# USPS Holidays 2026: Closures, Delivery Changes, and Last Ship Dates > USPS closes on 11 federal holidays in 2026, with a final Ground Advantage deadline of December 17 for Christmas delivery. - **Author**: Charles Helms - **Published**: 2026-01-01 - **Updated**: 2026-10-15 - **Category**: usps - **URL**: https://trackingadvice.com/usps-holidays/ --- USPS closes on 11 federal holidays in 2026. The remaining 2026 closures are Veterans Day (Wed Nov 11), Thanksgiving (Thu Nov 26), and Christmas (Fri Dec 25). For delivery before Dec 25 in the lower 48, ship by Dec 17 (Ground Advantage, First-Class Mail), Dec 18 (Priority Mail), or Dec 19 (Priority Mail Express). When a holiday falls on a Saturday, USPS does not take the preceding Friday off. For Independence Day on Saturday, July 4, 2026, post offices remained open and deliveries ran as normal on Friday, July 3. ## 2026 USPS Holiday Schedule This is the full USPS holiday schedule for 2026. **Post offices close and regular mail delivery stops on all 11 official USPS holidays in 2026.** | Date | Day | Holiday | Post offices | Regular mail delivery | | ---------- | --------- | -------------------------- | ------------ | --------------------- | | Thu Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day | Closed | No | | Mon Jan 19 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Closed | No | | Mon Feb 16 | Monday | Presidents Day | Closed | No | | Mon May 25 | Monday | Memorial Day | Closed | No | | Fri Jun 19 | Friday | Juneteenth | Closed | No | | Sat Jul 4 | Saturday | Independence Day | Closed | No | | Mon Sep 7 | Monday | Labor Day | Closed | No | | Mon Oct 12 | Monday | Columbus Day | Closed | No | | Wed Nov 11 | Wednesday | Veterans Day | Closed | No | | Thu Nov 26 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | Closed | No | | Fri Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Closed | No | _Source: [USPS Newsroom Events](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/events/). Verified on the carrier's website._ In 2026, USPS closed on Saturday, July 4 itself and kept post offices open and delivery normal on Friday, July 3. The rule is plain: when a holiday falls on a Saturday, USPS closes on that Saturday, while the preceding Friday stays open for regular service. Friday counts as a holiday only for some USPS employees for pay and leave purposes. Plenty of printed calendars got this wrong. Friday, July 3 was a normal mail day. That's it. If you are comparing carrier schedules, check our guides to [UPS holidays](https://trackingadvice.com/ups-holidays/) and [FedEx holidays](https://trackingadvice.com/fedex-holidays/). ## USPS Holidays in Early 2027 USPS holidays in early 2027 will most likely follow the federal holiday calendar from OPM. **USPS has not published its 2027 holiday list yet, so treat these federal dates as expected closures until it does.** | Date | Day | Federal holiday | | ---------- | ------ | -------------------------------------- | | Fri Jan 1 | Friday | New Year's Day | | Mon Jan 18 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | | Mon Feb 15 | Monday | Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day) | _Source: [U.S. Office of Personnel Management](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/)._ ## USPS 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines Every autumn, USPS publishes recommended shipping cutoffs for packages meant to arrive before Christmas Day. **USPS recommends sending lower-48 packages by Thursday, December 17 for Ground Advantage and Saturday, December 19 for Priority Mail Express.** That's the guideline, not the rule. These dates reflect recommended send-by cutoffs for expected delivery before Friday, December 25, rather than guaranteed transit windows. Military APO/FPO/DPO Ground Advantage has the earliest deadline of the season. (If someone you love is deployed, the date that matters is Wednesday, November 4. That is five weeks before the next date on this page.) To compare these cutoffs with other carriers, use our full directory of [cross-carrier holiday shipping deadlines](https://trackingadvice.com/holiday-shipping-deadlines-2026/). ### Contiguous U.S. (Lower 48) | Service | Send-by date | | --------------------- | ------------ | | USPS Ground Advantage | Thu Dec 17 | | First-Class Mail | Thu Dec 17 | | Priority Mail | Fri Dec 18 | | Priority Mail Express | Sat Dec 19 | _Source: [USPS Holiday Shipping Dates](https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm). Verified on the carrier's website._ ### Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories | Service | Send-by date | | --------------------- | ----------------------- | | USPS Ground Advantage | No set date (see below) | | First-Class Mail | Thu Dec 17 | | Priority Mail | Fri Dec 18 | | Priority Mail Express | Sat Dec 19 | _Source: [USPS Holiday Shipping Dates](https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm). Verified on the carrier's website._ USPS does not publish one Ground Advantage date for these places. It says Ground Advantage between the lower 48 and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories takes 10 days or more, and the days vary by distance. Check your ZIP Codes in the [USPS Service Commitments tool](https://postcalc.usps.com/ServiceCommitments) before you ship. ### Military APO/FPO/DPO | Service | Send-by date | | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | | USPS Ground Advantage | Wed Nov 4 | | First-Class Mail | Wed Dec 9 | | Priority Mail | Wed Dec 9 | | Priority Mail Express Military (select locations) | Wed Dec 16 | _Source: [USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines](https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm). Verified on the carrier's website._ ### International Mail and Packages These cutoffs apply to all USPS-listed international regions: Africa, Asia/Pacific Rim, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Mexico, and the Middle East. | Service | Send-by date | | ----------------------------------------- | ------------ | | First-Class Package International Service | Wed Dec 9 | | Priority Mail International | Wed Dec 9 | | Priority Mail Express International | Wed Dec 16 | _Source: [USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines](https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm). Verified on the carrier's website._ ## USPS 2026 Peak-Season Surcharge USPS adds temporary holiday price increases from 12 AM CT on October 4, 2026, until 12 AM CT on January 17, 2027. **The temporary peak surcharge applies only to Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select shipments.** Regular letters, postcards, and other mail services do not pay these extra fees. The price increases apply to retail domestic parcels based on package weight, destination zone, and box type. Yes, the surcharge also hits Flat Rate boxes. | Product | Zone and weight tier | Surcharge | | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------- | --------- | | Priority Mail | Zones 1-4, 0-3 lb | +$0.50 | | USPS Ground Advantage | Zones 1-4, 0-3 lb | +$0.50 | | Priority Mail | Zones 5-9, 0-3 lb | +$1.00 | | USPS Ground Advantage | Zones 5-9, 0-3 lb | +$0.75 | | Priority Mail Express | Zones 1-4, 0-3 lb | +$1.40 | | Priority Mail Express | Zones 5-9, 0-3 lb | +$2.35 | | Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box | All zones | +$2.10 | | Priority Mail Flat Rate (all other products) | All zones | +$1.00 | | Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope | All zones | +$2.35 | _Source: [USPS National Release 0825](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0825-usps-announces-temporary-price-change-for-2026-holiday-shipping-season.htm). Verified on the carrier's website._ Commercial accounts pay different rates depending on their tier. You can check the full commercial rate tables directly in the [USPS temporary price change announcement](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0825-usps-announces-temporary-price-change-for-2026-holiday-shipping-season.htm). ## What Closes and What Still Works on a USPS Holiday A USPS holiday shuts the counter and the carrier route, not everything. **Post office counters and regular delivery stop, but self-service kiosks at select locations, Click-N-Ship, and Smart Lockers keep working.** | Service | On a USPS holiday | | --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Post Office retail counters | Closed | | Regular mail delivery | Closed | | Self-service kiosks at select locations | Available (prints postage for Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and international shipping) | | Click-N-Ship on usps.com | Available (prints prepaid shipping labels) | | USPS Smart Lockers where available | Available (package drop-off and pickup) | | Priority Mail Express delivery | Available in many major markets for an additional fee | _Source: [USPS Columbus Day Release](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/1005-usps-will-be-closed-in-observance-of-columbus-day-october-12.htm) and [USPS Priority Mail Express](https://www.usps.com/ship/priority-mail-express.htm). Verified on the carrier's website._ Regular mail delivery and window counters resume on the next delivery day following the holiday closure. For example, after the Columbus Day closure on Monday, October 12, counter hours and delivery routes resumed on Tuesday, October 13. If you need to send a prepaid package during a closure, see how to [drop off USPS packages](https://trackingadvice.com/drop-off-usps-packages/). ## Days That Are Not USPS Holidays **Black Friday (Fri Nov 27), Christmas Eve (Thu Dec 24), and New Year's Eve (Thu Dec 31) are not USPS holidays, so regular delivery runs.