Introduction
The past year was extraordinary for the U.S. Postal Service. We were presented with unique challenges, we revealed hidden strengths and demonstrated our essential role in the life of the nation, and in the lives of the American public. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout America’s communities, the 644,000 women and men of the Postal Service delivered — and continue to deliver today — demonstrating constant commitment to our mission of service and ensuring that customers received the medications, supplies, benefit checks, letters and other correspondence and products they depend upon.
Amid the commotion of the outbreak, postal employees drew strength from public support, expressed by many thousands of customers across the nation in the form of handwritten messages of thanks to our essential employees — on paper, on posters, on stickers and on sidewalks.
The Postal Service is proud of its ability to provide a trusted, valued service to the American public, while safeguarding its employees and customers during the ongoing national public health emergency.
We are mindful that we must build upon the core strengths of the Postal Service: our mission of public service and our people — who live, work and serve in every community in America. We strive to provide world-class affordable and dependable service to every American community six and seven days a week — today, tomorrow and for generations to come. It’s what we do!
About Postal Facts
We deliver for America. You know that. And you know we’ve been doing it for a long time. But do you know exactly how much we deliver? Every day? Each year? Did you know we don’t use your tax dollars for our operations? Did you know we have programs designed to help the communities we serve? And what does the “ZIP” in ZIP Code mean anyway? You can find these answers and more at facts.usps.com.
When you explore Postal Facts, you’ll find information about postal operations and revenue as well as some things on the lighter side of our business. Our history goes all the way back to the founding of the nation. Postal Facts is a great place to learn about where we’ve been and where we’re going.
We’re proud to provide secure, reliable and affordable service to every address in the United States, plus its territories and its military and diplomatic installations worldwide. And consider this very important fact: Everyone in the United States and its territories has access to postal products and services and pays the same for a First-Class Mail postage stamp regardless of location.
Want even more information about the United States Postal Service? We’ll keep you posted. You can connect with us in many ways, including:
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#POSTALPROUD
Unless otherwise noted, all figures are based on the Postal Service’s fiscal year.
The Postal Service is part of the fabric of the nation, with employees making a difference in every community across the country. We’re committed to protecting our customers, collecting food, helping children have a happier holiday and to being an environmental steward.
pounds of batteries
The Postal Service recycled 101,000 pounds of small lead-acid and dry cell batteries, including lithium-ion batteries which are found in cell phones, laptops, scanners and other small electronics.
gallons recycled
In 2020, the Postal Service recycled 359,000 gallons of used oil — equivalent to saving more than 15 million gallons of crude oil.
bicycle delivery routes
The Postal Service delivers mail by bicycle on 49 routes in Arizona and Florida -- reducing emissions, saving fuel and the carriers can ride a bike all day!
pounds of food
Every year, the Postal Service and the National Association of Letter Carriers hold the largest one-day food drive in the nation. In 2020, the food drive was cancelled due to the pandemic. The program has collected more than 1.7 billion pounds of food since the campaign began in 1993.
employee attacks
National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Thousands of carriers deliver to homes with dogs every day. The Postal Service promotes safety initiatives and shares prevention tips to protect employees and customers from dog bites. In 2020, more than 5,800 postal employees were attacked by dogs in 2,270 cities.
alert program
If mail carriers notice something unusual, such as uncollected mail, at an at-risk customer’s home, the employee will alert emergency personnel.
is going green
The Postal Service is working hard to put its stamp on a greener tomorrow for the many communities we serve. Postal carriers deliver mail using alternative fuel vehicles, on foot and even on bicycles. The 2020 energy reduction in postal buildings equated to powering more than 36,000 U.S. homes and the Postal Service is expanding solar powered facilities in 2021.
tons of paper
In 2020, the Postal Service recycled 182,000 tons of paper, 63,000 tons of cardboard and 6,000 tons of plastic.
The Postal Service is an environmental leader. We believe it’s our responsibility to be good stewards of the environment.
goes green
The Postal Service helps customers reduce waste, increase recycling and improve their carbon footprint through its BlueEarth programs.
Postal blue goes green
solar panels
The Postal Service implemented a solar power generation system at the Los Angeles mail processing facility consisting of nearly 29,000 solar panels. This expands the Postal Service's use of alternative energy and makes the processing facility one of the largest buildings generating electricity through solar energy in the city.
by 2025
The Postal Service has a goal to reduce energy used per square foot of building space by 25 percent by 2025.
Operation Santa
For 108 years, postal employees and the American public have helped bring more magic to the holiday season, one letter to Santa at a time.
In 1912, Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters to allow postal employees and citizens to respond to letters addressed to Santa Claus and the program came to be known as Operation Santa.
In the 1940s, mail volume increased to the point where the Post Office Department invited charitable organizations and corporations to participate for philanthropic purposes —providing written responses and small gifts.
Through the years, the program has taken on a life of its own and today cities around the country have established successful programs with recognized charitable organizations, major corporations, local businesses and postal employees making a major difference in the lives of the children from coast to coast.
In 2017, the Postal Service launched a pilot test of a digital Operation Santa option for residents of New York City. People living in New York City, within proximity of the James A. Farley building could adopt letters online and ship gifts from JAF. Puerto Rico was also added after the hurricanes that year.
In 2018, the Postal Service expanded the 2017 pilot test to include 6 additional cities (Austin, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Washington DC – and Puerto Rico and Chico, CA (site of wildfires). Letters from those locations populated the website and people in those locations only could adopt them and ship from one dedicated post office per city.
In 2019, the digital program continued to expand. Letters were accepted letters from 17 locations, and the letters could be adopted by anyone in the country. Gifts could be shipped from more than 19,000 post offices.
In 2020, the program expanded nationwide for the first time. More than 1 million people visited USPSOperationSanta.com. Generous customers shipped more than 21,000 packages to the families and children who wrote to Santa to help them have a happier holiday.
Forestry Initiative
Greener than you think. Free Priority Mail boxes meet Sustainable Forestry initiative and Forest Stewardship Council certification standards. This means the paper for those boxes comes from well-managed forests. In addition, the boxes include at least 30-percent recycled content.
letter carriers
Nearly 74,000 letter carriers drive to neighborhoods and then deliver the mail on foot. Nearly 7,000 carriers deliver mail entirely on foot -- the USPS Fleet of Feet. Mail is delivered by bicycle on select routes in Arizona and Florida, reducing emissions and saving fuel.
alternative fuel vehicles
The Postal Service operates a fleet of 37,391 alternative fuel-capable vehicles, most of which are equipped to use ethanol. There are electric, hybrid, compressed natural gas and liquid propane gas vehicles in the fleet as well. The Postal Service has 100 hybrid 2-ton vehicles. Fifty are electric hybrid and fifty are hydraulic hybrid.
Really? You didn’t know this? Impress people with your knowledge of some fun, interesting facts.
in the Postal Service
Each day the Postal Service picks up, processes and delivers millions of letters and packages. No single operation in the world comes close to this level of connectivity for so many households and businesses.
LINK
Link, a daily news site for Postal Service employees, is available on any computer with internet access. The content is produced by a team of writers and editors based at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. Additional contributions come from postal employees across the nation. The site is updated with new articles, photos, graphics and videos each weekday.
Regular features include “Heroes’ Corner,” a column about employees who perform heroic deeds, and “The List,” a weekly roundup of interesting facts about USPS.
Employees with postal email addresses receive a Link email each weekday with links to the most recent stories. The team also produces an end-of-week Link Recap email with stories readers might have missed, along with Link Extra emails for breaking news.
Link mobile is a mobile-friendly version of the Link site. Link mobile has all the news you’ll find on the desktop version of Link, except it’s formatted for easy reading on handheld smart devices. Employees and others can receive a weekly Link mobile email by subscribing at www.usps.link.
the postal dog
On an autumn day in 1888, a shaggy pup took his first steps toward becoming a postal legend when he crept into the Albany, New York, Post Office. Postal employees allowed him to stay and named him Owney.
At first, Owney stayed close to the Post Office, but he soon began riding mail wagons to the train depot and then rode the railway mail car down to New York City and back to Albany. As Owney traveled farther, his friends at the Albany Post Office feared he might wander too far away to find his way home again, so they purchased a leather collar with a tag reading “Owney, Post Office, Albany, N.Y.” Railway mail clerks recorded Owney’s travels by attaching metal baggage tags to his collar to identify the rail lines he traveled on. He was soon weighed down by his collection of tags. Postmaster General John Wanamaker presented Owney with a little jacket to distribute their weight more evenly.
Owney took to traveling farther and staying away longer, eventually visiting Mexico, Canada, Japan, China, Singapore, Suez, Algiers, and the Azores. While being shown off to an Ohio newspaper reporter, Owney bit the clerk who was handling him. The Postmaster had Owney put down on June 11, 1897. Railway mail clerks chipped in money to have a taxidermist preserve Owney’s body, which then was sent to postal headquarters in Washington, D.C., for exhibit. In 1911, the Post Office Department entrusted Owney to the Smithsonian Institution. Since 1993, Owney has been part of the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. In 2011, Owney was honored on a commemorative U.S. postage stamp.
LINCOLN
On May 7, 1833, 24-year-old Lincoln was appointed Postmaster of New Salem, Illinois. Lincoln served until the office was closed May 30, 1836.
Two Postmasters became U.S. Presidents later in their careers — Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman. Truman held the title and signed papers but immediately turned the position and its pay over to an assistant. Lincoln was the only President who had served as a Postmaster.
On May 7, 1833, 24-year-old Lincoln was appointed Postmaster of New Salem, Illinois. Lincoln served until the office was closed May 30, 1836. Postal records show that Lincoln earned $55.70 as Postmaster in fiscal year 1835 and $19.48 for one quarter’s work in fiscal year 1837. Besides his pay, Lincoln, as Postmaster, could send and receive personal letters free and get one daily newspaper delivered free. Mail arrived once a week. If an addressee did not collect the mail, as was the custom, Lincoln delivered it personally — usually carrying the mail in his hat. Even then, Lincoln was “Honest Abe.”
Reportedly, when the New Salem Post Office was discontinued, Lincoln had a balance of $16 or $18, which he took with him to Springfield, Illinois. Months later, while his close friend Dr. A. G. Henry was visiting, a Post Office agent called on Lincoln to collect the funds. Henry knew that Lincoln had been in financial straits and feared that he might not have the money. Henry recalled that just as he was about to offer Lincoln a loan, the future President:
“. . . went over to his trunk at his boarding house, and returned with an old blue sock with a quantity of silver and copper coin tied up in it. Untying the sock, he poured the contents on the table and proceeded to count the coin, which consisted of such silver and copper pieces as the country-people were then in the habit of using in paying postage. On counting it up there was found the exact amount, to a cent, of the draft, and in the identical coin which had been received. He never used, under any circumstances, trust funds.”
mail delivery
Ship Ahoy! The JW Westcott is a 45-foot contract mail boat out of Detroit that delivers mail to passing ships on the Detroit River. The JW Westcott has its own ZIP Code — 48222.
This is the J.W. Westcott II approaching a Canadian freighter on the Detroit River
POST OFFICE
The Peach Springs, AZ, Post Office has walk-in freezers for food destined for delivery to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by mule train.
in caves
No troglodytes here! The Stamp Fulfillment Service facility, located in Kansas City, MO, is located in a limestone cave 150 feet beneath the ground. It is the Postal Service’s only facility located underground.
The consistent, year-round temperatures and humidity levels in the caves allow the stamps to be maintained in mint-quality condition. The underground facility also keeps the inventory and employees safe from snow, flooding, winds and tornadic activity common in the Midwest.
ZIP
Mr. ZIP, who has no first name, appeared in many public service announcements and advertisements urging postal customers to use the five-digit ZIP Code that was initiated on July 1, 1963. Within four years of his appearance, eight out of ten Americans knew who Mr. ZIP was and what he stood for.
