Service.
Convenience.
Affordability.
Our priority is and always will be delivering great service that’s affordable and dependable. We have the nation’s largest retail network and our online Post Office at usps.com is always open.
Postal Facts - U.S. Postal Service
447 million
rubber bands
Boing! The Postal Service ordered more than 447 million rubber bands in 2023, which totals 24,518 miles of material, or one trip around the world.
Mini
mail carriers
What do you want to be when you grow up? Some kids love the idea of bringing people greetings cards and packages! The U.S. Mail carrier kids costume gets them interested early.
You can purchase the uniform here.
This was the first official costume for the Postal Service. The second was the U.S. Mail carrier dog costume.
The costumes for kids and dogs are among an ever-growing portfolio of USPS licensed products that create royalty revenue for the organization without the expense of manufacturing and marketing.
So
doggone cute!
So doggone cute!The officially licensed USPS dog costume, introduced in 2018, is a very popular item. Thousands have been sold on the Postal Store alone and at other retailers.
You can purchase the uniform here.
It’s only the second official costume in USPS history, following in the footsteps of the U.S. Mail carrier kids costume that’s been available for years.
The costumes for dogs and kids are among an ever-growing portfolio of USPS licensed products that create royalty revenue for the organization without the expense of manufacturing and marketing.
We are
Tech-Savvy
We're tech-savvy. The Postal Service uses a vast network of people and advanced technologies to collect, process, transport and accurately deliver the nation's mail and packages in an increasingly digital world.
Floating
Post Office
This Post Office floats! The Halibut Cove Post Office (99603) in Homer, AK, floats. The office is a small houseboat that is permanently tied to a dock.
Postal
Vehicle Service Operations
Postal Vehicle Service (PVS) operations includes more than 10,000 uniformed motor vehicle and tractor trailer operators. The PVS fleet includes 2,202 cargo vans, 1,880 tractors and nearly 3,200 trailers. Commuting within a 170-mile radius of their facility, PVS drivers travel more than 167 million miles each year.
Serving
Those Who Serve
It’s not just any letter or package. It’s a picture of the kids. It’s a handmade scarf. It’s a favorite candy bar. It’s a piece of home. The Postal Service helps make sure these very special letters and packages make it to those who serve in the military — and their families with them — wherever they are around the globe. It's our honor to serve those who serve!
Write badly?
We can still read it!
Chicken scratch. The Postal Service has an entire operation dedicated to deciphering poor penmanship.
Letter mail at a processing plant that cannot be read by the automated equipment has an image taken and transmitted to the Remote Encoding Center (REC). At the REC, employees look at the image and type in address information. The information is matched up with a valid address, the data is transmitted back to the equipment at the plant, and a barcode is printed on the letter. That barcode can be read by any letter processing machine in the Postal Service, keeping the letter within the automated stream of mail in the postal network.
No Flag
Flies Here
No high-flying flag here. The B. Free Franklin Post Office in Philadelphia is the only Post Office in the country that doesn’t fly the American flag — because in 1775 when Benjamin Franklin was appointed Postmaster General there was no flag.
Franklin used to own the building and there is a small museum on the second floor.
Pop! Pop!
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The Postal Service ordered more than 276 million square feet of bubble wrap to safely deliver COVID-19 test kits to the American public. At 12 inches wide, this is enough bubble wrap material to circle the globe more than twice.
Offices
serving two states
Twice as nice. Texarkana, TX (77501) and Texarkana, AR (71854) share a Post Office that straddles the state line. Bristol, TN (37620) and Bristol, VA (24203) share a Post Office in Tennessee. Each office has two ZIP Codes and employees serve the customers in their respective states out of the same office.
Corrales NM
PO made of straw
In Corrales, NM, in 1999, a new Post Office was built with more than 900 bales of straw as insulation. The Post Office is still standing strong and saving energy — a proud testament to the Postal Service’s longstanding history of sustainable practices.
Corrales NM Post Office
Decoding
the ZIP Code
The Zoning Improvement Plan (ZIP) Code was launched in 1963 to better process and deliver increasing volumes of U.S. Mail. The first number in the five-digit ZIP Code represents a general geographic area of the nation, “0” in the east, moving to “9” in the west. The next two numbers represent regional areas, and the final two identify specific Post Offices.
Decoding the code. In 1983, the ZIP+4 Code was introduced. The extra four numbers enable mail to be sorted to a specific street. In 1991, two more numbers were added so that mail could be sorted directly to a residence or business. Today, the use of ZIP Codes extends far beyond the mailing industry, including being a fundamental component in the nation’s 911 emergency system.
