It is the last week to get holiday gifts in the mail for delivery before Christmas. This week, December 14 – 21, 2020 is expected to be the United States Postal Service’s busiest week of the holiday mailing and shipping season. Yesterday, Wednesday, December 15, was USPS’ holiday shipping deadline for ground service to arrive before Christmas and lines at post offices were long as people queued to get their packages mailed by the deadline.

There may be delays in delivering your packages this Holiday season. The major carriers, USPS, UPS, and FedEx are all experiencing unprecedented volume increases and limited employee availability due to the impacts of COVID-19. Record high volumes of e-commerce orders, COVID-19 closures, and weather events may cause delivery delays.

Heavy package volume

The COVID-19 pandemic has created record-breaking shipment volumes. As more people shop online to avoid crowds in stores, those numbers have grown even more. This has created shipping volumes that are taxing logistics networks nationwide, which may cause delays.

COVID-19 business closures

The pandemic continues to cause businesses around the country to close. If you need to send a shipment to an area that is experiencing closures, contact your recipient before you ship to ensure they are open and able to receive your package.

Weather and other service disruptions

Seasonal weather events and other disruptions may occur and cause delays for inbound and outbound shipments. Our top priorities are the safety and well-being of our employees and providing the best service to our customers.  

United States Postal Service 2020 Holiday Shipping Deadlines
The Postal Service recommends the following mailing and shipping deadlines for expected delivery by Dec. 25:

• Dec. 15 — USPS Retail Ground service
• Dec. 18 — APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express service
• Dec. 18 — First-Class Mail service (including greeting cards)
• Dec. 18 — First-class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
• Dec. 19 — Priority Mail service
• Dec. 23 — Priority Mail Express service

Alaska

• Dec. 18 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. First-Class Mail
• Dec. 19 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. Priority Mail
• Dec. 21 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. Priority Mail Express

Hawaii

• Dec. 15 — Hawaii to/from mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 21 — Hawaii to/from mainland Priority Mail Express

When going to mail your holiday packages at the Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx, bring with you an extra measure of patience, as lines are long and employees are working tirelessly to get your package delivered as soon as possible. Happy shipping!