With the introduction of the nine-digit ZIP Code, or ZIP+4, in 1983, Mr. ZIP went into partial retirement. His image still was printed on the selvage of some sheets of stamps, but that practice ended in January 1986. Mr. ZIP still is used occasionally by the Postal Service.
bicycle delivery routes
The Postal Service delivers mail by bicycle on 49 routes in Arizona and Florida -- reducing emissions, saving fuel and the carriers can ride a bike all day!
bargain
The price of a First-Class postage stamp is a global bargain.
woman on a stamp
The first American woman on a U.S. postage stamp was Martha Washington, 1902.
African American Carrier
The first known African American mail carrier was James B. Christian, Richmond, VA, 1869.
female mail carrier
The first known female mail carrier was Sarah Black, mail messenger, Charlestown, MD, 1845.
social network
The Postal Service is the original social network, but that doesn't mean we aren't represented on the others. You can find the Postal Service on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
the best
Patently the best. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued more than 400 patents to the Postal Service
vehicle batteries
We keep running and running! The Postal Service purchased 84,000 vehicle batteries in 2020.
to see you with
The Postal Service ordered 550,000 wiper blades in 2020.
deliver!
The Postal Service moves mail by planes, hovercraft, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, subways, bicycles, mules and feet. #WeDeliverForYou
Post Office
There is a 24-hour, unstaffed, self-service Post Office in Northern Virginia that allows customers to conduct most shipping and mailing transactions quickly and easily themselves. The Self-Service Post Office provides round-the-clock accessibility to PO Boxes, as well as self-service kiosks and an automated package drop.
In 2020, more than 8,000 customers took advantage of this convenient office.
collection boxes
Today there are 140,875 blue boxes in use across the nation.
About those iconic blue boxes…
They weren’t always blue. Before 1970, they were green, then red, then white, then green again, and finally — beginning in 1955 — red, white and blue.
tires
The Postal Service purchased 703,000 tires in 2020. If they were placed side-by-side, this tire line would measure 360 miles - the distance between New York City and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
million pieces
On average, the Postal Service processes and delivers 173.1 million pieces of First-Class Mail each day.
rubber bands
The Postal Service ordered more than 717 million rubber bands in 2020, totaling about 39,304 miles of material that could wrap around Earth 1.6 times!
corporate emails daily
With one of the largest corporate email systems, in 2020, the Postal Service handled more than 5.3 million legitimate emails a day delivered to more than 216,000 email accounts.
Staying connected
The Postal Service has one of the world’s largest computer networks — linking more than 31,000 facilities and connecting hundreds of thousands of employees and hundreds of systems.
In 2020:
postage stamp
Out of this world! A postage stamp was inside the New Horizons spacecraft that made a flyby of Pluto in July 2015. That's the farthest distance traveled by a postage stamp - more than 3 billion miles. So noted by the Guinness World Records.
delivery
The most unusual delivery method used by the Postal Service is a mule train in Arizona. The mules carry mail, food and supplies down an 9-mile trail to the Havasupai Indians at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Got mules? The most unusual mode of delivery used by the Postal Service is the mule train.
Since the 1930s, mules have been carrying mail and goods to the Havasupai people located inside the Grand Canyon.
cities
Ben, this one’s for you! Franklin is the most common city name — 31 so named — with Clinton and Washington tied for second (29 each) and Arlington at third (28). The most common post office name is Clinton, with 26 locations, followed by Madison at second (25) and Franklin and Washington tied for third (24).
Main streets
Main Street America is here and here and… The most common street name in the country is Main —13,425 of them — followed by Second with 9,600, Third with 9,077 and Maple with 8,880.
ZIP Codes
There are 41,692 ZIP Codes in the country.
ZIP Codes range from 00501, belonging to the Internal Revenue Service in Holtsville, NY, to 99950 in Ketchikan, AK. Easiest to remember? How about 12345, a unique ZIP Code for General Electric in Schenectady, NY.
Quick! What’s that ZIP Code?
The ZIP Code was introduced in 1963. The first number represents a general geographic area of the nation, “0” in the East moving to “9” in the West. The next two numbers indicate regional areas and the final two, specific Post Offices or postal zones in larger cities. Make it a ZIP+4 Code, introduced in 1983, and mail can be sorted to specific streets, buildings, houses and businesses. Today, ZIP Codes are important parts of the nation’s 911 emergency system. ZIP = Zone or Zoning Improvement Plan.
billion miles
Stellar performance! During 2020, Postal Service employees traveled 1.2 billion miles to deliver your mail, equivalent to 48,191 laps around Earth, 5,023 trips to the moon or 13 trips to the sun. *Based on the average moon and sun distance.
Operation Santa
For 108 years, postal employees and the American public have helped bring more magic to the holiday season, one letter to Santa at a time.
In 1912, Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters to allow postal employees and citizens to respond to letters addressed to Santa Claus and the program came to be known as Operation Santa.
In the 1940s, mail volume increased to the point where the Post Office Department invited charitable organizations and corporations to participate for philanthropic purposes —providing written responses and small gifts.
Through the years, the program has taken on a life of its own and today cities around the country have established successful programs with recognized charitable organizations, major corporations, local businesses and postal employees making a major difference in the lives of the children from coast to coast.
In 2017, the Postal Service launched a pilot test of a digital Operation Santa option for residents of New York City. People living in New York City, within proximity of the James A. Farley building could adopt letters online and ship gifts from JAF. Puerto Rico was also added after the hurricanes that year.
In 2018, the Postal Service expanded the 2017 pilot test to include 6 additional cities (Austin, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Washington DC – and Puerto Rico and Chico, CA (site of wildfires). Letters from those locations populated the website and people in those locations only could adopt them and ship from one dedicated post office per city.
In 2019, the digital program continued to expand. Letters were accepted letters from 17 locations, and the letters could be adopted by anyone in the country. Gifts could be shipped from more than 19,000 post offices.
In 2020, the program expanded nationwide for the first time. More than 1 million people visited USPSOperationSanta.com. Generous customers shipped more than 21,000 packages to the families and children who wrote to Santa to help them have a happier holiday.
address changes processed
The Postal Service processes 98,356 address changes daily.
miles
The shortest rural delivery route is in Parker, CO. The carrier travels 2.3 miles and delivers to 869 boxes.
miles
The longest rural delivery route is in Phillipsburg, KS. The carrier travels 185.5 miles daily and delivers to 228 boxes.
dock-to-dock
Dock-to-dock delivery on the Magnolia River in Alabama. A 15-foot contract mail boat delivers to 176 dock-side mailboxes on a 31-mile stretch of the river.
delivery with ZIP
Boat delivery is available on the Detroit River in Michigan. The JW Westcott is a 45-foot contract mail boat that delivers mail to passing ships and has its own ZIP Code: 48222.
feet underground
Stamp Fulfillment Services in Kansas City, MO, is located in a limestone cave 150 feet underground. It keeps inventory and employees safe from snow, flooding, winds and tornadoes common in the Midwest.
Post Office
The second oldest Post Office location is in Castine, ME, from 1833.
Post Office
The Hinsdale, NH, Post Office (03451) has been located in the same building since 1816.
retail space
The largest U.S. Postal Service retail space is the James A. Farley Post Office in New York, NY (10001), at 33,100 square feet.
POST OFFICE
The smallest Post Office is located in Ochopee, FL (34141) and is 61.3 square feet. The building used to be a storage facility for irrigation pipes of an adjacent tomato farm. It was converted into a Post Office in 1953, after a fire that destroyed a previous Post Office and general store.
There is a sign beside the office that reads:
OCHOPEE POST OFFICE
Considered to be the smallest post office in the United States, this building was formerly an irrigation pipe shed belonging to the J.T. Gaunt Company tomato farm. It was hurriedly pressed into service by postmaster Sidney Brown after a disastrous night fire in 1953 burned Ochopee’s general store and post office. The present structure has been in continuous use ever since – as both a post office and ticket station for Trailway’s bus lines – and still services residents in a three-county area, including deliveries to Seminole and Miccosukee Indians living in the region. Daily business often includes requests from tourists and stamp collectors the world over for the famed Ochopee postmark. The property was acquired by the Wooten Family in 1992.
— Collier County Board of County Commissioners
U.S. Post Office
The highest Post Office in the United States is located in Alma, CO (80420), at 10,578 feet above sea level.
million
Each day, $5.8 million is paid to USPS employees in salaries and benefits.
million mailpieces
The Postal Service processes and delivers 429.9 million mail pieces each day.
tax dollars
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
million
The Postal Service generates, on average, $200.3 million in revenue per day
Really? You didn’t know this? Impress people with your knowledge of some fun, interesting facts.
center
Located in Maryland, the Bolger Center is a premier leadership development and conference center servicing both Postal Service and external clients. It is the only hotel in the country featuring an on-site Smithsonian Institution exhibit.
The Bolger Center is a Postal Service-owned state of the art training facility located on 83 beautiful acres in Potomac, Maryland. It was built in the 1930’s as a Catholic convent by the Sisters of Mercy.
In the 1980’s, it was purchased by the U.S. Postal Service as a training center.
Named for William F. Bolger (March 13, 1923 – August 21, 1989), the 65th Postmaster General of the United States from March 15, 1978 to January 1, 1985.
free city delivery
An Act of Congress of March 3, 1863, effective July 1, 1863, provided that free city delivery be established at Post Offices where income from local postage was more than sufficient to pay all expenses of the service. For the first time, Americans had to put street addresses on their letters.
In the late 19th century, free home delivery of mail was introduced — first in cities, then in rural areas — and letter carriers became familiar, trusted visitors to homes and businesses across the country.
Before 1863, postage paid only for the delivery of mail from Post Office to Post Office. Citizens picked up their mail, although in some cities they could pay an extra one- or two-cent fee for letter delivery or use private delivery firms. Among the postal reforms suggested by Postmaster General Montgomery Blair in his 1862 report to the President was free delivery of mail by salaried letter carriers, which he felt would “greatly accelerate deliveries, and promote the public convenience.” He reasoned that if the system of mailing and receiving letters was more convenient, people would use it more often, and pointed to increasing postal revenues in England, which already had adopted free city delivery.
Congress agreed. An Act of Congress of March 3, 1863, effective July 1, 1863, provided that free city delivery be established at Post Offices where income from local postage was more than sufficient to pay all expenses of the service. For the first time, Americans had to put street addresses on their letters.
LINCOLN
On May 7, 1833, 24-year-old Lincoln was appointed Postmaster of New Salem, Illinois. Lincoln served until the office was closed May 30, 1836.
Two Postmasters became U.S. Presidents later in their careers — Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman. Truman held the title and signed papers but immediately turned the position and its pay over to an assistant. Lincoln was the only President who had served as a Postmaster.
On May 7, 1833, 24-year-old Lincoln was appointed Postmaster of New Salem, Illinois. Lincoln served until the office was closed May 30, 1836. Postal records show that Lincoln earned $55.70 as Postmaster in fiscal year 1835 and $19.48 for one quarter’s work in fiscal year 1837. Besides his pay, Lincoln, as Postmaster, could send and receive personal letters free and get one daily newspaper delivered free. Mail arrived once a week. If an addressee did not collect the mail, as was the custom, Lincoln delivered it personally — usually carrying the mail in his hat. Even then, Lincoln was “Honest Abe.”
Reportedly, when the New Salem Post Office was discontinued, Lincoln had a balance of $16 or $18, which he took with him to Springfield, Illinois. Months later, while his close friend Dr. A. G. Henry was visiting, a Post Office agent called on Lincoln to collect the funds. Henry knew that Lincoln had been in financial straits and feared that he might not have the money. Henry recalled that just as he was about to offer Lincoln a loan, the future President:
“. . . went over to his trunk at his boarding house, and returned with an old blue sock with a quantity of silver and copper coin tied up in it. Untying the sock, he poured the contents on the table and proceeded to count the coin, which consisted of such silver and copper pieces as the country-people were then in the habit of using in paying postage. On counting it up there was found the exact amount, to a cent, of the draft, and in the identical coin which had been received. He never used, under any circumstances, trust funds.”