** Neither are Easter, Mother's Day, Halloween, or Valentine's Day. Easter and Mother's Day always fall on Sundays anyway. 2026 hours for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are not yet announced; check your local Post Office in the [USPS location finder](https://tools.usps.com/locations/). During Thanksgiving week, post offices close and delivery stops on Thursday, November 26. But everything goes right back to normal on Friday, November 27. Black Friday is just a normal delivery day. USPS does not publish a separate Thanksgiving shipping deadline. For guidance on late-day carrier schedules during high-volume weeks, check [what time USPS stops delivering](https://trackingadvice.com/what-time-does-usps-stop-delivering/) and our complete reference on [USPS delivery hours](https://trackingadvice.com/usps-delivery-hours/). ## Priority Mail Express on Holidays USPS operates its Priority Mail Express network all year, with limited exceptions, providing 1-3 day delivery by 6 PM with a money-back guarantee to most domestic addresses and PO Boxes. **Sunday and holiday delivery for Priority Mail Express is available in many major markets for an additional $12.50 fee.** If you do not need delivery on the holiday itself, you can skip the [$12.50 premium](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm) by selecting the [next delivery day instead](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/113.htm). Most people do not need holiday delivery. They need the next delivery day, which costs nothing extra. Remember that the seasonal peak surcharge also applies to these shipments from October 4, 2026, through January 17, 2027. To ship Priority Mail Express around a holiday closure: 1. Check the delivery date and whether the service is available between your specific origin and destination ZIP codes in the [USPS Service Commitments tool](https://postcalc.usps.com/ServiceCommitments). 2. Choose whether you require holiday arrival by paying the $12.50 delivery premium, or choose the next delivery day to avoid the additional fee. 3. Print your shipping label online through Click-N-Ship on usps.com, or purchase postage at an automated self-service kiosk. 4. Drop it off at a Post Office, or a USPS Smart Locker where available, before your location's posted cutoff. 5. Track your package through our [USPS tracking hub](https://trackingadvice.com/carriers/usps/). Dates come from USPS's own published pages. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Are USPS post offices closed on any holidays in 2026? Yes. USPS post offices close on 11 federal holidays in 2026. On each of those dates, retail service windows stay closed and regular mail delivery stops. ### What are the USPS Christmas shipping deadlines for 2026? For expected delivery before December 25 in the lower 48, USPS recommends shipping by Thursday, December 17 for USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail. The cutoff is Friday, December 18 for Priority Mail and Saturday, December 19 for Priority Mail Express. ### Does USPS deliver on Sundays? USPS does not deliver regular mail on Sundays. Priority Mail Express can arrive on a Sunday in many major markets for an additional $12.50 fee. ### What days does USPS not deliver mail? USPS does not deliver regular mail on Sundays or on the 11 official federal holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. ### Does USPS deliver on Christmas Eve? Yes, USPS delivers mail and packages on Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24, 2026). Regular carrier delivery runs as scheduled, but USPS has not yet announced local Post Office retail lobby hours. ### Does USPS deliver the day after Thanksgiving? Yes, USPS delivers mail on the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27, 2026). Black Friday is not a federal holiday, so post offices are open for normal hours and mail carriers run regular delivery routes. ### Does USPS observe Columbus Day? Yes. USPS observed Columbus Day on Monday, October 12, 2026. All Post Offices closed, regular mail delivery stopped, and delivery and retail service resumed on Tuesday, October 13. ### Does USPS deliver on Memorial Day? No, USPS did not deliver regular mail on Memorial Day. Memorial Day was a federal holiday on Monday, May 25, 2026, so retail lobbies stayed closed and regular carrier delivery stopped.