There are 41,704 ZIP Codes in the country. They 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.
Mr. ZIP helped promote the new ZIP Code concept in 1963.
Ride-on
Postal vehicle
KID FUN. A USPS-licensed ride-on vehicle from Kid Trax was honored in 2021 as one of the best toys of the year by Good Housekeeping and Parents magazines, as well as Toy Insider.
Fashion
Collaboration
The Postal Service is routinely ranked among the most admired and trusted brands in the nation, so it’s no surprise that businesses want to incorporate postal images and logos into their products.
In 2022, the skateboarding shoe and apparel company Vans unveiled a collection of licensed clothing, including sneakers, a cuffed beanie and a pullover hoodie.
Finger
printing services
The Postal Service is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to offer fingerprinting services at more than 80 locations nationwide.
Fingerprinting services are offered to customers applying for an identity history summary check, which is required for adoptions, visas and other purposes. After fingerprints are taken, the information is sent to the FBI for processing.
DMV
kiosks in CA
Californians can now complete many tasks that would normally require a visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles by using self-service kiosks at four Postal Service locations throughout the state.
With just a few taps, customers can complete many common DMV tasks through the kiosks, including renewing vehicle registration, receiving a replacement registration card or sticker, and obtaining a vehicle record.
Informed
GREETINGS
Informed Greetings blends the traditional “mail moment” with a modern digital experience by integrating a personalized digital message into the recipient’s Informed Delivery email when they send a physical greeting card.
Customers can also select artwork that complements their card from hundreds of designs in six different categories.
New
Vehicles
NGDVs. Next Generation Delivery Vehicles. The Postal Service has placed an order for 106,000 vehicles with Oshkosh Defense. The order includes 66,000 electric vehicles, making it one of the largest electric fleets in the nation.
we are
SOCIAL
We’re social. The Postal Service is the original social network, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t active on the other, newer social networks.
Facebook – facebook.com/usps
Instagram – instagram.com/uspostalservice
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/usps
Pinterest – pinterest.com/uspsstamps
Podcast – usps-mailin-it.simplecast.com/
Postal Blog – uspsblog.com
Threads – threads.net/@uspostalservice
X – x.com/usps
YouTube – youtube.com/usps
just another
BRICK IN THE MAIL
Individual bricks can be shipped in the U.S. Mail. Get a permanent marker, write the address and your return address, get it weighed and add the postage. Send that special someone a brick of affection.
Just don’t think you can send enough bricks to build a house or, perhaps a bank. Been there. Done that. You can read about the bank of Vernal, UT, here.
Kids
in the mail??
Do not try to ship your kids!! 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. The baby was safely delivered! Regulations were quickly established to prevent any additional mailing of children through the U.S. Mail.
Fort Knox
gold in the mail
Under the watchful security of the Postal Inspection Service, Railway Mail Service clerks transferred some of the $9 billion in gold bullion shipped as registered mail from the New York City Assay Office to the depository at Fort Knox, KY, in 1941.
The Inspection Service provided security and management in the cooperative effort between the Post Office Department, local law enforcement, U.S. Army and U.S. Treasury Department.
Hope
in the mail
Hope in the mail. In 1958 Harry Winston donated the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution. With his years of experience in shipping jewelry all over the world, Winston sent the diamond via registered mail with the Post Office Department.
The diamond was placed in a box, wrapped in brown paper, and sent by registered mail from New York in a Railway Post Office train car. In Washington, it was picked up by a postal carrier and driven to the National Museum of Natural History. The price paid for shipping the gem, valued at $1 million at the time, was $145.29, most of that for package insurance.
SPUDTACULAR!
potatoes in the mail
It's SPUDTACULAR! As with coconuts, potatoes can be mailed without a box. Simply write the address it's going to and your return addresses on the spud, have it weighed for appropriate postage, and it can be shipped as-is. Let someone know they are special. Send a tater!
If it clucks
IT SHIPS
If it clucks, it ships. The Postal Service has been working with hatcheries for more than 100 years to safely transport mail-order chicks during the spring and summer months.
Chicks can be safely transported without food or water within 72 hours of hatching. In fact, placing food and water inside the hatchery box could jeopardize the integrity of the box and could endanger the health and safety of the animals inside. Thousands of chicks are transported through the U.S. Mail seamlessly every year. This is a legacy operation we take very seriously as lives are literally at stake.
That's
JUST NUTS!
Coconuts can be mailed without a box. Simply address the coconut and add your return addresses on the husk, have it weighed for appropriate postage, and it is shipped as-is. Photo: Coconuts ready for mailing at the Molokai, HI, Post Office.