ZIP
Mr. ZIP, who has no first name, appeared in many public service announcements and advertisements urging postal customers to use the five-digit ZIP Code that was initiated on July 1, 1963. Within four years of his appearance, eight out of ten Americans knew who Mr. ZIP was and what he stood for.
With the introduction of the nine-digit ZIP Code, or ZIP+4, in 1983, Mr. ZIP went into partial retirement. His image still was printed on the selvage of some sheets of stamps, but that practice ended in January 1986. Mr. ZIP still is used occasionally by the Postal Service.
public internet site
In 1994 the Postal Service launched its first public internet site.
First Stamps
1847 - U.S. postage stamps issued
The Post Office Department issued its first postage stamps on July 1, 1847. Previously, letters were taken to a Post Office, where the postmaster would note the postage in the upper right corner. The postage rate was based on the number of sheets in the letter and the distance it would travel. Postage could be paid in advance by the writer, collected from the addressee on delivery, or paid partially in advance and partially upon delivery.
On March 3, 1847, Congress authorized United States postage stamps. The first general issue postage stamps went on sale in New York City, July 1, 1847. One, priced at five cents, depicted Benjamin Franklin. The other, a ten-cent stamp, pictured George Washington. Clerks used scissors to cut the stamps from pregummed, nonperforated sheets. Only Franklin and Washington appeared on stamps until 1856, when a five-cent stamp honoring Thomas Jefferson was issued. A two-cent Andrew Jackson stamp was added in 1863. George Washington has appeared on more U.S. postage stamps than any other person.
First PMG
1775 - Benjamin Franklin appointed first Postmaster General by the Continental Congress
female PMG
The first female Postmaster General was Megan J. Brennan, Washington, DC, 2015.
African American on stamp
The first African American on a stamp was Booker T. Washington, 1940.
Native American on a stamp
The first Native American on a stamp was Pocahontas, 1907.
Hispanic American on a stamp
The first Hispanic American on a stamp was Adm. David Farragut, 1903.
African American Inspector
The first known African American postal inspector was Isaac Myers, Baltimore, MD, 1870.
Isaac Myers served from 1870 until 1879. During his employment he helped solve a number of notorious cases.
woman on a stamp
The first American woman on a U.S. postage stamp was Martha Washington, 1902.
African American Carrier
The first known African American mail carrier was James B. Christian, Richmond, VA, 1869.
African American Postmaster
The first known African American Postmaster was James W. Mason, Sunny Side, AR, 1867.
female mail carrier
The first known female mail carrier was Sarah Black, mail messenger, Charlestown, MD, 1845.
postmaster
The first known female Postmaster in the United Colonies was Mary Katherine Goddard, Baltimore, MD, 1775.
An American History
More information about the Postal Service can be found in The United States Postal Service: An American History at about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/welcome.htm
African American Postmasters
African Americans worked as Postmasters, clerks and carriers beginning in the 1860s — 100 years before the Civil Rights era brought wider opportunity in the American workplace.
postmasters
Women served as Postmasters in this country more than a century before they won the right to vote.
murals and sculptures
More than 1,400 murals and/or sculptures from President Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs are in our Post Offices around the nation.
Five murals were featured on First-Class postage stamps in 2019
at Post Offices since 1885
Post Offices were first required to display the American flag in 1885 to comply with Treasury Department instructions. On Nov. 7, 2019, Post Offices were required to fly the Prisoner of War (POW)-Missing In Action (MIA) flag on the same days that the American flag is flown.
In 2020, the Postal Service replaced 24,681 American flags and 18,217 POW/MIA flags at Post Offices across the nation
of the USPS
The history of the Postal Service is a large story set on a broad canvas. It is intertwined with the history of America, and it provides a lens from which to observe the evolution of the United States. This story is told beautifully in The United States Postal Service: An American History (also known as Pub. 100).
BULLETIN
On time. Every time. The Postal Bulletin, a nationally distributed biweekly publication, serves as a source for official policy, procedure updates and departmental news for all USPS functions. It has never missed a deadline since its inception in 1880.
addresses daily
The Postal Service added an average of 4,800 addresses to its delivery network every day in 2020.
million pieces
On average, the Postal Service processes and delivers 173.1 million pieces of First-Class Mail each day.
historic buildings
More than 1,400 postal-owned buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Our History is the History of America
They are treasures. But they’re not hidden. Many of our buildings are historical properties. Inside -and outside – many of our Post Offices, you’ll find impressive works of art that reflect the stories of our people and our nation.
Operation Santa
For 108 years, postal employees and the American public have helped bring more magic to the holiday season, one letter to Santa at a time.
In 1912, Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters to allow postal employees and citizens to respond to letters addressed to Santa Claus and the program came to be known as Operation Santa.
In the 1940s, mail volume increased to the point where the Post Office Department invited charitable organizations and corporations to participate for philanthropic purposes —providing written responses and small gifts.
Through the years, the program has taken on a life of its own and today cities around the country have established successful programs with recognized charitable organizations, major corporations, local businesses and postal employees making a major difference in the lives of the children from coast to coast.
In 2017, the Postal Service launched a pilot test of a digital Operation Santa option for residents of New York City. People living in New York City, within proximity of the James A. Farley building could adopt letters online and ship gifts from JAF. Puerto Rico was also added after the hurricanes that year.
In 2018, the Postal Service expanded the 2017 pilot test to include 6 additional cities (Austin, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Washington DC – and Puerto Rico and Chico, CA (site of wildfires). Letters from those locations populated the website and people in those locations only could adopt them and ship from one dedicated post office per city.
In 2019, the digital program continued to expand. Letters were accepted letters from 17 locations, and the letters could be adopted by anyone in the country. Gifts could be shipped from more than 19,000 post offices.
In 2020, the program expanded nationwide for the first time. More than 1 million people visited USPSOperationSanta.com. Generous customers shipped more than 21,000 packages to the families and children who wrote to Santa to help them have a happier holiday.
The Postal Service is always striving to increase the impact, excitement and value of mail. We’ve always embraced new technologies and innovation. We’re firmly focused on improving the mailing experience.
People, machines, vehicles, technology — it’s an impressive feat to get that card from grandma or that package from your favorite online store to your doorstep.
2,500 pieces per hour
The Automated Delivery Unit Sorter (ADUS) sorts 2,500 packages and bundles of mail per hour with a sort accuracy of 99.95 percent.
25,000 packages/hour
The Enhanced Package Processing System (EPPS), sorts 25,000 packages per hour.
delivery unit sorter
The first Small Delivery Unit Sorter (SDUS) was installed in Nov. 2020. It processes more than 2,500 packages per hour inside the delivery unit. This piece of equipment is helping the Postal Service process increasing volumes of packages. One hundred Small Delivery Unit Sorters will be operational in 2021.
BROKER
Label Broker. This service is easy! It solves the ever-increasing problem of customers conducting business online and not having access to print shipping labels.
With Label Broker, customers can get a shipping label on their mobile device, in the form of a QR Code, directly from the merchant. The customer uses the code to print a label at a Post Office or on a printer connected to usps.com. Label Broker is also the foundational technology that has enabled USPS Operation Santa to expand and evolve in a digital format.
For more information, go to www.usps.com/business/label-broker.htm
billion miles
The Postal Service operates hundreds of mail processing and distribution centers / plants across the country. The employees in these facilities accept, sort and dispatch the nations mail. To move mail using surface transportation, the Postal Service drove more than 1.6 billion miles in 2020 — more than 60,000 trips in more than 25,000 box trucks and tractor-trailers daily.
external email messages
The Postal Service email gateway system delivers more than 5.5 billion external email messages annually to postal customers and business partners. The majority of these are automated messages from Informed Delivery, Click-N-Ship and Package Tracking applications.
email messages blocked
More than 7 million email messages are blocked monthly due to sender reputation. On average, 50 percent of the 24 million email messages received from external senders are blocked monthly, for the safety of our network and email users.
petabytes of storage
The Postal Service has 92.5 petabytes of storage capacity — equivalent to playing more than 234,177 years of songs on an MP3 player with no repeats.
driven
The Postal Service uses data not only to ensure its operations run smoothly, but also to help businesses make better use of the mail. Its mission is to provide the right information to the right people in real time using advanced technology.
enabled
The Postal Service uses a vast network of people and advanced technologies to collect, process, transport and accurately deliver the nation’s mail in an increasingly digital world.
the best
Patently the best. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued more than 400 patents to the Postal Service
domestic trademarks
Leaving a mark! The Postal Service has 475 domestic and 966 foreign trademark registrations.
of our domains
The Postal Service owns 1,884 internet domains
mail pieces
The Seamless Acceptance program automates the payment verification of commercial mailings. In 2020, USPS handled 49.7 billion mail pieces from more than 817 mailers under this program and collected $3.9 million in additional postage.
The Seamless Acceptance program automates the payment verification of commercial mailings by leveraging electronic documentation (eDoc), Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) and information collected from both handheld sampling devices and mail processing equipment scans.
eInduction mailers
The eInduction process simplifies mail induction by leveraging eDoc, Intelligent Mail container barcodes and handheld scanner technologies to verify the payment and preparation of commercial mail containers. In 2020, 925 mailers took advantage of eInduction.
collected
The Enterprise Payment System (EPS) allows customers to pay for and manage their use of Postal Service products and services online, using an integrated single payment account. In 2020, EPS collected $21.5 billion in revenue, which is a 35 percent increase over 2019.
eVS revenue
The Electronic Verification System allows high-volume package mailers and package consolidators to document and pay for postage using electronic manifest files. In 2020, eVS processed 4.4 billion packages from 4,127 customers and collected $12.6 billion in revenue, representing a 29 percent increase in revenue over 2019.
in revenue
The Automated Package Verification (APV) program automates the detection and collection of postage due for mail pieces with insufficient postage using automated package processing equipment. The APV program collected $91.6 million in short-paid revenue and saved more than $239 million in short-paid postage in 2020.
billion dollars
Nearly $59 billion in postage was collected from commercial mailers through permits, meters and PC Postage in 2020.
deciphering
You call that scribble legible? Employees at the Remote Encoding Center in Salt Lake City, UT, are responsible for deciphering terribly handwritten or shoddily printed addresses.
foil
In 2020, the Postal Service released several stamps that highlighted printing technologies that were new to the production of our stamps, including the Innovation stamps that used rainbow holographic foil.
What a great idea!
In 2020, the Postal Service released several stamps that highlighted stamp printing technologies.
pieces per hour
The Delivery Barcode Sorter (DBCS) reads the barcode on letters and sorts them at 36,000 pieces per hour.
Systems at work
The daily operations performed by the Postal Service depend on an astonishing network of people and technologies that collect, transport, process and deliver the nation’s mail. Here are some of the systems that help make it happen:
The Delivery Barcode Sorter reads the barcode on letters and sorts them at 36,000 pieces per hour.
The Enhanced Package Processing System sorts packages at 25,000 pieces per hour.
The Automated Delivery Unit Sorter sorts packages and bundles of mail at a rate of 4,000 pieces per hour with a sort accuracy of 99.95 percent.
The Robotic Containerization System sorts trays and automatically loads rolling containers or pallets.
The Automated Flat Sorting Machine sorts flat mail at 17,000 pieces per hour.
The Automated Package Processing System sorts packages and bundles of mail at 9,500 pieces per hour.
The High Throughput Parcel Sorter sorts packages and bundles at 15,000 pieces per hour.
million trays
Tray sorting machines sort more than 18 million trays per day through conveyor systems.
of processing equipment
The Postal Service operates more than 8,500 pieces of automation equipment that processes and sorts the nation's mail.
Mobile Delivery Devices
Mobile Delivery Devices (MDDs) provide real-time scanning for daily delivery operations. There are more than 260,000 devices in use nationwide.
point-of-sale terminals
The Postal Service maintains 46,000 point-of-sale terminals, 2,733 self-service retail kiosks and 2,996 mobile point-of-sale handheld devices nationwide.
postage stamp
Out of this world! A postage stamp was inside the New Horizons spacecraft that made a flyby of Pluto in July 2015. That's the farthest distance traveled by a postage stamp - more than 3 billion miles. So noted by the Guinness World Records.
