USPS Regional Facilities (called ‘hubs’) are large warehouses where mail is processed and redistributed. USPS maintains 22 of these facilities across the country. On average, mail spends 24 hours or less at a regional facility before continuing to the next part of its journey. However, machinery problems or poor weather may delay this process.
What Are USPS Regional Facilities?
USPS Regional Facilities (also known as ‘hubs’) are large warehouses where mail is scanned, sorted, and redistributed based on destination address.
USPS maintains 22 of these facilities across the country.
What Does Arrived At USPS Regional Facility Mean?
A tracking update saying “Arrived at USPS Regional Facility” means that your piece of mail or package has made its way to one of USPS’ regional facilities or distribution centers.
When mail arrives at a regional facility, it’s broken down from its original traveling pallet, sorted into groups, and re-shuffled into another pallet before continuing its journey.
USPS has dozens of these facilities across the country. They act as central clearing houses for mail.
In other words, mail may be headed to the region where the facility is located or passed through on its way to another regional distribution center.
Therefore, an “Arrived at USPS Regional Facility” means your mail has reached a waypoint before being rerouted and sent out again.
Sometimes, your mail will be in your mailbox in the next day or two. Other times, it means that your mail is just starting its journey.
How Long Does Mail Stay At A USPS Regional Facility?
Generally, mail will spend 24 hours or less at a USPS Regional Facility.
However, some parcels will move in and out of a facility within hours. Other pieces of mail may stay for a day or two.
In extreme circumstances, mail may stay at a regional facility for a couple of days or more before it’s re-sorted and put on a truck to its next destination.
Factors like how much mail a specific facility handles or the time of year have a big impact on how quickly and efficiently mail is processed.
For example, under normal circumstances, a regional facility may be able to process mail and have it out the door in under 24 hours. During the busy Christmas season, this turnaround time may be more like 36-48 hours.
What’s more, inclement weather, issues at a specific USPS Regional Facility or machinery breakdowns impact how quickly your mail moves from one regional facility to another.
Due to these factors, there’s no reliable way to influence how quickly your mail moves through the sorting and redistribution process. Your best bet is to relax and let USPS do its job.
Why Does My Package Keep Saying Departed USPS Regional Facility?
Tracking information that says “Departed USPS Regional Facility” could mean a few different things.
If you notice that your package has departed from a regional facility in your state or region, your package may be on its way to you. You should receive it in the next day or so.
If, on the other hand, your package is leaving a regional facility across the country, it’s more likely that it will leave one USPS regional facility and make its way to another facility closer to its destination. You may have to wait another few days before receiving your package.
Where Do USPS Packages Go After A Regional Distribution Facility?
Where a package goes after leaving a regional distribution facility depends on where the package is on its journey.
If the package still has a way to go, then it will likely go to another regional distribution center closer to the destination address.
If the package is close to its destination, it will go to the destination facility closest to the delivery address. From the destination facility, the package will go to your local post office and then be delivered.
How Soon After Leaving A Regional Facility Will I Get My Mail?
It’s hard to say exactly when you’ll get your mail after it leaves a regional facility. That’s because there are so many different regional facilities around the country.
Sometimes your mail is leaving the regional facility closest to your home, meaning delivery will happen in the next day or two.
Other times, your mail may still need to pass through a couple more regional facilities before it ends up in your mailbox.
While it’s frustrating not knowing when you’ll get your mail delivered, it’s important to remember that your mail is on the move and is headed in the right direction (as opposed to being mysteriously stuck “in transit”).
If you’re really curious about when to expect your mail, keep track of the regional facility’s location and the time it takes for your mail to arrive. Over time, you may be able to estimate the distance between a facility and your address.
To find out more, you can also see our posts on USPS origin facility, USPS sorting, and what are USPS shipping zones.
