PenFed Routing Number - From the Pentagon to the Public

A credit union born inside the Department of Defense

Pentagon Federal Credit Union - universally known as PenFed - was chartered in 1935 to serve civilian employees of the War Department (now the Department of Defense). For decades, membership was limited to military personnel, veterans, and employees of specific federal agencies. That exclusivity ended when PenFed opened its doors to anyone willing to join the National Military Family Association or make a one-time donation to a qualifying organization, effectively opening membership to anyone.

Today PenFed is the third-largest federal credit union in the United States, with over 2.9 million members and more than $35 billion in assets. Despite its size, it operates under a single federal charter and uses one routing number for every member: 256078446.

Why PenFed has only one routing number

PenFed is headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, and regulated by the National Credit Union Administration. Its routing number prefix (256) corresponds to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, which processes transactions for Virginia-based institutions. Because PenFed never grew through mergers with other credit unions the way megabanks absorbed regional competitors, it has no legacy routing numbers to maintain.

This single routing number, 256078446, covers ACH transfers, direct deposits, bill payments, and domestic wire transfers across all PenFed account types including checking, savings, money market, and certificate accounts.

The military checking advantage

PenFed offers a checking account specifically designed for active-duty military and veterans with no monthly fees, no minimum balance requirements, and no foreign transaction fees - a meaningful perk for service members stationed overseas. Direct deposits from military payroll (DFAS) are processed through the same routing number, 256078446, and PenFed often makes military pay available a day early when the payroll file arrives ahead of schedule.

Wire transfers and international payments at PenFed

Domestic wire transfers use the same routing number: 256078446. PenFed charges $25 for outgoing domestic wires and waives fees for incoming domestic wires. For international incoming wires, PenFed works through a correspondent bank, so members should contact PenFed directly for current SWIFT and intermediary bank details since these can change based on the correspondent relationship.

International outgoing wires are available through PenFed Online or by calling member services. Fees vary depending on the destination country and currency, but PenFed generally undercuts the wire fees charged by the big four banks.

How to locate your PenFed routing number

In the PenFed mobile app, select your account and tap on account details to see the routing number alongside your account number. On PenFed Online, the routing number is available under account information after login. Members with PenFed checks will find it printed in the standard bottom-left position on each check.

How Slash supports businesses with military-connected teams

Companies that employ veterans and military spouses know the challenge of managing payroll across frequent relocations and deployments. Slash simplifies business banking with a single account that handles ACH payroll, vendor payments, and corporate card spend, all with real-time tracking and automated categorization. No branch visits, no state-by-state routing number headaches, just clear financial infrastructure built for how modern companies actually operate.