USPS and mailers
Postal Customer Councils (PCCs). These Postal Service-affiliated networks connect business mailers with local Post Office leadership to develop more effective and profitable mailings through training and information sharing. Since the 1960s, PCCs have been the go-to local resource for helping mailers learn, innovate and build their business. More information can be found at postalpro.usps.com/pcc.
Find more information at postalpro.usps.com/pcc.
providing technical advice
Postmaster General’s Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC). Representing select mailing associations, this group works to enhance the value of mail by providing technical advice and recommendations to the Postal Service. More information can be found at postalpro.usps.com/mtac.
annual industry conference
National Postal Forum (NPF). The annual mailing industry conference provides educational and networking opportunities for thousands of business customers. Attendees learn about the latest mail trends and innovations through more than 100 workshops and seminars. More information can be found at npf.org.
Find more information at npf.org.
stamps postmarked per hour
The Advanced Facer Canceller System positions letter mail and postmarks stamps at 36,000 pieces per hour.
The daily operations performed by the Postal Service depend on an astonishing network of people and technologies that collect, transport, process and deliver the nation’s mail.
miles of conveyors
The Postal Service is one of the largest material-handling systems in the world for moving mail. There are more than 200 miles of conveyors within postal facilities.
character recognition
The Postal Service is the world leader in optical character recognition technology, with machines reading nearly 98 percent of all hand-addressed letters and 99.5 percent of machine-printed mail.
Intelligent Mail
A unique Intelligent Mail barcode identifies individual pieces of mail, trays, sacks and containers to track them through the postal processing system from induction to delivery.
nearly $4B in revenue
Every Door Direct Mail - EDDM - is an online service that uses demographic data to help business mailers target their marketing mail pieces to customers in a select neighborhood, city or ZIP Code. Since 2011, EDDM has resulted in more than 20 billion pieces of mail and $3.8 billion in revenue.
The USPS Printer Directory provides customers free access to local print, design and mail preparation services for Every Door Direct Mail and other direct mail products through a searchable database and mapping program. More than 700 listings populate the directory that serves small and medium-size businesses nationwide.
Informed Delivery Customers
With Informed Delivery service, you can digitally preview your incoming mail and manage your packages from a computer, tablet or mobile device. More than 39 million customers have enrolled since it was launched in 2017.
Informed Delivery provides eligible residential customers with a digital preview of their household’s incoming mail scheduled to arrive soon. Users can view greyscale images of the exterior, address side of incoming letter-sized mail pieces (not the inside contents) via email or an online dashboard.
Informed Delivery also allows customers to track packages delivered by the Postal Service and see when they will be delivered.
For more information and to sign up, go to usps.com/informeddelivery.
handheld scanners
Our communications network supports and maintains more than 119,000 desktop computers, 33,000 notebook computers, 72,260 printers, 26,436 smartphones, 163,000 phone lines and 310,000 handheld scanners.
The Postal Service has one of the world’s largest computer networks — linking more than 31,000 facilities and connecting hundreds of thousands of employees and hundreds of systems.
There are 587 remote locations within the postal system that receive network connectivity via satellite.
USPS has 92.5 petabytes of storage capacity — equivalent to playing more than 234,177 years of songs with no repeats.
More than 192,000 meetings per month are hosted online, representing more than 63.5 million minutes of conference time.
robotics systems
The Postal Service has the largest gantry robotic fleet in the world using 174 robotics systems to move 314,000 mail trays per day.
We protect you and your mail.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement, crime prevention, and security arm of the U.S. Postal Service. Founded by Benjamin Franklin and established on August 7, 1775, the Inspection Service is one of the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agencies.
the frontier
Enforcing the law. Established Aug. 7, 1775. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service enforces federal laws, prevents crimes and keeps customers, employees and the mail safe.
It’s one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the nation. Postal Inspectors remain on the heels of the criminals — targeting theft, disrupting drug traffickers, warning about fraud scams and more.
The Inspection Service does this with approximately 2,400 employees — including nearly 1,300 Postal Inspectors, roughly 500 uniformed Postal Police Offices and 600 professional, technical and administrative support personnel — all working to ensure America’s confidence in the U.S. Mail.
African American Inspector
The first known African American postal inspector was Isaac Myers, Baltimore, MD, 1870.
Isaac Myers served from 1870 until 1879. During his employment he helped solve a number of notorious cases.
dark web arrests
In a massive global initiative aimed at dark web traffickers in 2020, Postal Inspectors worked with domestic and international partners on Operation DisrupTor. This incredible joint effort yielded the arrests of 85 dark web drug traffickers in the United States, the seizure of more than $6.5 million in both cash and virtual currencies as well as 63 firearms and more than 270 kilograms of narcotics kept off the streets.
synthetic opiods seized
The Inspection Service is committed to using the most advanced technology to stop fentanyl traffickers. Postal Inspectors use data, forensics and citizens’ tips to protect Americans and apprehend opioid dealers who send illegal drugs through the mail. In fiscal years 2017-2020, the USPIS seized 1,323 synthetic opioids, totaling 1,054 pounds.
security sweeps
From late October 2020 to mid-November, the Inspection Service conducted 1,856 security sweeps at facilities in all 50 states, including all 220 facilities that processed ballots, logging more than 11,567 hours dedicated to protecting the integrity of Election Mail.
arrest
In September 2020, Postal Inspectors announced the 50th arrest in a series of joint investigations into fraud against the Paycheck Protection Program, a key element of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The multi-agency effort uncovered more than $70 million in financial loss to the U.S. Government and other victims, with more than $175 million in attempted loss. Law enforcement seized more than $30 million in fraudulent funds held by the defendants.
arrests
In 2020, the Inspection Service reports 2,221 arrests for illegal narcotics-related cases.
Protect Veterans
Postal Inspectors, in partnership with AARP, promoted Operation Protect Veterans to raise awareness of scams that target military veterans. In 2020, a Postal Inspector testified before the Senate Special Committee about Operation Protect Veterans. Also, the Inspection Service launched a special web page dedicated to Operation Protect Veterans at https://www.uspis.gov/veterans.
assets seized
The Inspection Service seized 2,337 assets worth $83 million. 89 percent of assets seized were from illegal narcotics and related proceeds.
first female agents hired
In 1971, the Postal Inspection Service became one of the first federal law enforcement organizations to hire female agents.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service enforces federal laws, prevents crimes and keeps customers, employees and the mail safe. It’s one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the nation. These days our Inspectors remain on the heels of the criminals — targeting theft, disrupting drug traffickers, warning about fraud scams and more.
The Inspection Service does this with approximately 2,400 employees, including nearly 1,300 Postal Inspectors, roughly 500 uniformed Postal Police Officers and 600 professional, technical and administrative support personnel ensuring America’s confidence in the U.S. Mail.
items examined
In 2020, forensic scientists and specialists at the Postal Inspection Service's state-of-the-art National Forensic Laboratory examined more than 262,000 physical evidence items. 1,444 suspects were identified.
winning TV show
The Inspection Service uses various media platforms to educate the American public about scams and how to avoid them. A weekly TV series, The Inspectors, was based on real-life Postal Inspection Service cases. 104 episodes of the Emmy Award-winning scripted drama ran for four seasons on network television, reaching more than 200 million viewers. Episodes are currently airing daily at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, in syndication on the BYU Network.
for consumers
National Consumer Protection Week. During the Federal Trade Commission’s annual awareness campaign, the Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service provide customers with education, tools and information to combat identity theft and mail fraud. More information can be found at consumer.ftc.gov/features/national-consumer-protection-week.
investigations
In 2020, Postal Inspectors conducted 10 investigations in the use of mail to exploit children. They made 8 arrests and 11 convictions.
arrests
Postal Inspectors investigated 631 reported threats and assaults against postal employees during 2020. They made 259 arrests that resulted in 144 convictions.
suspicious mail incidents
Postal Inspectors responded to and investigated 2,356 suspicious mail incidents in 2020.
equipment recovered
Postal Inspectors in 2020 recovered misappropriated or stolen mail transport equipment worth $890,699.
federal laws enforced
Security. U.S. Mail is protected by more than 200 federal laws enforced by the Postal Inspection Service, one of the nation's oldest law enforcement agencies.
arrests
In 2020 Postal Inspectors reported 4,804 arrests and 3,643 convictions related to postal crimes, primarily those involving mail theft, mail fraud and prohibited mailings.
Discover fun and interesting geographic facts about the U.S. Postal Service!
Headquarters
The present Postal Service Headquarters building is located in Southwest Washington, D.C., just a few blocks south of the National Mall.
Postal Service Headquarters, 1973–Present
Vlastimil Koubek designed the present Postal Service Headquarters building, which is located in Southwest Washington, D.C., just a few blocks south of the National Mall.
Post Office Department Headquarters, 1899–1934
This granite building on Pennsylvania Avenue, not far from the White House, was the last to simultaneously house both postal headquarters and the Washington, D.C., Post Office. Horse-drawn wagons brought mail to the building in its early years. By the time postal Headquarters moved to a larger building, almost all mail was carried by motor vehicles.
LINCOLN
On May 7, 1833, 24-year-old Lincoln was appointed Postmaster of New Salem, Illinois. Lincoln served until the office was closed May 30, 1836.
Two Postmasters became U.S. Presidents later in their careers — Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman. Truman held the title and signed papers but immediately turned the position and its pay over to an assistant. Lincoln was the only President who had served as a Postmaster.
On May 7, 1833, 24-year-old Lincoln was appointed Postmaster of New Salem, Illinois. Lincoln served until the office was closed May 30, 1836. Postal records show that Lincoln earned $55.70 as Postmaster in fiscal year 1835 and $19.48 for one quarter’s work in fiscal year 1837. Besides his pay, Lincoln, as Postmaster, could send and receive personal letters free and get one daily newspaper delivered free. Mail arrived once a week. If an addressee did not collect the mail, as was the custom, Lincoln delivered it personally — usually carrying the mail in his hat. Even then, Lincoln was “Honest Abe.”
Reportedly, when the New Salem Post Office was discontinued, Lincoln had a balance of $16 or $18, which he took with him to Springfield, Illinois. Months later, while his close friend Dr. A. G. Henry was visiting, a Post Office agent called on Lincoln to collect the funds. Henry knew that Lincoln had been in financial straits and feared that he might not have the money. Henry recalled that just as he was about to offer Lincoln a loan, the future President:
“. . . went over to his trunk at his boarding house, and returned with an old blue sock with a quantity of silver and copper coin tied up in it. Untying the sock, he poured the contents on the table and proceeded to count the coin, which consisted of such silver and copper pieces as the country-people were then in the habit of using in paying postage. On counting it up there was found the exact amount, to a cent, of the draft, and in the identical coin which had been received. He never used, under any circumstances, trust funds.”
mail delivery
Ship Ahoy! The JW Westcott is a 45-foot contract mail boat out of Detroit that delivers mail to passing ships on the Detroit River. The JW Westcott has its own ZIP Code — 48222.
This is the J.W. Westcott II approaching a Canadian freighter on the Detroit River
POST OFFICE
The Peach Springs, AZ, Post Office has walk-in freezers for food destined for delivery to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by mule train.
in caves
No troglodytes here! The Stamp Fulfillment Service facility, located in Kansas City, MO, is located in a limestone cave 150 feet beneath the ground. It is the Postal Service’s only facility located underground.
The consistent, year-round temperatures and humidity levels in the caves allow the stamps to be maintained in mint-quality condition. The underground facility also keeps the inventory and employees safe from snow, flooding, winds and tornadic activity common in the Midwest.
delivery
The most unusual delivery method used by the Postal Service is a mule train in Arizona. The mules carry mail, food and supplies down an 9-mile trail to the Havasupai Indians at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Got mules? The most unusual mode of delivery used by the Postal Service is the mule train.
