Holiday Shipping Deadlines 2026 for USPS
The last day to hand a package to USPS so it arrives before Thanksgiving, by Christmas, or by New Year's Eve, for each mail class. The Christmas dates are USPS's own, published September 22, 2026; the others are calculated from the delivery standards USPS publishes.
By Hamdi Saidani.
USPS published its official Christmas dates on September 22, 2026: they are in the first table below.
USPS's list covers delivery before December 25 only, so the Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve dates come from the longest USPS standard inside the lower 48 states, with no extra buffer.
Many ZIP pairs are faster: check yours in the tool below.
USPS Official Christmas Dates 2026
For expected delivery before December 25. Published by USPS on September 22, 2026.
| Service | Lower 48 states | Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, territories |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thu, Dec 17 | Wed, Dec 16 |
| First-Class Mail | Thu, Dec 17 | Thu, Dec 17 |
| Priority Mail | Fri, Dec 18 | Fri, Dec 18 |
| Priority Mail Express | Sat, Dec 19 | Sat, Dec 19 |
Source: USPS newsroom, September 22, 2026.
USPS's holiday shipping page on usps.com also lists
- 2026 military dates (APO/FPO/DPO: Ground Advantage by Wed, Nov 4; First-Class Mail and Priority Mail by Wed, Dec 9; Priority Mail Express Military by Wed, Dec 16)
- and international dates (First-Class Package International and Priority Mail International by Wed, Dec 9; Priority Mail Express International by Wed, Dec 16).
Deadlines by Holiday and Service
Thanksgiving: arrive by Wednesday, November 25
USPS does not deliver on Thanksgiving (Thursday November 26), so the package has to land the day before.
| Service | Delivery days used | Last day to mail |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Mail Express | 3 (3-day planning figure inside USPS's 1-3 days; USPS sets the exact guaranteed date at purchase) | Sat, Nov 21 |
| Priority Mail | 3 (2 to 3 days depending on the ZIP pair) | Sat, Nov 21 |
| Ground Advantage | 5 (2 to 5 days depending on the ZIP pair) | Fri, Nov 20 |
| First-Class Mail (letters, cards) | 5 (2 to 5 days) | Fri, Nov 20 |
| Media Mail | 7 (4 to 7 days) | Wed, Nov 18 |
New Year's Eve: arrive by Thursday, December 31
For a package under the tree on New Year's Eve. New Year's Day is a USPS holiday.
| Service | Delivery days used | Last day to mail |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Mail Express | 3 (3-day planning figure inside USPS's 1-3 days; USPS sets the exact guaranteed date at purchase) | Mon, Dec 28 |
| Priority Mail | 3 (2 to 3 days depending on the ZIP pair) | Mon, Dec 28 |
| Ground Advantage | 5 (2 to 5 days depending on the ZIP pair) | Thu, Dec 24 |
| First-Class Mail (letters, cards) | 5 (2 to 5 days) | Thu, Dec 24 |
| Media Mail | 7 (4 to 7 days) | Wed, Dec 23 |
Lower 48 states. Drop off before your Post Office's last collection time on the day shown. Source: USPS service standards, October 2026, including the 5-digit exceptions.
Your Exact ZIP Pair
Many routes are faster than the Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve dates above, mostly for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail.
Enter both ZIP codes and the date it must arrive (preset to Thu, Dec 24) to get the latest drop-off day for your route, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
For APO/FPO/DPO addresses, use USPS's military holiday dates, not this tool.
The day it must be delivered.
For Christmas, mail by whichever is earlier: USPS's official date above or the date this tool shows for your route.
For APO/FPO/DPO addresses, USPS's 2026 dates are much earlier:
- Ground Advantage by Wednesday, November 4;
- First-Class Mail and Priority Mail by Wednesday, December 9;
- Priority Mail Express Military by Wednesday, December 16 (not to ZIP 093).
Use USPS's dates for those addresses, not this tool.
How These Dates Are Calculated
Last day to mail = arrive-by date minus the delivery days USPS allows for the service. For the dates we calculate, days are counted the way USPS's own delivery-date tool counts them (holidays never count), and the drop-off day itself must be a day USPS accepts mail.
- The delivery days per service are the longest standard USPS publishes for any pair of 3-digit ZIP areas inside the lower 48 states: Priority Mail 3, Ground Advantage 5, First-Class Mail 5, Media Mail 7.
- Priority Mail Express is not in the USPS service standards directory; USPS publishes 1 to 3 days and gives the exact guaranteed date for a ZIP pair in its Service Commitments tool and at purchase. Our calculated dates use 3 days as a planning figure inside that range.
- The same rule powers the ship-by date calculator for any date, and the delivery time calculator for the opposite question.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the last day to mail a Christmas package with USPS in 2026?
USPS's official dates for expected delivery before December 25, 2026, in the lower 48 states: Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail by Thursday, December 17, Priority Mail by Friday, December 18 and Priority Mail Express by Saturday, December 19.
For Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the territories, Ground Advantage moves to Wednesday, December 16; the other dates are the same. USPS published these dates on September 22, 2026.
Are these the official USPS holiday deadlines?
Yes for Christmas: those dates are USPS's own, published on September 22, 2026.
USPS's list covers delivery before December 25 only, so the Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve dates are calculated here from the longest USPS standard within the lower 48 states.
They have no extra buffer: for Christmas, USPS's own dates are 1 to 3 days earlier than this method gives, so mail a few days early.
What about Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and military addresses?
USPS's Christmas date for Ground Advantage to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the territories is one day earlier (Wednesday, December 16); First-Class Mail, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express share the lower-48 dates.
Ground Advantage packages of 1 lb or more to those places can have a standard of 10 days or more, and USPS says they may take longer, so check your pair in the tool on this page and mail by the earlier date.
Military (APO/FPO/DPO) mail has much earlier USPS dates in 2026: Ground Advantage by November 4, First-Class Mail and Priority Mail by December 9, Priority Mail Express Military by December 16.
Does USPS deliver on Sundays and holidays in December?
Regular mail is not delivered on Sundays or on Christmas Day. Priority Mail Express can be delivered on Sundays and holidays in many major markets for an extra $12.50.
Our calculated dates use the longest delivery standard in the lower 48 states, with no extra buffer, so mail a few days early.
Is delivery by the date guaranteed?
Among domestic services, only Priority Mail Express carries a USPS money-back guarantee, and exceptions apply (for example, no refunds for items to or from Alaska and Hawaii).
Every other service follows delivery standards, not guarantees, and USPS asks customers to mail early in December. For anything that matters, ship a day or two before the date shown.