12.6 million
business delivery points
In 2023, the Postal Service delivered to 12.6 million business addresses.
154 million
residential delivery points
In 2023, the Postal Service delivered to 154 million residential addresses.
1.7 million
new delivery points added
In 2023, 1.7 million new delivery points were added in the country.
7 million
people visit usps.com daily
On average, 7 million people visit usps.com each day.
93,709
address changes daily
On average, the Postal Service processes more than 93,000 address changes each day.
6,600
USPS Fleet of Feet
There are 6,600 carriers who deliver mail entirely on foot. These carriers are our Fleet of Feet.
23.5 million
packages processed daily
On average, the Postal Service processes and delivers 23.5 million packages each day.
3,684
mail pieces per second
On average, the Postal Service processes 3,684 pieces of mail each second.
221,000
mail pieces per minute
The Postal Service processes an average of 221,000 pieces of mail each minute.
WE
deliver!
The Postal Service moves mail by planes, hovercraft, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, subways, bicycles, mules and feet. #WeDeliverForYou
Postal
Proud!
We are Postal Proud! The Postal Proud program provides individuals at every level of the organization with an opportunity to share why they are proud to be a postal employee.
Thousands of employees in nearly 400 unique jobs have been recognized since its inception in 2018. #PostalProud
Largest ZIP
in Contiguous US
The largest ZIP Code in the contiguous U.S. is 89049, Tonopah, NV, at 10,821 square miles.
Twenty-four of the top 25 largest ZIP Codes in the country are located in Alaska – ranging from the largest, 99734, at more than 30,000 square miles to 99741 at 7,600 square miles. The 14th spot goes to Nevada, 89049.
Largest ZIP
in continental US
The largest ZIP Code in the continental U.S. is 99734, Prudhoe Bay, AK, at 30,683 square miles.
Twenty-four of the top 25 largest ZIP Codes in the country are located in Alaska – ranging from the largest, 99734, at more than 30,000 square miles to 99741 at 7,600 square miles. The 14th spot goes to Nevada, 89049.
Famous
postal employees
Heads of industry. Hollywood legends. Sports heroes. Singers. Painters. Writers. And a couple presidents. All were postal employees before they became household names! Thirteen have even been featured on stamps.
ELECTION
MAIL
The U.S. Postal Service upholds its promise to deliver the nation’s Election Mail securely and on time, consistent with the organization’s non-partisan public service mission.
Election Mail consists of mail to or from election officials, including ballots, ballot applications, registration forms and other items that enable citizens to participate in the voting process. The U.S. Postal Service is committed to delivering the nation’s Election Mail securely and on time, consistent with the organization’s non-partisan public service mission.
During the election period of Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, 2023, there were nearly 62 million pieces of Election Mail dispatched.
The Postal Service supports voters choosing to use the U.S. Mail to return their ballots, whether it’s for a seat on the local school board or for the president of the United States — and everything in between.
Heart of the
Mailing Industry
We're all heart. The Postal Service is the heart of the $1.58 trillion United States mailing industry, which employs more than 7.3 million people.
44%
of the world's mail
We're global. The Postal Service processes and delivers 44 percent of the world’s mail and is constantly innovating to make customer experiences better.
Honoring
service men and women
Honoring service members. The Postal Service proudly partners with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide burial flags to families of deceased veterans. In 2023, the Postal Service provided 374,790 burial flags.
© is for
CREATIVE
© is for creative. The Postal Service has more than 500 copyright registrations, many of them to protect artwork on postage stamps.
Farm Goods
delivered by mail
The farm-to-table concept isn’t new. From 1914 to 1920, the farm-to-table program was a novel initiative that allowed farmers to arrange prices with people in urban areas and then mail them fresh meats, eggs, dairy products, produce, honey, jelly, and more. This was a way to give farmers more customers and city dwellers greater and cheaper access to fresh goods.
Newspapers
and the U.S. Mail
Extra! Extra! American newspapers largely owe their existence to Post Offices. As part of the Post Office Act of 1792, newspapers were permitted to be mailed at extremely low rates. By the start of the 19th century, newspapers made up the bulk of the U.S. Mail.
1639
first post office
The first Post Office in America was established in a tavern in Boston in 1639.
24-hour
unstaffed Post Office
One of a kind. 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 2023, nearly 8,000 customers used this convenient office.
Singing
mailman
John Prine, singer and songwriter, was a letter carrier in Maywood, IL, 1964-1969.
1993
National Postal Museum Opens
In 1993, the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum opened. This museum is dedicated to the preservation, study and presentation of postal history and philately.
