Avoid the naughty list: When to mail your holiday packages so they arrive in time

Megan Stewart, Burlington Free Press
·2 min read
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They say the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, but as any adult knows, it can also be the most exhausting.

However, knowing the deadlines for sending holiday packages in the mail may help alleviate some of your seasonal stress. If you want your letters and gifts to arrive by Dec. 25, here's when you should ship them using the U.S. Postal Service.

Domestic mail (Contiguous U.S)

  • Dec. 16: First-Class Mail (includes greeting cards)

  • Dec. 16: USPS Ground Advantage

  • Dec. 18: Priority Mail

  • Dec. 20: Priority Mail Express

First-Class Mail is not guaranteed to arrive by Dec. 25 as delivery depends on many variables, including but not limited to destination, origin and Post Office acceptance date.

Domestic mail (Alaska and Hawaii)

Alaska

Dec. 16: First Class Mail & USPS Ground Advantage

Dec. 18: Priority Mail

Dec. 20: Priority Mail Express

Hawaii

Dec. 16: First-Class Mail, Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage

Dec. 20: Priority Mail Express

Military Mail

Dec. 9: First-Class Mail and Priority Mail

Dec. 15: Priority Mail Express Military Service (PMEMS)

The deadline for USPS Ground Advantage has already passed.

A U.S Postal Service employee works outside a post office in Wheeling, Illinois, Dec. 3, 2021.
A U.S Postal Service employee works outside a post office in Wheeling, Illinois, Dec. 3, 2021.

International Mail

Africa

Nov. 29: First Class Package International Service & Priority Mail International Service

Dec. 6: Priority Mail Express International Service

Dec. 15: Global Express Guaranteed Service

Asia/Pacific Rim

Dec. 6: First-Class Package International Service & Priority Mail International Service

Dec. 13: Priority Mail Express International Service

Dec. 15: Global Express Guaranteed Service

Australia/New Zealand

Dec. 6: First-Class Package International Service & Priority Mail International Service

Dec. 13: Priority Mail Express International Service

Dec. 15: Global Express Guaranteed Service

Canada

Dec. 6: First-Class Package International Service & Priority Mail International Service

Dec. 13: Priority Mail Express International Service

Dec. 15: Global Express Guaranteed Service

Caribbean

Dec. 6: First-Class Package International Service & Priority Mail International Service

Dec. 13: Priority Mail Express International Service

Dec. 15: Global Express Guaranteed Service

Central & South America

Nov. 29: First-Class International Service & Priority Mail International Service

Dec. 6: Priority Mail Express International Service

Dec. 15: Global Express Guaranteed Service

Europe

Dec. 6: First-Class Package International Service & Priority Mail International Service

Dec. 13: Priority Mail Express International Service

Dec. 15: Global Express Guaranteed Service

Mexico

Dec. 6: First-Class Package International Service & Priority Mail International Service

Dec. 13: Priority Mail Express International Service

Dec. 15: Global Express Guaranteed Service

Middle East

Dec. 6: First-Class Package International Service & Priority Mail International Service

Dec. 13: Priority Mail Express International Service

Dec. 15: Global Express Guaranteed Service

For more information about holiday mailing deadlines this year, including sending military holiday packages, visit the U.S Postal Service's webpage.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Mailing holiday packages, gifts: Post Office dates to know