Your credit union's routing number is the nine-digit code that identifies your institution to the US payment system. You need it for direct deposit, ACH transfers, electronic bill pay, tax refunds, and most domestic wire transfers. Here are five reliable ways to find it.
Every check issued by your credit union has the routing number printed in magnetic ink at the bottom-left, between two special "transit" symbols. The format is always ⑆ 123456789 ⑆ ACCOUNT ⑈ CHECK#. The first nine-digit string is the routing number. This is the most reliable source because the check itself is what banks use to identify the institution when clearing payments.
Most credit unions show your routing number prominently in the online banking dashboard, often on the account summary page or under "Account details." Some hide it behind a "Direct deposit info" or "ACH info" link. If you cannot find it, look for a downloadable "Direct deposit form" — that PDF will list the routing number.
Most credit union mobile apps include the routing number in the same place online banking does. Many apps also have a "Set up direct deposit" feature that pre-fills your employer's payroll system with the routing and account numbers automatically.
Use the search bar at the top of this page to look up your credit union by name. The detail page will show the primary routing number along with branch-specific routing numbers if your credit union uses different ones for different regions. The data comes directly from the Federal Reserve's FedACH Participant Directory.
If all else fails, call the member service phone number on the back of your debit card or shown on the credit union's contact page. The representative will read you the routing number after verifying your identity.
The routing number identifies the financial institution; the account number identifies your specific account within that institution. Both are needed to send or receive money electronically. On a check, the routing number is on the bottom-left (always nine digits); the account number is in the middle (length varies — usually 8 to 14 digits at credit unions). Never share these numbers with anyone you do not trust to debit your account.
Most do. Smaller credit unions use a single nine-digit number for the entire institution. Larger credit unions, especially ones that grew through mergers, sometimes maintain multiple routing numbers — one for each predecessor institution or one for each region. The detail page for each credit union on this site lists every routing number registered with the Federal Reserve, so you can be sure you have the right one for your branch.
If a payment fails because the routing number was rejected, the most common causes are: a typo (always double-check the nine digits), a recent merger that changed the routing number, or using an ACH routing number for a wire transfer at a credit union that maintains separate wire routing. Call the credit union — they will tell you the correct number for your transaction type.