Since the 1930s, mules have been carrying mail and goods to the Havasupai people located inside the Grand Canyon.
cities
Ben, this one’s for you! Franklin is the most common city name — 31 so named — with Clinton and Washington tied for second (29 each) and Arlington at third (28). The most common post office name is Clinton, with 26 locations, followed by Madison at second (25) and Franklin and Washington tied for third (24).
miles long
The longest Main Street, located in Island Park, ID, is 33 miles long
Main streets
Main Street America is here and here and… The most common street name in the country is Main —13,425 of them — followed by Second with 9,600, Third with 9,077 and Maple with 8,880.
street deliveries
The ZIP Code with the most possible street deliveries is Cathedral Station, NY, 10025 - with 46,167!
Post Office
Our Post Office in Utqiagvik, North Slope of Alaska -- formerly Barrow (99723) and Wainwright (99782) -- experiences the coldest temperatures.
miles
The shortest rural delivery route is in Parker, CO. The carrier travels 2.3 miles and delivers to 869 boxes.
miles
The longest rural delivery route is in Phillipsburg, KS. The carrier travels 185.5 miles daily and delivers to 228 boxes.
easiest to remember
The easiest to remember ZIP Code is 12345, a unique ZIP Code for General Electric in Schenectady, NY.
ZIP Code number
The highest ZIP Code number is 99950 in Ketchikan, AK.
ZIP Code number
The lowest ZIP Code number is 00501, unique for the Internal Revenue Service in Holtsville, NY.
dock-to-dock
Dock-to-dock delivery on the Magnolia River in Alabama. A 15-foot contract mail boat delivers to 176 dock-side mailboxes on a 31-mile stretch of the river.
delivery with ZIP
Boat delivery is available on the Detroit River in Michigan. The JW Westcott is a 45-foot contract mail boat that delivers mail to passing ships and has its own ZIP Code: 48222.
feet underground
Stamp Fulfillment Services in Kansas City, MO, is located in a limestone cave 150 feet underground. It keeps inventory and employees safe from snow, flooding, winds and tornadoes common in the Midwest.
A BRIDGE
The Post Office in most need of a bridge is in Point Roberts, WA. It can be reached by car only by driving through British Columbia, Canada. Only a boat or float plane can travel directly there.
for food delivery
The most extraordinary Post Office is in Peach Springs, AZ. The building includes walk-in freezers for food destined for delivery to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by mule train.
Post Office
The second oldest Post Office location is in Castine, ME, from 1833.
Post Office
The Hinsdale, NH, Post Office (03451) has been located in the same building since 1816.
retail space
The largest U.S. Postal Service retail space is the James A. Farley Post Office in New York, NY (10001), at 33,100 square feet.
POST OFFICE
The smallest Post Office is located in Ochopee, FL (34141) and is 61.3 square feet. The building used to be a storage facility for irrigation pipes of an adjacent tomato farm. It was converted into a Post Office in 1953, after a fire that destroyed a previous Post Office and general store.
There is a sign beside the office that reads:
OCHOPEE POST OFFICE
Considered to be the smallest post office in the United States, this building was formerly an irrigation pipe shed belonging to the J.T. Gaunt Company tomato farm. It was hurriedly pressed into service by postmaster Sidney Brown after a disastrous night fire in 1953 burned Ochopee’s general store and post office. The present structure has been in continuous use ever since – as both a post office and ticket station for Trailway’s bus lines – and still services residents in a three-county area, including deliveries to Seminole and Miccosukee Indians living in the region. Daily business often includes requests from tourists and stamp collectors the world over for the famed Ochopee postmark. The property was acquired by the Wooten Family in 1992.
— Collier County Board of County Commissioners
in the middle
The most centered Post Office within the 48 contiguous states is located in Lebanon, KS.
Post Office of them all
The most centered Post Office within all 50 states is located in Belle Fourche, SD.
Utqiagvik, AK
The northernmost post office location within the 50 states is in Utqiagvik, AK (formerly Barrow).
within 48 states
The northernmost Post Office location within the 48 contiguous states is in Angle Inlet, MN.
within the 50 states
The southernmost Post Office location within the 50 states is located in Naalehu, HI.
within 48 states
The southernmost Post Office location within the 48 contiguous states is located in Key West, FL.
within the 50 states
The easternmost Post Office location in the 50 states is in Lubec, ME.
within the 50 states
The westernmost Post Office location in the 50 states is in Adak, AK.
in the 48 contiguous states
The westernmost Post Office location in the 48 contiguous states is in La Push, WA.
U.S. Post Office
The wettest Post Office is at Mt. Waialeale, near the Kapaa Post Office in Hawaii.
U.S. Post Office
The lowest U.S. Post Office is located in Death Valley, CA (92328), at 282 feet below sea level. This is also the driest and hottest Post Office location.
U.S. Post Office
The highest Post Office in the United States is located in Alma, CO (80420), at 10,578 feet above sea level.
Our priority is and always will be delivering great service that’s affordable and dependable. When you ship with Priority Mail, you get free shipping supplies, flat-rate options, insurance included, USPS Tracking and easy online tools. It all adds up to one of the best values in the shipping business!
BROKER
Label Broker. This service is easy! It solves the ever-increasing problem of customers conducting business online and not having access to print shipping labels.
With Label Broker, customers can get a shipping label on their mobile device, in the form of a QR Code, directly from the merchant. The customer uses the code to print a label at a Post Office or on a printer connected to usps.com. Label Broker is also the foundational technology that has enabled USPS Operation Santa to expand and evolve in a digital format.
For more information, go to www.usps.com/business/label-broker.htm
Group
The Postal Service is one of 37 members of the .POST Group. The UPU’s .POST Group, created in 2013, is a trusted internet domain, established exclusively for the global postal sector and sponsored by the UPU.
The mission of the .POST Group is to support the posts as they provide their customers with reliable and secure web services.
The .POST Group promotes innovation, integration and inclusion of postal activities on a uniquely secure platform, employing a rigorous UPU community membership and authentication process to deliver a safe, uncompromised and trustworthy customer experience.
More information can be found at upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union/About-UPU/Cooperatives-Boards/-POST-Group
Service Cooperative
The Postal Service is a member of the Express Mail Service (EMS) Cooperative. The EMS Cooperative was created by the UPU in 1999 to get the more than 180-member countries to work together to provide EMS – the fastest cross-border international postal product.
The EMS global network has the largest number of customer access points in the world, serving more than 5 billion citizens of member posts.
The overall market size for cross-border ecommerce has grown to more than 9 billion items each year, with expected growth to 13 billion by 2024. Note: these are pre-pandemic numbers.
More information can be found at post/en/global-network.
Post Group
The Postal Service is one of 11 members of the Kahala Post Group (KPG).
The KPG is an international alliance of the world’s largest postal administrations that collaborate to improve international postal services in the Asia-Pacific Rim region.
Launched in 2002 by six postal administrations, the KPG network accounts for almost half of the world’s internationally recognized Express Mail Service (EMS) traffic.
More information can be found at com/.
post corporation
The Postal Service is one of 25 members of the International Post Corporation (IPC). The IPC is a cooperative association of posts in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Since 1989, the IPC has created solutions and services that are used by more than 180 posts worldwide and is the leading service provider of the global postal industry. Collectively, IPC members deliver 80-percent of global mail volumes — more than 330 billion mail pieces each year.
More information can be found at ipc.be/.
Postal Union
The Postal Service is a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
• Established in 1874, the UPU, with its headquarters in Bern, Switzerland, is the second oldest international organization worldwide.
• With its 192-member countries, the UPU is the primary forum for cooperation between posts. The UPU helps to ensure a truly universal network of products and services.
• More information can be found at upu.int.
pounds
The Postal Service sends 3.3 million pounds of international, military and diplomatic mail and packages weekly, using 64 international airlines, comprised of 11 US Flag Carriers and their affiliates.
billion
International Mail is a $2.4 billion business for the Postal Service.
post office
Power, MT (59468), built in 2019. This is the first Post Office built using shipping containers.
Post Office
There is a 24-hour, unstaffed, self-service Post Office in Northern Virginia that allows customers to conduct most shipping and mailing transactions quickly and easily themselves. The Self-Service Post Office provides round-the-clock accessibility to PO Boxes, as well as self-service kiosks and an automated package drop.
In 2020, more than 8,000 customers took advantage of this convenient office.
in revenue
The Automated Package Verification (APV) program automates the detection and collection of postage due for mail pieces with insufficient postage using automated package processing equipment. The APV program collected $91.6 million in short-paid revenue and saved more than $239 million in short-paid postage in 2020.
usps.com sites
The top five usps.com sites in 2020 were USPS Tracking, Informed Delivery, The Postal Store, Change of Address and PO Locator.
In order of popularity, the top five usps.com sites in 2020:
package delivery
Our Sunday best. In 2020, the Postal Service continued to expand Sunday package delivery to meet the shipping needs of customers shopping online.
YOU!
Priority: YOU! The Postal Service priority is and always will be serving you. With free shipping supplies, flat-rate options, $50 worth of free insurance, improved tracking and easy online tools, Priority Mail offers you one of the best values in the shipping business.
Here’s more you should know:
Priority Mail Express offers you overnight delivery to most U.S. locations with up to $100 of insurance coverage included with most shipments.
With Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes and envelopes, there’s no need to weigh or calculate postage of packages up to 70 pounds.
Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes, envelopes and labels, as well as customs pouches for international mailing products are available at no charge. They can be ordered at usps.com and delivered to your door or picked up at a local Post Office.
Priority Mail is the environmental choice — boxes are recyclable!
Click-N-Ship labels
Click-N-Ship customers can print shipping labels with postage for Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Priority Mail International, Priority Mail Express International and First-Class Package International Service. In 2020, Click-N-Ship customers created more than 43.1 million labels, which generated more than $533 million in sales.
million visitors
In 2020, there were more than 53 million visitors to m.usps.com, the USPS Mobile app, averaging more than 143,000 visits per day.
downloads
There's a Post Office on your phone. In 2020, the Postal Service app -- USPS Mobile -- was downloaded more than 5.5 million times from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
The free usps.com iPhone app was launched in 2009.
Some of the most popular functions currently available on usps.com — Informed Delivery, USPS Tracking, Post Office Locator, ZIP Code Lookup, calculating postage, holding mail, requesting Package Pickup and ordering shipping supplies — are now available on most smart phones.
point-of-sale terminals
The Postal Service maintains 46,000 point-of-sale terminals, 2,733 self-service retail kiosks and 2,996 mobile point-of-sale handheld devices nationwide.
SSK revenue
In 2020, the Postal Service received $343.5 million in revenue from 2,732 postal self-service kiosks (SSK).
passport applications
The Postal Service accepted 4.34 million passport applications in 2020.
Postal Service revenue from passport applications was $298 million.
historic buildings
More than 1,400 postal-owned buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Our History is the History of America
They are treasures. But they’re not hidden. Many of our buildings are historical properties. Inside -and outside – many of our Post Offices, you’ll find impressive works of art that reflect the stories of our people and our nation.
providing technical advice
Postmaster General’s Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC). Representing select mailing associations, this group works to enhance the value of mail by providing technical advice and recommendations to the Postal Service. More information can be found at postalpro.usps.com/mtac.
annual industry conference
National Postal Forum (NPF). The annual mailing industry conference provides educational and networking opportunities for thousands of business customers. Attendees learn about the latest mail trends and innovations through more than 100 workshops and seminars. More information can be found at npf.org.
Find more information at npf.org.
boxes in Military Care Kit
Who cares? We care. The kit contains six Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes — two large-sized and four medium-sized — six address labels, one roll of tape and six customs forms, and can be ordered at no charge at usps.com/shop or by calling (800) 610-8734.
The Postal Service is the best way to ship directly to APO, FPO and DPO locations with the Military Care Kit.
The Military Care Kit and special pricing make it easier than ever before to send care packages to the ones you love stationed overseas.
ounce free
Commercial mailers can use the third ounce of First-Class presort letters to enclose promotional materials like coupons and advertising for their customers with no extra charge by the Postal Service.
mailpieces
With Picture Permit Indicia, commercial mailers can modify the permit imprint indicia on First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail with a corporate logo, brand image or trademark to raise brand awareness and market products and services.
nearly $4B in revenue
Every Door Direct Mail - EDDM - is an online service that uses demographic data to help business mailers target their marketing mail pieces to customers in a select neighborhood, city or ZIP Code. Since 2011, EDDM has resulted in more than 20 billion pieces of mail and $3.8 billion in revenue.
