Portland, OR —The Postal Service would like to invite its media partners to take a behind the scenes glimpse of the Portland Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC). This behind-the-scenes tour will give the media a chance to see our updated machines in action as the Postal Service enters its busiest season of the year.

This event will be the only opportunity this holiday season to view the hustle and bustle of the facility as hundreds of thousands of pieces of mail are being processed.

When:

December 11, 2025, 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Where:

Portland Regional Processing and Distribution Center
7007 NE Cornfoot RD, Portland, OR 97218- 9997

RSVP ALERT: This event is for media outlets and representatives only. RSVP with Janella Herron at janella.d.herron@usps.gov to secure credentials, obtain facility instructions and schedule participation.

Proper footwear is required when entering the processing facility. No heels or pumps allowed.
Closed toed-toed (preferably leather) shoes that are non-slip.

Portland has multiple machines to help handle the increased holiday volumes including; advanced facer canceller system, (AFCS) automated flats sorting machine, (AFSM 100) automated parcel and bundle sorter, (APBS) and Enhanced Package Processing System (EPPS)

This environment provides great examples of USPS processing capabilities with visual examples of  high-tech, high-speed processing machines, automated systems and employees moving equipment and USPS volumes. Portland’s processing facility is over 780,000 square feet and boasts over 1,100 employees.

USPS areas of accomplishment and progress ahead of the 2025 peak holiday season include:

• Increasing daily processing capacity from 60 million to 88 million by deploying more than 600 state-of-the-art package sorting machines over the past five years.
• The Postal Service recently launched Priority Mail Next Day in 62 markets, reaching a next-day population of 75.8 million across the country. USPS is building upon the success of USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Connect to expand capacity and improve efficiency.
• USPS is hiring 14,000 seasonal employees — down from 40,000 just a few years ago. They complement the nearly 232,000 pre-career employees converted to full-time positions since 2020. Better positioning USPS to handle the extra holiday volume in key locations throughout the nation.
• Improved service standards. New standards expand USPS reach for turnaround service — processing and delivering mail and packages within the same region. This means mail is handled more quickly and reliably.
• USPS has deployed more than 24,000 new vehicles on postal delivery routes this year — it has received nearly 29,000 new vehicles. The Postal Service is prepared to acquire a total of 106,480 new vehicles including 66,000 zero-emission electric vehicles.
• Nationally, USPS has activated 133 S&DCs, (including 3 last year in Oregon) 19 RTHs, 14 RPDCs, and 17 LPCs activated since last peak season.

OTHER HOLIDAY INFORMATION:

For expected delivery before Dec. 25, the Postal Service recommends the following send-by dates:

2025 Holiday Shipping Dates for Contiguous U.S. (Lower 48 States)

• USPS Ground Advantage service: Dec. 17
• First-Class Mail: Dec. 17
• Priority Mail: Dec. 18
• Priority Mail Express: Dec. 20

2025 Holiday Shipping Dates for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories

• USPS Ground Advantage service: Dec. 16
• First-Class Mail: Dec. 17
• Priority Mail: Dec. 18
• Priority Mail Express: Dec. 20

For a complete list of suggested dates for customers sending packages to military or international addresses, the Postal Service recommends visiting the USPS holiday shipping page.

During the holiday season, customers should always plan to mail and ship packages early to ensure arrival by Dec. 25.

For tips on mailing and shipping preparation, ordering free shipping supplies, packaging guidelines (including restricted and prohibited item information), and Post Office location hours, visit usps.com or the USPS YouTube channel.

For Information to help prepare for the busy holiday season, please visit the USPS Holiday Newsroom at usps.com/holidaynews.

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