Tom
thanks worked perfectly..
now can we expand a bit....

if in a cell had text that said STAT then do the same search to the same
page
"zip codes and search for the two zips but get lets say cell E1.
the point here is that there are different rates for the same pair of zip
codes

is it possible to send my workbook to you so you can see what I am doing

thanks
David Poe

Assume the "mileage box" is on a sheet named mileage with the data in
A1:C2000. In C1 of the creator page:

=Sum(-(Mileage!$A$1:$A$2000=A1),-(Mileage!$B$1:$B$2000=B1),Mileage!$C
$1:$C$2000)

if the zips may be reversed

=Max(Sumproduct(-(Mileage!$A$1:$A$2000=A1),-(Mileage!$B$1:$B$2000=B1),Mileag
e!$C$1:$C$2000),Sumproduct(-(Mileage!$A$1:$A$2000=B1),-(Mileage!$B$1:$B$2000
=A1),Mileage!$C$1:$C$2000))