelope (line 2)Salutation
MayorMayor of [City]Dear Mayor [Last Name]:
Vice MayorVice Mayor of [City]Dear Vice Mayor [Last Name]:
Former Mayor(omitted)Dear Mayor [Last Name]: (courtesy) or Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]:
A quiet Main Street in a small city at twilight.

Special cases

The rule above covers most people. Here is what changes for the rest.

Is a Canadian mayor addressed the same way as a US mayor?

The core pattern is similar, but Canadian municipal protocol sometimes uses "His/Her Worship" as an alternative to The Honorable for a mayor, particularly in more formal or ceremonial contexts. Both The Honorable and Mayor [Last Name] are broadly understood and accepted.

Does a large city mayor get a different format than a small town mayor?

No, the format does not scale with city size. The Honorable, the full name, and "Mayor of [City]" apply the same way whether the city has a population of a thousand or a million.

Key terms on this page

The Honorable
A courtesy title used before the full name of a current or former holder of a high government office, including a sitting or former mayor.
Vice Mayor
A city official who serves as the mayor deputy or second-in-command, addressed with the same pattern as a mayor but with the office title adjusted.

Check the address before you mail

Questions people ask

Is Mayor capitalized when used alone, like "the mayor announced"?
It is capitalized when used as a direct title before a name or in place of one, such as "Mayor Mendez" or addressing them as "Mayor." In general prose describing the office, lowercase is standard.
What if the city calls its top official something other than Mayor, like City Manager?
City Manager is a different role, typically an appointed administrative position rather than an elected one, and is addressed with a professional title, "Mr./Ms. [Full Name], City Manager," rather than The Honorable.
How is this different from addressing a governor?
The pattern is nearly identical, since a governor is the state-level equivalent of the same The Honorable convention.

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