Shipping holiday gifts, Christmas cards from Florida? When to send so they arrive on time

Samantha Neely, Fort Myers News-Press
·3 min read

With Halloween still two weeks away, the last thing one might want to think about is breaking out the holiday decorations and going through several wishlists from a loved one.

However, it's never too early to start planning your gift-giving.

FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service have released the cutoff dates for holiday delivery, wanting to crack down on the hectic holiday season ahead of time.

For Floridians who are wondering how much will it cost to send something to Michigan, California or New York and how long will it take to get there, here's when to ship out your gifts to family members across the globe.

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What is the usual cutoff date for 2023 holiday delivery? How long will it take for a gift to be mailed before Christmas, Dec. 25?

Cutoff dates will vary by carrier and method of delivery, but the date range is typically between 5 and 7 business days before the Dec. 25 holiday.

Here is the deadline for USPS holiday shipping for Christmas gifts, packages before Dec. 25, 2023

USPS mail carrier Bryan Lay delivers mail to a home in West Knoxville on Friday, Dec. 7. USPS expects to handle 16 billion pieces of mail this holiday season.
USPS mail carrier Bryan Lay delivers mail to a home in West Knoxville on Friday, Dec. 7. USPS expects to handle 16 billion pieces of mail this holiday season.

For the lower 48 states:

  • USPS Ground Advantage: Dec. 16

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

  • Priority Mail: Dec. 18

  • Priority Mail Express: Dec. 20

For Alaska:

  • USPS Ground Advantage: Dec. 16

  • First-Class Mail: Dec. 16

  • Priority Mail: Dec. 18

  • Priority Mail Express: Dec. 20

For Hawaii:

  • USPS Ground Advantage: Dec. 16

  • First-Class Mail: Dec. 16

  • Priority Mail: Dec. 16

  • Priority Mail Express: Dec. 20

For Air/Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), Diplomatic Post Office (DPO):

  • USPS Ground Advantage: Nov. 6

  • First-Class Mail: Dec. 9

  • Priority Mail: Dec. 9

  • Priority Mail Express Military Service: Dec. 15

For international shipping:

Shipping deadlines for international mail vary depending on the destination. Check out International Mail and Shipping Services for details.

Here is the deadline for FedEx holiday shipping for Christmas gifts, packages before Dec. 25, 2023

Domestic shipping:

  • Ground economy: Dec. 13

  • FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Ground: Dec. 15

  • Express Saver: Dec. 19

  • Express Two-Day: Dec. 20

  • FedEx 1Day Freight, FedEx Extra Hours: Dec. 21

  • Express Same Day : Dec. 22

  • Limited shipping: Dec. 23

International shipping to Canada:

  • FedEx International Next Flight: Dec. 22

  • FedEx International First: Dec. 21

  • FedEx International Priority: Dec. 20

  • FedEx International Priority Distribution: Dec. 20

  • FedEx International Economy: Dec. 19

  • FedEx International Connect Plus: Dec. 18

International shipping to Mexico:

  • FedEx International Next Flight: Dec. 22

  • FedEx International First: Dec. 21

  • FedEx International Priority: Dec. 21

  • FedEx International Economy: Dec. 20

  • FedEx International Connect Plus: Dec 20

International shipping to Puerto Rico:

  • FedEx International Next Flight: Dec. 22

  • FedEx International First: Dec. 21

  • FedEx International Priority: Dec. 20

  • FedEx International Priority Distribution: Dec. 20

  • FedEx International Economy: Dec. 19

Has UPS released their holiday shipping deadlines?

As of Oct. 16, United Parcel Service has yet to release its 2023 holiday shipping deadlines to the public.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: USPS, FedEx announce holiday shipping deadlines for Christmas, December