Picking up mail from your mailbox may be something you do without much thought, but have you ever gone to check the mail, only to be surprised that there was nothing there?
Maybe your box was empty because it was a Sunday or a holiday, or maybe it was just the wrong time of day. Nevertheless, in order to avoid surprises like these in the future, read this article to learn more about the USPS delivery times!
What Days Does USPS Deliver In 2024?
USPS employees work 24/7 sorting and processing mail, but delivery only goes out Monday through Saturday, usually by 5:00 PM in 2024. However, there are some exceptions, such as Priority Mail Express items, which are delivered 7 days a week. USPS observes 10 holidays throughout the year on which no mail is delivered.
If you want to find out which days you can expect to receive mail, then make sure to read the rest of this article for more useful facts and tips!
Does USPS Deliver 7 Days a Week?
For almost all mail services (First-Class, Media Mail, and Priority Mail), USPS delivers 6 days a week (Monday through Saturday). That being said, there are some exceptions.
During the busy holiday season (Thanksgiving to New Year’s), USPS often delivers packages on Sundays to keep up with the increased mail volume.
Most of the packages USPS delivers on Sundays during the holidays are mailed via Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express.
Still, it’s possible to receive First-Class or Amazon packages on Sundays during the holiday season.
Customers are not charged extra for Sunday delivery during this period unless they select an expedited service with guaranteed Sunday delivery at the time of mailing.
Outside of the holiday season, USPS delivers Priority Mail Express packages on Sundays, but you will have to pay an additional Sunday delivery fee ($12.50).
In addition to Priority Mail Express packages, you may also receive Sunday parcels from carriers like Amazon and UPS.
These companies have partnered with USPS to complete “last mile” deliveries, which occasionally include Sunday delivery.
Does USPS Deliver on Weekends?
USPS offers mail delivery for all of its services on Saturdays. Letters and packages delivered on Saturday do not incur any additional delivery charges.
In terms of Sundays, only Priority Mail Express allows customers to select this day for delivery. Sunday delivery costs $12.50 (in addition to regular postage fees) and is only available in select markets.
Does USPS Consider Saturday a Business Day?
For the purposes of mail delivery, USPS considers Saturday a normal business day, which means you can include Saturday when calculating mailing time and expected delivery date.
As well, you won’t pay any extra fees for Saturday delivery because it’s a workday like any other for letter carriers. USPS services that allow for Saturday delivery include the following:
- First Class Mail
- USPS Retail Ground
- First-Class Package
- Priority Mail
- Priority Mail Express
Of these mentioned above, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express are most likely to be delivered on Saturday. In fact, these are the only services that allow you to choose Saturday as a guaranteed delivery date.
For other services, your package may arrive on Saturday as a result of the estimated delivery lead time and the location of the warehouse responsible for the “last mile” of delivery.
Why Doesn’t USPS Deliver on Sundays?
With a few exceptions (Priority Mail Express and Amazon packages), USPS doesn’t deliver mail on Sundays, and there are a few reasons for this.
One reason is that as a historically Christian nation, the United States considers Sunday a day of rest.
A second reason is that it’s not cost effective, as mail volume is low on Sundays and many other businesses are closed, so it’s not worth it for USPS to deliver on Sundays.
Finally, most USPS customers aren’t accustomed to receiving mail on Sundays, so USPS doesn’t have much incentive to add more work to its already hectic schedule.
What Time Does USPS Deliver?
In most cases, all of your mail should be delivered between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM Monday through Saturday.
Still, unusual circumstances such as inclement weather, traffic or route changes could delay your mail delivery.
Exact delivery times depend on where you live along your mail route (i.e. whether you live at the beginning, middle or end of the route). This delivery time will be more or less consistent day to day.
Priority Mail Express items are dispatched as soon as they arrive at the post office and you should receive them before 3:00 PM.
What Days Does USPS Not Deliver?
While USPS works pretty much every day of the year, there are 10 holidays during which there is no mail delivery. These include the following:
- New Year’s Day (January 1st)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (3rd Monday of January)
- President’s Day (3rd Monday of February)
- Memorial Day (4th Monday of May)
- Independence Day (July 4th)
- Labor Day (1st Monday of September)
- Columbus Day (2nd Monday of October)
- Veterans Day (November 11th)
- Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday of November)
- Christmas Day (December 25th)
If you’re mailing something next-day using Priority Mail Express, USPS simply skips over the holiday.
In other words, if you ship a package overnight on July 3rd, USPS will skip over the holiday (July 4th) and consider July 5th “next day” in accordance with its Priority Mail Express service commitment.
Does USPS Deliver Twice a Day?
In most cases, only expect USPS mail delivery once a day to each address. That being said, it is possible to receive twice-a-day package deliveries during the holiday season as USPS works hard to keep up with the increased mail volume.
It’s also possible to receive one delivery for regular mail and one delivery for Priority Mail Express items.
These items are dispatched as soon as they arrive at the destination post office, potentially resulting in an additional delivery.
To learn more, you can also see our posts on whether or not USPS delivers at night, if USPS delivers on Saturdays, and if USPS delivers on Sundays.
Conclusion
While USPS doesn’t have an official creed, it does acknowledge the informal motto “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
In other words, regardless of the circumstances, USPS will do everything in its power to get your mail to you. That means consistent mail delivery 6 days a week (sometimes even 7!).
