The DE postcode area, also known as the Derby postcode area, is a group of 23 postcode districts in central England, within 11 post towns. These cover south and central Derbyshire (including Derby, Alfreton, Ashbourne, Bakewell, Belper, Heanor, Ilkeston, Matlock, Ripley and Swadlincote), parts of east Staffordshire (including Burton upon Trent) and north-west Leicestershire, and very small parts of Nottinghamshire.
Mail for the DE postcode area is processed at Nottingham Mail Centre, along with mail for the NG postcode area.
The approximate coverage of the postcode districts:
|- ! DE1 | DERBY | Derby C<br>Sector 1: City Centre SW<br>Sector 2: City Centre SE<br>Sector 3: City Centre N, West End, Little Chester<br>Sector 9: Toyota Plant, Large Users<br>Sector 0: non-geographic | Derby |- ! DE3 | DERBY | Sector 9: Mickleover East<br>Sector 0: Mickleover West | Derby, South Derbyshire |- ! DE4 | MATLOCK | Sector 2: Darley Dale, Beeley, Rowsley, Winster, Darley Bridge, Elton, Bonsall<br>Sector 3: Matlock, Matlock Bath, Cromford<br>Sector 4: Middleton-by-Wirksworth, Wirksworth, Bolehill<br>Sector 5: Crich, Holloway, Lea, Tansley |Derbyshire Dales, Amber Valley |- ! DE5 | RIPLEY | Sector 3: Ripley, Pentrich, Lower Hartshay<br>Sector 8: Denby, Marehay<br>Sector 9: Codnor, Waingroves | Amber Valley |- ! DE6 | ASHBOURNE | Ashbourne, Hulland Ward, Weston Underwood | Derbyshire Dales, Amber Valley, South Derbyshire, Derby, East Staffordshire |- ! DE7 | ILKESTON | Horsley Woodhouse, Ilkeston, Morley, West Hallam | Erewash, Amber Valley, Broxtowe |- ! DE11 | SWADLINCOTE | Swadlincote, Church Gresley, Woodville, Newhall, Hartshorne, Castle Gresley, Blackfordby, Albert Village | South Derbyshire, North West Leicestershire |- ! DE12 | SWADLINCOTE | Appleby Magna, Donisthorpe, Linton, Measham, Overseal, Rosliston, Walton-on-Trent | North West Leicestershire, South Derbyshire |- ! DE13 | BURTON-ON-TRENT | Alrewas, Barton-under-Needwood, Rolleston on Dove, Tutbury | East Staffordshire, Lichfield |- ! DE14 | BURTON-ON-TRENT | Branston, Burton upon Trent | East Staffordshire, South Derbyshire |- ! DE15 | BURTON-ON-TRENT | Bretby, Stapenhill, Newton Solney, Winshill | East Staffordshire, South Derbyshire |- ! DE21 | DERBY | Derby NE<br>Sector 2: Oakwood, Derby<br>Sectors 4 and 6: Chaddesden, Derby<br>Sector 5: Little Eaton, Breadsall, Coxbench<br>Sector 7: Spondon, Derby | Derby, Erewash, Amber Valley |- ! DE22 | DERBY | Derby NW<br>Sector 1: Darley Abbey, Derby<br>Sector 2: Allestree, Derby<br>Sector 3: New Zealand, Derby<br>Sector 4: Mackworth, Derby, Mackworth (village)<br>Sector 5: Quarndon, Kedleston | Derby, Amber Valley |- ! DE23 | DERBY | Derby SW<br>Sectors 1 and 2: Sunny Hill, Derby<br>Sector 3: Heatherton Village, Highfields<br>Sectors 4 and 6: Littleover, Derby<br>Sector 8: Normanton Derby, Pear Tree, Derby | Derby, South Derbyshire |- ! DE24 | DERBY | Derby SE<br>Sector 1: City Point Estate, Derby<br>Sector 3: Stenson Fields<br>Sector 5: Boulton Moor<br>Sector 8: Pride Park, Wilmorton, Derby, Osmaston, Derby, Crewton<br>Sector 9: Sinfin, Derby, Allenton, Derby, Shelton Lock, Derby<br>Sector 0: Alvaston, Derby, Boulton, Derby | Derby, South Derbyshire |- ! DE45 | BAKEWELL | Sector 1: Ashford-in-the-Water, Bakewell, Baslow, Chatsworth, Edensor, Hassop, Monyash, Youlgreave<br>Sector 9: non-geographic | Derbyshire Dales |- ! DE55 | ALFRETON | Sector 1: Swanwick, Leabrooks<br>Sectors 2 and 3: South Normanton <br>Sector 4: Riddings, Greenhill Lane, Somercotes<br>Sector 5: Tibshelf, Newton, Blackwell, Hilcote<br>Sector 6: Wessington, Higham, Stonebroom, Morton, Shirland<br>Sector 7: Alfreton, South Wingfield | Amber Valley, Bolsover |- ! DE56 | BELPER | Ambergate, Belper, Duffield, Heage, Holbrook, Kilburn, Milford | Amber Valley |- ! DE65 | DERBY | Burnaston, Egginton, Etwall, Findern, Hatton, Hilton, Milton, Repton, Willington | South Derbyshire |- ! DE72 | DERBY | Ambaston, Aston-on-Trent, Borrowash, Breaston, Church Wilne, Draycott, Elvaston, Ockbrook, Risley, Shardlow, Weston-on-Trent | Erewash, South Derbyshire, North West Leicestershire |- ! DE73 | DERBY | Derby (Chellaston); Barrow upon Trent, Ingleby, Melbourne, Stanton by Bridge, Swarkestone, Ticknall | Derby, South Derbyshire |- ! DE74 | DERBY | Castle Donington, Kegworth, Diseworth, Hemington, Lockington, East Midlands Airport | North West Leicestershire, Rushcliffe |- ! DE75 | HEANOR | Heanor, Loscoe, Shipley | Amber Valley |- ! DE99 | DERBY | | non-geographic
Until approximately 1992, most of the districts were different: