Plan Ahead: Here Are the USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines for 2023

published Nov 6, 2023
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pile of presents under a christmas tree
Credit: ByLorena/Stocksy

Halloween has just ended, and the holiday season will be here before we know it. When it comes to handling another hectic United Postal Service shipping window, doing all the planning that you can ahead of time pays off.

Ahead of the 2023 holiday season, USPS released its holiday shipping deadlines to ensure that your packages reach loved ones by Dec. 25. Simply put, the sooner you send holiday cards and gifts, the better. You can order online supplies, print shipping labels, and schedule a free package pickup on the USPS’ website, or check your local USPS store’s holiday schedule and hours here.

Check out a list of key 2023 USPS holiday shipping deadlines for the U.S. below.

Contiguous U.S. (excluding Alaska & Hawaii)

  • Dec. 16 — USPS Ground Advantage Service
  • Dec. 16 — First-Class Mail Service
  • Dec. 18 — Priority Mail Service
  • Dec. 20  — Priority Mail Express Service

Alaska

  • Dec. 16 — USPS Ground Advantage Service
  • Dec. 16 — First-Class Mail Service
  • Dec. 18 — Priority Mail Service
  • Dec. 20  — Priority Mail Express Service

Hawaii

  • Dec. 16 — USPS Ground Advantage Service
  • Dec. 16 — First-Class Mail Service
  • Dec. 16 — Priority Mail Service
  • Dec. 20 — Priority Mail Express Service

U.S. Military Mail

  • Nov. 6 — APO/FPO/DPO USPS Ground Advantage Service
  • Dec. 9 — APO/FPO/DPO Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
  • Dec. 16 — APO/FPO/DPO Priority Mail Express Military Service

You can peruse USPS’ full list of holiday shipping deadlines (including international locations) here.