Grand Rapids MI — With the holidays in full swing, the Postal Service is delivering more cards, letters, and packages every day. This means our customers will start to see postal employees delivering packages earlier in the morning, later in the evening, and on Sundays.
With an increase in early and online shopping for gifts, there is no longer a “busiest day” for holiday shipping. The Postal Service’s busiest week of Dec. 18 - 24 predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping, and delivery week. During this week, nearly 3 billion pieces of First Class Mail, including greeting cards, will be processed and delivered. The Postal Service is projecting about 15 billion pieces of mail, including more than 850 million packages, will be delivered between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.
The Postal Service will be out making deliveries every single day during the holiday season, including Priority Express on Christmas Day. During the holidays, no carrier makes more deliveries to more places than the Postal Service.
Remember these important dates for your holiday shipping:
Mail-by Dates (Domestic Services)
- Dec. 16 – APO/FPO/DPO USPS Priority Mail Express
- Dec. 16 – First Class Packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
- Dec. 19 – First Class Mail (including greeting cards)
- Dec. 20 – Priority Mail
- Dec. 20 – Hawaii to Mainland Priority Mail Express
- Dec. 20 – Alaska to Mainland Priority Mail & First Class
- Dec. 21 – Alaska to Mainland Priority Mail Express
- Dec. 22 – Priority Mail Express
Additional news and information, including all domestic, international and military mailing and shipping deadlines, can be found at the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom at usps.com/holidaynews.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.
More USPS holiday news, including shipping deadlines and Santa mail, can be found at usps.com/holidaynews.
For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/usps), subscribe to our channel on YouTube (youtube.com/usps), like us on Facebook (facebook.com/usps) and view our Postal Posts blog (uspsblog.com).
For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.