The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum offers exhibits tracing the history of the postal system in the United States. It houses nearly six million postal-related items — mostly stamps, but also postal stationery, greeting cards, covers and letters, mailboxes, postal vehicles, handstamps, metering machines, patent models, uniforms, badges, and other objects related to postal history and philately. The museum’s library, with more than 40,000 volumes and manuscripts, is open to the public by appointment. In 2013, the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery — the largest in the world — opened at the museum.
For more information, go to postalmuseum.si.edu.
50 States
on Stamps
All 50 states have been commemorated on postage stamps. They are each honored in 50 year increments from their inception date.
318 million
mail pieces processed daily
The Postal Service processed and delivered an average of 318 million mail pieces daily in 2023.
JUST 1 DAY
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.
EPPS
25,000 packages/hour
The Enhanced Package Processing System (EPPS) sorts 25,000 packages per hour.
Automated
delivery unit sorter
The Automated Delivery Unit Sorter (ADUS) automates the sorting of smaller packages - up to 30 pounds - at a rate of 3,400 pieces per hour with a sort accuracy of 99.95 percent.
BOLGER
center
Located in Maryland, the William F. 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 William F. 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.
POSTAL
INSPECTION SERVICE
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 Officers and 600 professional, technical and administrative support personnel — all working to ensure America’s confidence in the U.S. Mail.
daily news
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 “On the Move,” a weekly roundup of employees who’ve received new appointments or recognition.
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.
USPS
Headquarters
The U.S. Postal Service Headquarters building is located in 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 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.
1863
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.
OWNEY
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.
Postmaster
LINCOLN
On May 7, 1833, 24-year-old Abraham 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 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.”
SHIP
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
with walk-in freezers
The Peach Springs, AZ, Post Office has walk-in freezers for food destined for delivery by mule train to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
STAMPS
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.
Mr.
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.
1994
launched usps.com
The Postal Service launched usps.com in 1994.
1847
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.
1775
First PMG
1775 - Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first Postmaster General by the Continental Congress
LABEL
BROKER
This service solves the ever-increasing problem of customers conducting business online and not being able to print shipping labels.
With Label Broker, customers can get a shipping label on their mobile device, in the form of a matrix barcode, 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
39,000
pounds of batteries
The Postal Service recycled 39,000 pounds of small lead-acid and dry cell batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, which are found in cellphones, laptops, scanners and other small electronics.
394,000
gallons of oil recycled
In 2023, the Postal Service recycled 394,000 gallons of used oil — equivalent to saving more than 16 million gallons of crude oil.
50
bicycle delivery routes
The Postal Service delivers mail by bicycle on 50 routes in Arizona and Florida - reducing emissions, saving fuel and the carriers can ride a bike all day!
GLOBAL
bargain
The price of a First-Class postage stamp is a global bargain.
As of July 14, 2024
.POST
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 posts in providing 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
Express Mail
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 and consists of 174 postal operators. It allows access to more than 180-member countries to provide EMS — the UPU’s fastest cross-border international postal product.
The Postal Service is a member of the Express Mail Service (EMS) Cooperative.
-
- The EMS Cooperative was created by the UPU in 1999 and consists of 174 postal operators. It allows access to more than 180-member countries to provide EMS — the UPU’s 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.
- EMS postal operators have the largest last mile coverage worldwide, supported by the postal delivery network.
- More information can be found at post/en/global-network.
Kahala
Post Group
The Postal Service is one of 11 members of the Kahala Post Group (KPG).
The Postal Service is one of 11 members of the Kahala Posts Group (KPG).
-
- The KPG is an international alliance of the world’s largest postal administrations that collaborate to improve international postal services.
- 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.
INT'L
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.
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.
UNIVERSAL
Postal Union
The Postal Service is a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a United Nations' organization.
The Postal Service is a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a United Nations’ organization.
-
- Established in 1874, the UPU, is the second-oldest international organization worldwide. It is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland.
- 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 int.
6 million
pounds of mail fly each day
The Postal Service uses 140 domestic airports to fly six million pounds of mail each day.
$1.6 billion
International Mail revenue
International Mail is a $1.6 billion business for the Postal Service.
- Most of the International Mail revenue is generated from outbound services that allow customers in the United States to send mail and packages abroad.
- The Postal Service sends 5 million pounds of international, military, and diplomatic mail and packages weekly, using 80 international airlines, composed of 11 U.S. flag carriers and 14 foreign flag carriers, and their affiliates.
- Click-N-Ship allows customers to print shipping labels with postage for Global Express Guaranteed, Priority Mail International, Priority Mail Express International and First-Class Package International Service. For more information, go to com/ship/.
known
GLOBALLY
The Postal Service works closely with posts around the world to improve service and increase its annual share of the international shipping market.
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- International Mail is a $1.6 billion business within the Postal Service.
- Most of the International Mail revenue is generated from outbound services that allow customers in the United States to send mail and packages abroad.
- The Postal Service sends 5 million pounds of international, military, and diplomatic mail and packages weekly, using 80 international airlines, composed of 11 U.S. flag carriers and 14 foreign flag carriers, and their affiliates.
- Click-N-Ship allows customers to print shipping labels with postage for Global Express Guaranteed, Priority Mail International, Priority Mail Express International and First-Class Package International Service. For more information, go to com/ship/.
POSTAL
diversity
The Postal Service workforce is one of the most diverse in the nation. We look like America. That is our strength.
The Postal Service is one of the most diverse organizations in the nation.
- Women make up 45 percent of our workforce.
- Historically underrepresented racial groups make up 53 percent of our workforce.
- Nearly 73,000 veterans are employed by the Postal Service.
- There are more than 39,000 employees with disabilities, of which nearly 29,000 are disabled veterans.
- We maintain a year-round focus on diversity and disability outreach.
FIRST
female PMG
The first female Postmaster General was Megan J. Brennan, Washington, DC, 2015.
FIRST
African American on stamp
The first African American on a stamp was Booker T. Washington, 1940.
1.9 billion
miles driven in 2023
To move mail using surface transportation, the Postal Service drove more than 1.9 billion miles in 2023 — more than 23.8 million trips in more than 25,000 box trucks and tractor-trailers daily.
FIRST
Native American on a stamp
The first Native American on a stamp was Pocahontas, 1907.
FIRST
Hispanic American on a stamp
The first Hispanic American on a stamp was Adm. David Farragut, 1903.
12.5 BILLION
external email messages
In 2023, the Postal Service email gateway system delivered more than 12.5 billion external email messages to postal customers and business partners. Roughly 82 percent of these were automated messages from Informed Delivery. The Postal Service also delivered 107 million notification emails related to COVID-19 test kits.
- With one of the largest corporate email systems, the Postal Service handled more than 6 million legitimate emails a day in 2023, delivered to more than 195,000 email accounts. But some emails are blocked due to:
- Spam: More than 2 million spam email messages were blocked monthly.
- Content: More than 1 millionemails were blocked monthly due to malicious content including phishing, brand spoofing and suspicious URLs being detected.
- Malware: More than 12,000 email messages were blocked monthly due to malware.
- Phishing: More than 815,000 phishing email messages were blocked monthly.
- On average, 5 percent of the 109 million email messages received from external senders were blocked monthly for the safety of the Postal Service network and email users.
FIRST
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.
5 MILLION
emails blocked monthly
On average, more than 5 million emails from external senders are blocked each month to protect the Postal Service network.
With one of the largest corporate email systems, the Postal Service handled more than 3.6 million legitimate emails a day in 2023, delivered to more than 195,000 email accounts. But some emails are blocked due to:
- Spam: More than 2 million spam email messages were blocked monthly.
- Content: More than 1 millionemails were blocked monthly due to malicious content including phishing, brand spoofing and suspicious URLs being detected.
- Malware: More than 12,000 email messages were blocked monthly due to malware.
- Phishing: More than 815,000 phishing email messages were blocked monthly.
- On average, 5 percent of the 109 million email messages received from external senders were blocked monthly for the safety of the Postal Service network and email users.
1st AMERICAN
woman on a stamp
The first American woman on a U.S. postage stamp was Martha Washington, 1902.
FIRST
African American Carrier
The first known African American mail carrier was James B. Christian, Richmond, VA, 1869.
FIRST KNOWN
African American Postmaster
The first known African American Postmaster was James W. Mason, Sunny Side, AR, 1867.
110
petabytes of storage
The Postal Service has 110 petabytes of storage capacity — equivalent to playing more than 244,000 years of songs on an MP3 player, with no repeats.
FIRST KNOWN
female mail carrier
The first known female mail carrier was Sarah Black, mail messenger, Charlestown, MD, 1845.
First Female
postmaster
The first known female Postmaster in the United Colonies was Mary Katherine Goddard, Baltimore, MD, 1775.
USPS
An American History
The United States Postal Service has a storied history, familiar to many. Our history is the history of America. Detailed information about the Postal Service and its history can be found in "The United States Postal Service: An American History" at https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/.
