USPS service overview

Founded in 1775, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is the cornerstone of American logistics, delivering to more than 180 countries. As a government-run agency, USPS delivers mail to over 165 million addresses daily, efficiently serving remote and rural areas, making it an indispensable part of "last-mile" delivery. The USPS offers various tiers of international delivery services, including International First-Class Parcel Service (FCPIS), International Priority Mail, and International Express Priority Mail. FCPIS is considered an affordable international parcel delivery solution.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is widely considered the most affordable international shipping option within the United States. It offers an Application Programming Interface (API) for e-commerce integration, simplifying logistics processes for small businesses and making it suitable for those with limited budgets, especially emerging e-commerce sellers testing overseas shipping. However, delivery times are relatively long (6-10 business days, depending on the destination). USPS offers highly competitive pricing and covers a variety of shipping options, including letters, small packages, and mail. Its consistently high-quality service, extensive experience, and well-developed infrastructure maintain its trustworthy brand image. This article will detail the operating hours and delivery times of the United States Postal Service (USPS), providing essential information for businesses interested in using the service, and explaining how to maximize the use of the USPS through partnerships with ChinaDivision.

The operating time of USPS

USPS offers 24-hour delivery service, including weekends, typically Monday through Saturday, sometimes including Sunday. Specifically, delivery is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM Eastern Time, and Saturday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern Time.

USPS Holiday Service Schedule:

All Post Office locations will be closed Christmas Day (Thursday, Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Thursday, Jan. 1). Regular Post Office hours and mail delivery will resume on the Friday after each holiday. Services and hours of operation may vary by location, so always check with your local Post Office for specific hours.

Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)

Local Post Office locations will be open. Remember to check your local Post Office for specific hours.

Blue Collection Boxes: Mail will be picked up by the scheduled collection times from the box. If the collection time has passed, find a Post Office location that may be open late.

Regular mail will be delivered.

Priority Mail Express mail will be delivered.

Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day)

Local Post Office locations will be closed.

Blue Collection Boxes: Mail will not be picked up.

Regular mail will not be delivered.

Priority Mail Express mail will be delivered.

Wednesday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve)

Local Post Office locations will be open. Remember to check your local Post Office for specific hours.

Blue Collection Boxes: Mail will be picked up by the scheduled collection times from the box. If the collection time has passed, find a Post Office location that may be open late.

Regular mail will be delivered.

Priority Mail Express mail will be delivered.

Thursday, January 1 (New Year’s Day)

Local Post Office locations will be closed.

Blue Collection Boxes: Mail will not be picked up.

Regular mail will not be delivered.

Priority Mail Express mail will be delivered.

• Delivery services on Christmas Eve (Wednesday, December 24) and Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25) will be limited to select areas. Additional charges will apply to deliveries to these areas.
• No guarantees are made unless otherwise stated. For Priority Mail Express® mail sent between December 22 and 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the mail is not delivered or not attempted to be delivered within two (2) business days.
• Delivery services on New Year's Eve (Wednesday, December 31) and New Year's Day (Thursday, January 1) will be limited to select areas. Additional charges will apply to deliveries on these dates.

All U.S. Postal Service (USPS) services offer Saturday delivery. The PSS will offer Sunday Priority Express parcel delivery for an additional fee. Additionally, to handle peak mail volumes during the holiday season, the PSS will add Sunday delivery services in some metropolitan areas. The PSS also partners with Amazon to offer Sunday parcel delivery. There is no extra charge for PSS delivery of non-Express parcels on Sundays. However, you cannot schedule Sunday delivery. The United States Postal Service (USPS) observes 10 statutory holidays on which it does not deliver mail. In addition to these holidays, USPS also closes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day. All USPS services are suspended during these holidays.

The delivery time of USPS

USPS parcel delivery time within the United States is as follows:

Priority Mail Express: Fastest service, 1-3 days delivery (including $100 insurance), suitable for urgent shipments.

Priority Mail: 2-3 days delivery, free packaging, flat rate for ≤70 lbs.

Local Advantage: Economical, suitable for low-priced, low-weight small items, delivery time 2-5 days.

First-Class or Product: 1 to 5 business days

Estimated delivery times for international USPS parcels are as follows:

Priority Mail Express International: 3 to 5 business days;

Priority Mail International: 6 to 10 business days;

First-Class Package International Service: Varies by destination.

Factors affecting USPS delivery time

While USPS provides official delivery times, these are for reference only and do not guarantee that every delivery will follow the official times exactly. Delays can occur for various reasons. Many factors can affect USPS mail and package delivery, including:

Mail Volume

During peak periods such as holidays, the volume of mail and packages increases dramatically, which can cause delivery delays in some areas.

Operational Changes

Adjustments to USPS services or route changes may temporarily alter delivery times.

Weather

Inclement weather is one of the factors affecting the delivery of mail and packages by the United States Postal Service (USPS). During blizzards or freezing temperatures, severe storms, or torrential rain, mail carriers will find it difficult to effectively deliver mail to different locations. However, USPS mail carriers will make every effort to deliver packages in the rain and place them in dry locations.

Power Outages

Another reason that can affect USPS mail delivery is power outages. If there is a power outage near your post office, debit or credit card payments for retail postal services will not be accepted in the affected area until power is restored. However, once the power outage is resolved, USPS will ensure that mail delivery services return to normal.

Pandemic Diseases

If a disease becomes widespread in a town or region, the United States Postal Service (USPS) may suspend mail delivery to those areas to ensure the safety of mail carriers. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, mail delivery speeds were significantly slowed in severely affected areas.

Flight Delays

If weather problems, such as heavy rain, lightning, or strong wind, prevent aircraft from flying or cause maintenance issues, the USPS will be unable to receive and deliver your package. If mail requires a long journey to reach its recipient, it may take longer than mail delivered over shorter distances.

Besides the reasons mentioned above, internal factors such as poor postal management can sometimes affect mail delivery. For example, the post office may make mistakes in sorting mail, placing your mail in a package destined for an incorrect address, which could also lead to delivery delays.

ChinaDivision helps you maximize the use of USPS

ChinaDivisio, a professional cross-border logistics fulfillment company in China, not only has its own logistics warehouses in China but also in the United States. This allows them to assist clients with logistics fulfillment needs and meet their diverse logistics requirements. If you are planning to use USPS for international shipping, registering will allow ChinaDivision to help you customize a more suitable and cost-effective logistics solution, fully leveraging the capabilities of USPS to ensure your goods are transported to their destination safely, quickly, and at an affordable price.

FAQs

1、What time of day does USPS normally deliver?

The USPS may have different delivery times for each route, but usually, the USPS delivers packages and letters before 5 p.m. The officially stated time frame for “standard” mail delivery ranges from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, some services are quicker, for example, Priority Mail Express deliveries reach recipients by 10:30 a.m.

2、Is USPS delivering 7 days a week?

USPS delivers mail and packages Monday through Saturday as required by the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022; on Sundays, only Priority Express and packages for Amazon.com are delivered. The USPS delivers packages on Sundays in most major cities.

Reference:

1、USPS holiday schedule 2025: For which holidays does the US Postal Service close?

https://www.masslive.com/news/2025/01/usps-holiday-schedule-2025-for-which-holidays-does-the-us-postal-service-close.html