The U.S. Postal Service has announced its recommended mailing and shipping dates for holiday mail and packages.

The following are recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before Dec. 25.

2024 Holiday Mailing and Shipping Dates for Items Sent to Addresses in the Contiguous United States (Lower 48 States):

USPS Ground Advantage service: Dec. 18

First-Class Mail service: Dec. 18

Priority Mail service: Dec. 19

Priority Mail Express service: Dec. 21

2024 Holiday Mailing and Shipping Dates for Items Sent to Addresses in Alaska and Hawaii:

USPS Ground Advantage service: Dec. 16

First-Class Mail service: Dec. 18

Priority Mail service: Dec. 19

Priority Mail Express service: Dec. 20

For customers sending packages internationally or to military addresses, USPS suggests checking the complete list of recommended holiday mailing and shipping dates, which can be found here.

USPS urges customers to plan and ship early during this holiday season. The earlier you send it, the better; don’t delay — mail it and ship it today.

he U.S. Postal Service is primed and ready to deliver exceptional service during the 2024 holiday rush, thanks to the substantial progress USPS has made under the Delivering for America plan — a $40 billion investment aimed at revitalizing the national postal network.

Throughout 2024, USPS has been relentlessly working toward the objectives of its 10-year Delivering for America plan.

By harnessing the power of network modernization, an upgraded delivery fleet and the successful launch of the USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Connect services, the Postal Service is building a reenergized, nationwide integrated mail and package network to support the 2024 holiday season.

This logical, efficient, cost-effective and reliable network will ensure dependable and affordable service throughout the holiday season. As a result, USPS is ideally suited to handle the increased volume of mail and packages typical of the holiday season, demonstrating its commitment to providing reliable, high-quality service to all customers.

“The Postal Service’s historic transformation — made possible by our Delivering for America plan — has allowed us to realize more package processing capacity than ever before,” said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy. “Our operational, transportation and delivery processes have never been more finely tuned, and I am fully confident in our ability to once again handle the peak holiday season surge. We are strongly positioned to deliver exceptional, affordable service to the American people during the holidays and beyond.”

Key accomplishments and areas of progress ahead of the 2024 peak holiday season include:

Increasing daily processing capacity to approximately 60 million: USPS has expanded its daily package processing capacity to approximately 60 million. Since 2020, the Postal Service has nearly tripled its daily package processing capacity. Increased package processing capacity allows for packages to move through the postal network faster and USPS to lease temporary annexes to handle increases in holiday volume.
Planning to hire only 7,500 seasonal staff: With a stabilized workforce and improved operating processes, the Postal Service plans to hire 7,500 seasonal staff, compared with 10,000 last year.

Revamping the postal delivery and processing network: The organization has dedicated nearly $17.3 billion from the plan’s $40 billion self-funded investment budget to drive the transformation of the postal network. This commitment is fueling the ongoing development of a modernized, efficient and technologically advanced postal network.

Enhancing the postal delivery fleet: USPS is significantly upgrading the fleet with the addition of 106,000 new, more reliable vehicles. This includes 66,000 zero-emission electric vehicles, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility while ensuring reliable service.

Offering new shipping services: The successful implementation of USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Connect has led to a notable surge in shipping volumes. These initiatives have not only expanded the Postal Service’s capacity but also improved its efficiency, ensuring a seamless shipping experience for customers.

USPS has also prioritized morning parcel delivery, enhanced scanning technology and extended retail and pick-up delivery hours at popular Post Office locations, while continuing to offer the lowest postage rates in the industrialized world.

For tips on preparing shipments, including recommended mailing and shipping dates, packaging guidelines, ordering free shipping supplies and information on local Post Office location hours, visit usps.com.
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