US bank routing numbers by category
RoutingRadar groups every institution in the FedACH directory into one of six functional categories. The category is determined by the institution's charter language and how it presents itself to customers — for example, whether it operates under a federal "N.A." charter, a state community-bank charter, a federal credit-union charter, a savings-bank charter, or a trust-only charter.
Why category matters when you read a routing number
The nine-digit routing number itself is the same regardless of category — it identifies a bank, not a charter type. But the category the bank belongs to changes how its routing number is used in practice. National banks tend to publish per-state ACH numbers and a separate national wire-routing number. Community banks usually publish a single number that handles both. Credit unions almost always publish a single number that's used for ACH, with a separate intermediary required for wires. Savings banks and trust companies often have unusually low transaction volumes, which means an originator may need to allow extra time for settlement. Browsing by category surfaces these distinctions before you accidentally send the wrong type of payment to the wrong type of institution.
National Banks
National banks operate under a federal charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), allowing them to do business in every US state under a single regulatory framework. Their names typically end with "N.A." (National Association). Examples include JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and Citibank. View the national banks directory →
Regional & Community Banks
Regional and community banks operate under state charters and serve a defined geographic footprint — typically one to a handful of states. They often hold deeper local relationships, more flexible commercial-lending authority, and competitive deposit pricing compared with national brands. Most US bank charters fall into this category. View the regional & community banks directory →
Savings Banks & Thrifts
Savings banks, savings & loan associations, and thrifts are deposit institutions historically focused on residential mortgage lending and consumer savings. They are regulated by the OCC (federal thrifts) or state banking departments and are members of the FDIC like commercial banks. Their charters often have legacy names ending in "FSB" or "SB." View the savings banks & thrifts directory →
Credit Unions
Credit unions are member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperatives. They are chartered federally by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) or by state credit-union departments, and deposits are insured by the NCUSIF — equivalent to FDIC coverage but administered by NCUA. Federal credit unions typically end in "FCU." View the credit unions directory →
Trust Companies
Trust companies provide fiduciary, custody, estate, and investment-management services rather than (or in addition to) traditional retail banking. They are chartered by state banking departments and typically do not operate consumer branch networks; their FedACH presence supports trust-account distributions, custodial settlements, and beneficiary payments. View the trust companies directory →
Federal Reserve Branches
Federal Reserve banks are the regional operating arms of the US central banking system. They settle ACH and Fedwire payments for member institutions in their districts and act as the bankers' banks behind every routing number on this site. Their FedACH-registered offices appear here for completeness. View the federal reserve branches directory →