The USPS Printer Directory provides customers free access to local print, design and mail preparation services for Every Door Direct Mail and other direct mail products through a searchable database and mapping program. More than 700 listings populate the directory that serves small and medium-size businesses nationwide.
retail Post Offices
There are 31,330 Postal Service-managed retail Post Offices in the United States.
million customer visits
The Postal Service recorded 768.1 million retail customer visits during 2020.
Informed Delivery Customers
With Informed Delivery service, you can digitally preview your incoming mail and manage your packages from a computer, tablet or mobile device. More than 39 million customers have enrolled since it was launched in 2017.
Informed Delivery provides eligible residential customers with a digital preview of their household’s incoming mail scheduled to arrive soon. Users can view greyscale images of the exterior, address side of incoming letter-sized mail pieces (not the inside contents) via email or an online dashboard.
Informed Delivery also allows customers to track packages delivered by the Postal Service and see when they will be delivered.
For more information and to sign up, go to usps.com/informeddelivery.
retail space
The largest U.S. Postal Service retail space is the James A. Farley Post Office in New York, NY (10001), at 33,100 square feet.
RETAIL NETWORK
Retail giant. With more than 31,000 retail offices, the Postal Service has the nation's largest retail network — bigger than McDonald’s — bigger than Starbucks — bigger than Walmart.
money orders
The Postal Service issues 254,000 money orders daily.
During 2020, the Postal Service issued 77.1 million money orders.
online sales
The Postal Service brings in $1.2 million from online stamp and retail sales at The Postal Store at usps.com.
million visits
There are 10.1 million daily visits to usps.com.
package pickup
With Package Pickup, you can go online to request Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail packages be picked up at your home or offices as part of your mail carrier’s regular route — for free.
usps.com visits
In 2020, usps.com recorded 3.7 billion visits -- averaging more than 10 million visitors each day. It's one of the most frequently visited government sites.
online sales
In 2020, stamp and retail sales at The Postal Store on usps.com -- the official online Post Office -- totaled $425 million.
The Postal Service is part of the fabric of the nation with employees making a difference in every community across the country. Here’s a look at some of the programs and causes our organization supports.
LINK
Link, a daily news site for Postal Service employees, is available on any computer with internet access. The content is produced by a team of writers and editors based at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. Additional contributions come from postal employees across the nation. The site is updated with new articles, photos, graphics and videos each weekday.
Regular features include “Heroes’ Corner,” a column about employees who perform heroic deeds, and “The List,” a weekly roundup of interesting facts about USPS.
Employees with postal email addresses receive a Link email each weekday with links to the most recent stories. The team also produces an end-of-week Link Recap email with stories readers might have missed, along with Link Extra emails for breaking news.
Link mobile is a mobile-friendly version of the Link site. Link mobile has all the news you’ll find on the desktop version of Link, except it’s formatted for easy reading on handheld smart devices. Employees and others can receive a weekly Link mobile email by subscribing at www.usps.link.
PROUD
#Postal Proud. The #PostalProud program recognizes employees for the work they do every day. It provides employees at every level of the organization with an opportunity to share why they are proud to be a postal employee.
More than 1,500 employees in 349 unique jobs have been recognized since its inception in 2018.
diversity
The Postal Service workforce remains one of the most diverse organizations in the nation. Our pride in serving the American public is a common thread that unites us.
female PMG
The first female Postmaster General was Megan J. Brennan, Washington, DC, 2015.
African American on stamp
The first African American on a stamp was Booker T. Washington, 1940.
Native American on a stamp
The first Native American on a stamp was Pocahontas, 1907.
Hispanic American on a stamp
The first Hispanic American on a stamp was Adm. David Farragut, 1903.
African American Inspector
The first known African American postal inspector was Isaac Myers, Baltimore, MD, 1870.
Isaac Myers served from 1870 until 1879. During his employment he helped solve a number of notorious cases.
woman on a stamp
The first American woman on a U.S. postage stamp was Martha Washington, 1902.
African American Carrier
The first known African American mail carrier was James B. Christian, Richmond, VA, 1869.
African American Postmaster
The first known African American Postmaster was James W. Mason, Sunny Side, AR, 1867.
female mail carrier
The first known female mail carrier was Sarah Black, mail messenger, Charlestown, MD, 1845.
postmaster
The first known female Postmaster in the United Colonies was Mary Katherine Goddard, Baltimore, MD, 1775.
African American Postmasters
African Americans worked as Postmasters, clerks and carriers beginning in the 1860s — 100 years before the Civil Rights era brought wider opportunity in the American workplace.
postmasters
Women served as Postmasters in this country more than a century before they won the right to vote.
Veterans
Veterans. The Postal Service employs nearly 73,000 military veterans, making it one of the largest employers of veterans in the country. The organization has also issued more than 140 stamps honoring the nation’s military history, including the Service Cross Medals stamps.
workforce
The Postal Service invests more than $590 million in training its workforce. The organization encourages employees to take advantage of self-paced career development by offering 7,600 online courses and 26 educational partnerships offering discounts towards degree and certification programs.
minorities
Minorities comprise 49 percent of the Postal Service workforce. The strength of the organization lies in its amazing diversity.
career options
With more than 2,000 career possibilities, the Postal Service is full of opportunity. From letter carriers, mail processing clerks, tractor-trailer operators, engineers, mail handlers, nurses, postmasters, mechanics and more - all the way up to the Postmaster General.
unions
The Postal Service has collective bargaining agreements with seven different unions, representing nearly 500,000 employees.
responsibility
Social Responsibility. The Postal Service supports communities nationwide. These efforts include facilitating the nation’s largest one-day food drive, working with customers to prevent dog bites, educating customers on consumer protection, and delivering holiday magic to those in need.
deciphering
You call that scribble legible? Employees at the Remote Encoding Center in Salt Lake City, UT, are responsible for deciphering terribly handwritten or shoddily printed addresses.
delivery
Although it was against postal regulations, in the early days of Parcel Post, a few parents managed to mail their children to relatives. In 1913, an 8-month-old baby in Ohio was mailed by his parents to his grandmother who lived a few miles away.
Grandma, can you babysit?
Just a few weeks after Parcel Post began, Jesse and Mathilda Beagle “mailed” their 8-month-old son James to his grandmother, who lived a few miles away near Batavia, Ohio. Baby Beagle was just under the initial 11-pound limit for parcels. Rural Carrier Vernon Lytle picked up the baby from his parents’ house and carried him in his mail wagon to his grandmother’s house. The postage was fifteen cents, and the “parcel” was insured for $50. Although it was against postal regulations, several children traveled via U.S. Mail in the early years of Parcel Post. Initially the only animals that were allowed in the mail were bees and bugs. In 1918, day-old chicks were allowed in the mail. In 1919, some additional “harmless live animals” were permitted, but children did not fall into this category.
dollars
Every two weeks, the Postal Service pays $2.1 billion in salaries and benefits.
Postmaster General
Louis DeJoy is the 75th Postmaster General of the United States.
historic buildings
More than 1,400 postal-owned buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Our History is the History of America
They are treasures. But they’re not hidden. Many of our buildings are historical properties. Inside -and outside – many of our Post Offices, you’ll find impressive works of art that reflect the stories of our people and our nation.
resolving disputes
The Postal Service's Judicial Officer Department is a court system that conducts hearings and neutrally resolves a wide variety of disputes involving postal matters. Its independent decisions involve contract disputes, employee debt disputes, mail disputes and mail fraud, among many other areas.
USPS and mailers
Postal Customer Councils (PCCs). These Postal Service-affiliated networks connect business mailers with local Post Office leadership to develop more effective and profitable mailings through training and information sharing. Since the 1960s, PCCs have been the go-to local resource for helping mailers learn, innovate and build their business. More information can be found at postalpro.usps.com/pcc.
Find more information at postalpro.usps.com/pcc.
providing technical advice
Postmaster General’s Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC). Representing select mailing associations, this group works to enhance the value of mail by providing technical advice and recommendations to the Postal Service. More information can be found at postalpro.usps.com/mtac.
annual industry conference
National Postal Forum (NPF). The annual mailing industry conference provides educational and networking opportunities for thousands of business customers. Attendees learn about the latest mail trends and innovations through more than 100 workshops and seminars. More information can be found at npf.org.
Find more information at npf.org.
official motto
The U.S. Postal Service has no official motto. Nope, it’s not this: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” But we appreciate the sentiment. Those words are engraved on the front of the James A. Farley Post Office in NYC, set in stone by the architectural firm that built it. The phrase is taken from an ancient book by the Greek historian Herodotus and refers to messengers in the Persian Empire.
About that motto…
The phrase comes from book 8, paragraph 98, of The Persian Wars by Herodotus, a Greek historian. During the wars between the Greeks and Persians (500-449 B.C.), the Persians operated a system of mounted postal couriers who served with great fidelity.
The popular belief that Herodotus’s description of the Persian postal service is about the U.S. Postal Service is a tribute to the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have delivered the mail reliably and dependably, through all conditions, for centuries.
Postmaster General
The Post Office Department was founded in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. His annual salary was $1,000. Before 1971, the PMG was a Cabinet member.
Military Postal Service Agency formed
The Military Postal Service Agency was formed in 1980, consolidating the postal operations of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. The Department of Defense designated the Secretary of the Army as the single military mail manager.
Military and Diplomatic Mail in brief.
boxes in Military Care Kit
Who cares? We care. The kit contains six Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes — two large-sized and four medium-sized — six address labels, one roll of tape and six customs forms, and can be ordered at no charge at usps.com/shop or by calling (800) 610-8734.
The Postal Service is the best way to ship directly to APO, FPO and DPO locations with the Military Care Kit.
The Military Care Kit and special pricing make it easier than ever before to send care packages to the ones you love stationed overseas.
for consumers
National Consumer Protection Week. During the Federal Trade Commission’s annual awareness campaign, the Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service provide customers with education, tools and information to combat identity theft and mail fraud. More information can be found at consumer.ftc.gov/features/national-consumer-protection-week.
military veterans
Veterans. The Postal Service employs nearly 73,000 military veterans, making it one of the largest employers of veterans in the country.
The organization has also issued more than 140 stamps honoring the nation’s military history, including the Service Cross Medals stamps.
dog attacks
Thousands of carriers deliver to homes with dogs every day. The Postal Service promotes safety initiatives and shares prevention tips to protect employees and customers from dog bites. In 2020, more than 5,800 postal employees were attacked by dogs in 2,270 cities.
million people
All heart. The Postal Service is at the core of the $1.6 trillion U.S. mailing industry that employs more than 7.3 million people.
employee heroes
Heroes. Postal employees regularly go beyond the call of duty to protect the lives of customers they serve, including older and disabled customers through the Carrier Alert Program. In fiscal year 2020, the Postal Service recognized 186 heroic employees.
letter carriers
Nearly 74,000 letter carriers drive to neighborhoods and then deliver the mail on foot. Nearly 7,000 carriers deliver mail entirely on foot -- the USPS Fleet of Feet. Mail is delivered by bicycle on select routes in Arizona and Florida, reducing emissions and saving fuel.
Pony Express
The Pony Express was in operation only from April 3, 1860, to Oct. 26, 1861. It was never part of the U.S. Postal Service.
That’s no pony, that’s a big horse
The official name for the “Pony Express” was the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Co. Before they were hired, riders had to swear on a Bible not to curse, fight or abuse their animals. Orphans were preferred. The service was in operation only from April 3, 1860, to Oct. 26, 1861. It operated as a U.S. Mail route during its final 4 months.
