A Brief Guide to USPS Delivery Times

When shipping with the United States Postal Service, you should know that delivery times can range from the next day to several weeks depending on the service and destination. Here is a brief guide to USPS delivery times that will help you choose the best service for your needs.

The United States Postal Service offers a range of delivery options, both domestic (including Alaska and Hawaii) and international, which vary in price and delivery speed. Some services are slower but more economical, while others are faster but more expensive. Let’s have a closer look at USPS delivery times depending on the service.

USPS Domestic Delivery Times

Priority Mail Express: next-day or 2-day delivery
Priority Mail (including Flat Rate and Regional Rate): 1-3 business days
USPS Ground Advantage (introduced in 2023 to replace First-Class Package Service / Retail Ground / Parcel Select Ground): 2-5 business days
First-Class Mail: 1-5 business days
Media Mail: 2-8 business days

Things to keep in mind when choosing the best domestic USPS service:

Priority Mail Express is the only domestic service that offers date-certain delivery with money-back guarantee.
First-Class Mail can only be used to mail postcards, letters in small envelopes, and large flat envelopes that bend easily.
First-Class Mail does not include tracking, but the rest of the domestic services do.
Media Mail can only be used to send certain types of media such as books, educational materials, and some others; Media Mail shipments are subject to random inspections to ensure they do not contain matter ineligible for Media Mail.
Military and diplomatic mail (delivery to APO/FPO/DPO) is classified as domestic mail, but delivery times to military destinations might change based on the operational conditions in the area.

USPS International Delivery Times

Global Express Guaranteed (GXG): 1-3 business days (1 business day to many destinations in Canada)
Priority Mail Express International: 3-5 business days
Priority Mail International: 6-10 business days
First-Class Package International Service: not specified, varies by destination
First-Class Mail International: not specified, varies by destination
Airmail M-Bags: not specified, varies by destination

Things to keep in mind when choosing the best international USPS service:

Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) is the only international service that offers date-certain delivery with money-back guarantee for all shipments; Priority Mail Express International offers date-certain delivery with money-back guarantee for some locations.
First-Class Mail International can only be used to mail postcards, letters, and large envelopes (flats) weighing under 1 lb.
Airmail M-Bags is specifically designed for shipping large amounts (up to 66 lbs) of printing materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, sheet music, promotional materials, etc.
First-Class Mail does not include tracking, while First-Class Package International Service includes the E-USPS DELCON INTL tracking service, but to select destinations only.
For the services with unspecified delivery time, delivery usually takes between 1 and 3 weeks, sometimes more.

While the USPS delivers most shipments within the specified time frame, there are several factors that can cause shipping delays. They include errors in the address, issues at customs (for international shipments), an increase in shipment volumes during peak seasons, emergencies (extreme weather and natural disasters, vehicle breakdowns, labor strikes, etc.), and some others. You should also keep in mind that holidays are not included in the estimated delivery times, so it is advisable to check out the USPS holiday operating schedule when shipping something around major holidays.