On April 3, 1860, the first Pony Express mail, traveling by horse and rider relay teams, simultaneously leaves St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. Ten days later, on April 13, the westbound rider and mail packet completed the 1,800-mile journey and arrived in Sacramento, beating the eastbound packet’s arrival in St. Joseph by two days and setting a new standard for speedy mail delivery. The Pony Express was by far the most effective way to communicate cross-country—until the telegraph came along. After 18 months in operation, the system was shuttered on October 26, 1861, and the last remaining mail was delivered.
The Pony Express National Historic Trail was designated to preserve the story and routes of this nationally significant trail and to support the associated sites that preserve its history. Learn more at https://www.nps.gov/poex
one-day food drive
Every year, the Postal Service and the National Association of Letter Carriers hold the largest one-day food drive in the nation. In 2020, the food drive was cancelled due to the pandemic. The program has collected more than 1.7 billion pounds of food since the campaign began in 1993.
We make the connection. Friends and families, businesses and customers. The United States Postal Service delivers to every address in America, from the biggest cities to the smallest hamlets. The U.S. Mail is part of the fundamental infrastructure of this nation. It is a basic connection between all of the people and all of their institutions. This is our mandate — binding the nation together. This is our commitment — providing secure, reliable, affordable delivery of mail and packages. Always have, always will. It’s what we do.
mail pieces daily
The Postal Service processed and delivered an average of 429.9M mail pieces daily in 2020.
bargain
The price of a First-Class postage stamp is a global bargain.
pounds
The Postal Service sends 3.3 million pounds of international, military and diplomatic mail and packages weekly, using 64 international airlines, comprised of 11 US Flag Carriers and their affiliates.
billion
International Mail is a $2.4 billion business for the Postal Service.
GLOBALLY
The Postal Service is worldwide, shipping to many countries and working closely with other posts to improve service and increase its annual share of the international shipping market at the same time.
Most of the International Mail revenue is generated from outbound services that allow customers in the United States to send mail and packages abroad.
size and scope
The U.S. Postal Service delivers more mail than any other post in the world. The Postal Service serves 161.4 million addresses in the country — covering every state, city and town. Everyone living in the United States and its territories has access to postal products and services and pays the same for a First-Class Mail postage stamp regardless of location.
retail offices
There are 31,330 Postal Service-managed retail offices. This number doesn't include contract offices.
leased properties
The Postal Service leased 23,050 properties in 2020.
owned properties
The Postal Service owns 8,440 properties around the country.
social network
The Postal Service is the original social network, but that doesn't mean we aren't represented on the others. You can find the Postal Service on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Veterans
Veterans. The Postal Service employs nearly 73,000 military veterans, making it one of the largest employers of veterans in the country. The organization has also issued more than 140 stamps honoring the nation’s military history, including the Service Cross Medals stamps.
is going green
The Postal Service is working hard to put its stamp on a greener tomorrow for the many communities we serve. Postal carriers deliver mail using alternative fuel vehicles, on foot and even on bicycles. The 2020 energy reduction in postal buildings equated to powering more than 36,000 U.S. homes and the Postal Service is expanding solar powered facilities in 2021.
driven
The Postal Service uses data not only to ensure its operations run smoothly, but also to help businesses make better use of the mail. Its mission is to provide the right information to the right people in real time using advanced technology.
enabled
The Postal Service uses a vast network of people and advanced technologies to collect, process, transport and accurately deliver the nation’s mail in an increasingly digital world.
workforce
The Postal Service invests more than $590 million in training its workforce. The organization encourages employees to take advantage of self-paced career development by offering 7,600 online courses and 26 educational partnerships offering discounts towards degree and certification programs.
and adaptable
The Postal Service has a long and storied history of creating new technologies for the American people — enabling faster, more efficient communication and safer, more secure delivery of correspondence and merchandise. For nearly two-and-a-half centuries, it has adapted to meet the evolving needs of its customers.
sufficient
As an independent establishment of the executive branch, the Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. Since it is not funded by annual appropriations from Congress, it is not subject to government shutdowns.
focused
With more than 34,000 retail locations, more than 10 million daily visits on usps.com and delivering to 148.6 million residences and 12.8 million businesses at least 6 days a week, the Postal Service is committed to providing a positive customer experience.
service
Everyone living in the United States and its territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Mariana Islands) has access to postal products and services and pays the same for a First-Class Mail postage stamp regardless of their location.
domestic trademarks
Leaving a mark! The Postal Service has 475 domestic and 966 foreign trademark registrations.
of our domains
The Postal Service owns 1,884 internet domains
vehicle batteries
We keep running and running! The Postal Service purchased 84,000 vehicle batteries in 2020.
to see you with
The Postal Service ordered 550,000 wiper blades in 2020.
deliver!
The Postal Service moves mail by planes, hovercraft, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, subways, bicycles, mules and feet. #WeDeliverForYou
public service
The Postal Service provides a vital public service that is a part of the nation's critical infrastructure. The statute that created the Postal Service begins with the following sentence: “The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by an Act of Congress, and supported by the people.” 39 U.S.C. §101(a).
tires
The Postal Service purchased 703,000 tires in 2020. If they were placed side-by-side, this tire line would measure 360 miles - the distance between New York City and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
mailpieces each hour
On average, the Postal Service processes 17.7 million mail pieces each hour, 295,000 each minute and 5,000 each second.
rubber bands
The Postal Service ordered more than 717 million rubber bands in 2020, totaling about 39,304 miles of material that could wrap around Earth 1.6 times!
SSK revenue
In 2020, the Postal Service received $343.5 million in revenue from 2,732 postal self-service kiosks (SSK).
dollars
Every two weeks, the Postal Service pays $2.1 billion in salaries and benefits.
of the world's mail
Forty-six percent of the world's mail volume is processed and delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
Postmaster General
Louis DeJoy is the 75th Postmaster General of the United States.
passport applications
The Postal Service accepted 4.34 million passport applications in 2020.
Postal Service revenue from passport applications was $298 million.
if private sector
If it were a private sector company, the Postal Service would rank 46th in the 2020 Fortune 500. In the 2020 Global Fortune 500 list, we ranked 141st.
corporate emails daily
With one of the largest corporate email systems, in 2020, the Postal Service handled more than 5.3 million legitimate emails a day delivered to more than 216,000 email accounts.
Staying connected
The Postal Service has one of the world’s largest computer networks — linking more than 31,000 facilities and connecting hundreds of thousands of employees and hundreds of systems.
In 2020:
official motto
The U.S. Postal Service has no official motto. Nope, it’s not this: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” But we appreciate the sentiment. Those words are engraved on the front of the James A. Farley Post Office in NYC, set in stone by the architectural firm that built it. The phrase is taken from an ancient book by the Greek historian Herodotus and refers to messengers in the Persian Empire.
About that motto…
The phrase comes from book 8, paragraph 98, of The Persian Wars by Herodotus, a Greek historian. During the wars between the Greeks and Persians (500-449 B.C.), the Persians operated a system of mounted postal couriers who served with great fidelity.
The popular belief that Herodotus’s description of the Persian postal service is about the U.S. Postal Service is a tribute to the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have delivered the mail reliably and dependably, through all conditions, for centuries.
ZIP Codes
There are 41,692 ZIP Codes in the country.
ZIP Codes range from 00501, belonging to the Internal Revenue Service in Holtsville, NY, to 99950 in Ketchikan, AK. Easiest to remember? How about 12345, a unique ZIP Code for General Electric in Schenectady, NY.
Quick! What’s that ZIP Code?
The ZIP Code was introduced in 1963. The first number represents a general geographic area of the nation, “0” in the East moving to “9” in the West. The next two numbers indicate regional areas and the final two, specific Post Offices or postal zones in larger cities. Make it a ZIP+4 Code, introduced in 1983, and mail can be sorted to specific streets, buildings, houses and businesses. Today, ZIP Codes are important parts of the nation’s 911 emergency system. ZIP = Zone or Zoning Improvement Plan.
billion miles
Stellar performance! During 2020, Postal Service employees traveled 1.2 billion miles to deliver your mail, equivalent to 48,191 laps around Earth, 5,023 trips to the moon or 13 trips to the sun. *Based on the average moon and sun distance.
countries
The Military Postal Service provides service in 67 countries. There are 678 land-based and 389 onboard-ship Military Post Offices. The U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Post Office serves 32,500 customers at 184 diplomatic missions across 103 countries around the world. There are 1,200 ZIP Codes within the Military and Diplomatic Postal Service around the world.
Operation Santa
For 108 years, postal employees and the American public have helped bring more magic to the holiday season, one letter to Santa at a time.
In 1912, Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters to allow postal employees and citizens to respond to letters addressed to Santa Claus and the program came to be known as Operation Santa.
In the 1940s, mail volume increased to the point where the Post Office Department invited charitable organizations and corporations to participate for philanthropic purposes —providing written responses and small gifts.
Through the years, the program has taken on a life of its own and today cities around the country have established successful programs with recognized charitable organizations, major corporations, local businesses and postal employees making a major difference in the lives of the children from coast to coast.
In 2017, the Postal Service launched a pilot test of a digital Operation Santa option for residents of New York City. People living in New York City, within proximity of the James A. Farley building could adopt letters online and ship gifts from JAF. Puerto Rico was also added after the hurricanes that year.
In 2018, the Postal Service expanded the 2017 pilot test to include 6 additional cities (Austin, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Washington DC – and Puerto Rico and Chico, CA (site of wildfires). Letters from those locations populated the website and people in those locations only could adopt them and ship from one dedicated post office per city.
In 2019, the digital program continued to expand. Letters were accepted letters from 17 locations, and the letters could be adopted by anyone in the country. Gifts could be shipped from more than 19,000 post offices.
In 2020, the program expanded nationwide for the first time. More than 1 million people visited USPSOperationSanta.com. Generous customers shipped more than 21,000 packages to the families and children who wrote to Santa to help them have a happier holiday.
billion operating revenue
The Postal Service had $73.1 billion in operating revenue in 2020
career employees
There were 495,941 career employees in 2020. The number of non-career employees was 148,092.
billion mail volume
Total mail volume in 2020 was 129.2 billion.
million delivery points
The Postal Service prides itself on going the last mile to deliver the mail. We served 161.4 million delivery points nationwide in 2020 with 1.5 million new delivery points added to the network.
address changes
Nearly 36 million address changes were processed in 2020.
Internet Change-of-Address enables customers to change addresses online, and it offers them coupons for move-related products and services. More than 20 million address changes were submitted online in 2020.
retail Post Offices
There are 31,330 Postal Service-managed retail Post Offices in the United States.
million customer visits
The Postal Service recorded 768.1 million retail customer visits during 2020.
billion retail revenue
In 2020, retail revenue totaled $12.7 billion.
million people
All heart. The Postal Service is at the core of the $1.6 trillion U.S. mailing industry that employs more than 7.3 million people.
postal vehicles
Vehicles. The Postal Service has more than 231,000 vehicles, one of the largest civilian fleets in the world. New next-generation vehicles will have improved ergonomics, safety features, fuel efficiency and design flexibility.
cents
Affordability. For 55 cents, anyone can send a letter, regardless of geographic location, to anywhere in the United States.
letter carriers
Nearly 74,000 letter carriers drive to neighborhoods and then deliver the mail on foot. Nearly 7,000 carriers deliver mail entirely on foot -- the USPS Fleet of Feet. Mail is delivered by bicycle on select routes in Arizona and Florida, reducing emissions and saving fuel.
tax dollars
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
usps.com visits
In 2020, usps.com recorded 3.7 billion visits -- averaging more than 10 million visitors each day. It's one of the most frequently visited government sites.
online sales
In 2020, stamp and retail sales at The Postal Store on usps.com -- the official online Post Office -- totaled $425 million.
Postage stamps are miniature works of art designed to reflect the American experience. They highlight heroes, history, milestones, achievements and natural wonders. There’s a story behind every stamp.
on Stamps
All 50 states have been commemorated on postage stamps. They are each honored in 50 year increments from their inception date.
in caves
No troglodytes here! The Stamp Fulfillment Service facility, located in Kansas City, MO, is located in a limestone cave 150 feet beneath the ground. It is the Postal Service’s only facility located underground.
The consistent, year-round temperatures and humidity levels in the caves allow the stamps to be maintained in mint-quality condition. The underground facility also keeps the inventory and employees safe from snow, flooding, winds and tornadic activity common in the Midwest.
African American on stamp
The first African American on a stamp was Booker T. Washington, 1940.
Native American on a stamp
The first Native American on a stamp was Pocahontas, 1907.
Hispanic American on a stamp
The first Hispanic American on a stamp was Adm. David Farragut, 1903.
woman on a stamp
The first American woman on a U.S. postage stamp was Martha Washington, 1902.
murals and sculptures
More than 1,400 murals and/or sculptures from President Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs are in our Post Offices around the nation.
Five murals were featured on First-Class postage stamps in 2019
first Native American stamp
The first Native American featured on a U.S. postage stamp was Pocahontas in 1907.
1st Hispanic American stamp
The first Hispanic American featured on a U.S. postage stamp was Adm. David Farragut in 1903.
foil
In 2020, the Postal Service released several stamps that highlighted printing technologies that were new to the production of our stamps, including the Innovation stamps that used rainbow holographic foil.
What a great idea!
In 2020, the Postal Service released several stamps that highlighted stamp printing technologies.
postage stamps
People once had to pay for the postage on the letters they received. That resulted in a lot of mail being returned because the recipient didn't want to spend the money. Prepaid postage stamps, introduced in 1847, solved this problem.
first woman on stamp
The first woman to appear on a U.S. postage stamp was Queen Isabella in 1893. The first American woman honored on stamp was Martha Washington in 1902.
no more
Stick the landing! In 1992, pressure-sensitive self-adhesive stamps rolled out nationally. By 2005, 98 percent of all stamps were this type.
and forever
The first Forever stamp, issued in 2007, was an image of the Liberty Bell. Forever stamps are purchased at the current First-Class Mail postage price and remain valid for full postage no matter how prices change.
supporting causes
The first "discretionary" semipostal stamp has raised more than $1 million for research into a cure for Alzheimer's disease since it was issued in 2017. More than 8.3 million Alzheimer's stamps have been sold to date.
Supporting causes in the public interest
Semipostal stamps are First-Class Mail stamps sold at a price above the cost of a regular stamp and raise funds for designated causes.
The second “discretionary” semipostal stamp, Healing PTSD, issued in 2019, to help raise funds for those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 9.6 million stamps have been sold to date, raising more than $962,000.
In addition to these new discretionary semipostal stamps, previously issued semipostal stamps support funds designated by Congress. They are: Breast Cancer Research (1998), Heroes of 2001 (2002), Stop Family Violence (2003) and Save Vanishing Species (2011).
postage stamps printed
In 2020, 13.7 billion U.S. postage stamps were printed, and $736.1 million in stamps and stamp product orders were received by mail, telephone at 1-800-STAMP-24 and online at usps.com/stamps.
postage stamp
Out of this world! A postage stamp was inside the New Horizons spacecraft that made a flyby of Pluto in July 2015. That's the farthest distance traveled by a postage stamp - more than 3 billion miles. So noted by the Guinness World Records.
military veterans
Veterans. The Postal Service employs nearly 73,000 military veterans, making it one of the largest employers of veterans in the country.
The organization has also issued more than 140 stamps honoring the nation’s military history, including the Service Cross Medals stamps.
cents
Affordability. For 55 cents, anyone can send a letter, regardless of geographic location, to anywhere in the United States.
breast cancer research
The Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp has raised more than $92.2 million for breast cancer research since 1998. More than 1.07 billion stamps have been sold.
In addition, the Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp has raised more than $6.1 million to support Multinational Species Conservation Funds since 2011. More than 54.7 million stamps have been sold.
Veterans. The Postal Service employs nearly 73,000 military veterans, making it one of the largest employers of veterans in the country. The organization has also issued more than 140 stamps honoring the nation’s military history, including the Service Cross Medals stamps.
Social Responsibility. The Postal Service supports communities nationwide. These efforts include facilitating the nation’s largest one-day food drive, working with customers to prevent dog bites, educating customers on consumer protection, and delivering holiday magic to those in need.
Forty-six percent of the world's mail volume is processed and delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
All heart. The Postal Service is at the core of the $1.6 trillion U.S. mailing industry that employs more than 7.3 million people.
Heroes. Postal employees regularly go beyond the call of duty to protect the lives of customers they serve, including older and disabled customers through the Carrier Alert Program. In fiscal year 2020, the Postal Service recognized 186 heroic employees.
Greener than you think. Free Priority Mail boxes meet Sustainable Forestry initiative and Forest Stewardship Council certification standards. This means the paper for those boxes comes from well-managed forests. In addition, the boxes include at least 30-percent recycled content.
Retail giant. With more than 31,000 retail offices, the Postal Service has the nation's largest retail network — bigger than McDonald’s — bigger than Starbucks — bigger than Walmart.
Vehicles. The Postal Service has more than 231,000 vehicles, one of the largest civilian fleets in the world. New next-generation vehicles will have improved ergonomics, safety features, fuel efficiency and design flexibility.
Competition and collaboration. The Postal Service both competes and collaborates with the private sector. UPS and FedEx pay the Postal Service to deliver hundreds of millions of their ground packages, and USPS pays UPS and FedEx for air transportation.
Affordability. For 55 cents, anyone can send a letter, regardless of geographic location, to anywhere in the United States.
Dependable. The Postal Service is the only organization in the country that has the resources, network infrastructure and logistical capability to regularly deliver to every residential and business address in the nation.
Security. U.S. Mail is protected by more than 200 federal laws enforced by the Postal Inspection Service, one of the nation's oldest law enforcement agencies.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
We make the connections. Friends and families, businesses and customers. We deliver to every address in America, from the biggest cities to the smallest hamlets. This is our mandate — binding the nation together. This is our commitment — providing secure, reliable, affordable delivery of mail and packages. Always have, always will. It’s what we do.
All figures are for one fiscal year.
* As of September 30, 2020
**Mail bearing postage stamps — bill payments, personal correspondence, cards and letters, etc.
***Includes Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, First-Class Packages, Package Services, Parcel Return Service and Parcel Select.
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Annual operating revenue |
$73.1 B | $71.1 B | $70.6 B | $69.6 B | $71.4 B | $68.8 B | $67.8 B | $67.3 B | $65.2 B | $65.7 B |
Career employees* |
495,941 | 496,934 | 497,157 | 503,103 | 508,908 | 491,863 | 488,300 | 491,017 | 528,458 | 557,251 |
Mail volume |
129.2 B | 142.6 B | 146.4 B | 149.5 B | 154.3 B | 154.3 B | 155.5 B | 158.2 B | 159.8 B | 168.3 B |
First-Class Mail volume |
52.6 B | 54.9 B | 56.7 B | 58.7 B | 61.2 B | 62.6 B | 63.8 B | 65.8 B | 68.7 B | 72.5 B |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
First-Class Single Piece Mail volume** |
15.2 B | 16.5 B | 17.5 B | 18.5 B | 19.7 B | 20.7 B | 21.8 B | 22.6 B | 23.2 B | 25.8 B |
Shipping/Package volume*** |
7.3 B | 6.2 B | 6.2 B | 5.7 B | 5.2 B | 4.5 B | 4 B | 3.7 B | 3.5 B | 3.3 B |
Marketing mail volume |
64.1 B | 75.7 B | 77.3 B | 78.3 B | 80.9 B | 80 B | 80.3 B | 80.8 B | 79.5 B | 84.0 B |
Delivery points |
161.4 M | 160 M | 158.6 M | 157.3 M | 156.1 M | 155 M | 153.9 M | 152.9 M | 152.1 M | 151.5 M |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
Address changes |
35.9 M | 35.8 M | 36.8 M | 36.8 M | 37 M | 37 M | 34.4 M | 38.8 M | 39.7 M | 39.9 M |
Total retail offices |
34,451 | 34,613 | 34,772 | 35,005 | 35,423 | 35,520 | 35,649 | 35,434 | 35,369 | 35,756 |
Postal-managed retail offices |
31,330 | 31,322 | 31,324 | 31,337 | 31,585 | 31,606 | 31,662 | 31,702 | 31,857 | 32,146 |
Retail customer visits |
768.1 M | 811.8 M | 838.7 M | 857.1 M | 877.4 M | 919.5 M | 948.7 M | 989.1 M | 986.2 M | 1.02 B |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
Retail revenue |
12.7 B | 12.7 B | 12.7 B | 12.9 B | 13.5 B | 19.2 B | 19 B | 18.3 B | 17.5 B | 16.9 B |
Postal Service-managed retail office revenue |
10.1 B | 10.1 B | 9.8 B | 9.9 B | 10.2 B | 10.4 B | 10.7 B | 10.8 B | 10.7 B | 10.9 B |
Alternate access revenue |
2.5 B | 2.5 B | 2.9 B | 3.1 B | 3.2 B | 8.8 B | 8.3 B | 7.5 B | 6.8 B | 6 B |
Alternate access revenue percentage |
19.8% | 19.8% | 23% | 23.75% | 23% | 45.7% | 43.7% | 41% | 39.1% | 35.5% |
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
Total delivery routes |
231,579 | 231,807 | 231,843 | 228,483 | 229,104 | 226,777 | 224,365 | 225,152 | 227,000 | 228,160 |
Total vehicles |
231,541 | 228,940 | 232,372 | 230,939 | 227,896 | 214,933 | 211,264 | 211,654 | 212,530 | 213,881 |
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Trademarks
The Eagle Logo, the trade dress of USPS packaging, the Letter Carrier Uniform and the Postal Truck and the following marks are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: Click-N-Ship®, Deliver The Win®, EDDM®, ePostage®, Every Door Direct Mail®, Express Mail®, First-Class™, First-Class Mail®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, IMb®, Informed Delivery®, Intelligent Mail®, Parcel Select®, P.O. Box™, Post Office®, Pony Express®, Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, PostalProud®, Express International®, Priority Mail Flat Rate®, Priority Mail International®, Priority: You®, Registered Mail™, Standard Mail®, The Postal Store®, United States Postal Inspection Service®, United States Postal Service®, U.S. Mail®, U.S. Postal Inspector™, U.S. Postal Service®, USPS®, USPS BlueEarth®, USPS Mobile®, USPS Operation Santa®, USPS Tracking®, usps.com®, ZIP+4® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Non-Postal Trademarks
Forest Stewardship Council®, McDonald’s®, National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, Starbucks®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, Walmart®
Postal Facts 2020 provides the public with information about the Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, and in a business, informational, academic context and the like, and in the body of text discussing factual subject matter relevant to the fact being presented. However, these facts may become outdated after publication and seeking the latest information is advised.
Visit about.usps.com for more information.
Produced by Corporate Communications
© 2016-2021 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Trademarks
The Eagle Logo, the trade dress of USPS packaging, the Letter Carrier Uniform and the Postal Truck and the following marks are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: Click-N-Ship®, Deliver The Win®, EDDM®, ePostage®, Every Door Direct Mail®, Express Mail®, First-Class™, First-Class Mail®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, IMb®, Informed Delivery®, Intelligent Mail®, Parcel Select®, P.O. Box™, Post Office®, Pony Express®, Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, PostalProud®, Express International®, Priority Mail Flat Rate®, Priority Mail International®, Priority: You®, Registered Mail™, Standard Mail®, The Postal Store®, United States Postal Inspection Service®, United States Postal Service®, U.S. Mail®, U.S. Postal Inspector™, U.S. Postal Service®, USPS®, USPS BlueEarth®, USPS Mobile®, USPS Operation Santa®, USPS Tracking®, usps.com®, ZIP+4® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Non-Postal Trademarks
Forest Stewardship Council®, McDonald’s®, National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, Starbucks®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, Walmart®
Postal Facts 2020 provides the public with information about the Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, and in a business, informational, academic context and the like, and in the body of text discussing factual subject matter relevant to the fact being presented. However, these facts may become outdated after publication and seeking the latest information is advised.
Visit about.usps.com for more information.
Produced by Corporate Communications
© 2016-2021 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
