14.7 billion
Informed Delivery emails
In fiscal year 2025, USPS sent out more than 14.7 billion Informed Delivery Daily Digest email notifications, featuring more than 33.4 billion mailpieces and 3 billion packages.
Fact source: Corp Comms
USPS careers
We are
hiring
The Postal Service regularly hires for full-time, part-time and seasonal employment. Information about current openings is available at about.usps.com/careers/.
Customer care center calls
12.9 million
customer calls
In 2025, USPS customer care centers answered 12,956,144 calls.
Postmaster general
76th
POSTMASTER GENERAL
David Steiner is the 76th postmaster general of the United States and chief executive officer of the U.S. Postal Service. He began his tenure July 15, 2025.
You can read David Steiner’s biography at about.usps.com/who/leadership/pmg-exec-leadership-team.htm.
International Mail
$3.4 million
International Mail revenue
International Mail is a $3.5 million business within the Postal Service.
Postal Bulletin
POSTAL
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 Postal Service functions. It has never missed a deadline since its inception in 1880.
Go to about.usps.com/resources/postal-bulletin.htm to browse past issues.
1847 — First U.S. postage stamps issued
1847
first postage stamps
The first U.S. postage stamps were issued in 1847.
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 5 cents, depicted Benjamin Franklin. The other, a 10-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 5-cent stamp honoring Thomas Jefferson was issued. A 2-cent Andrew Jackson stamp was added in 1863. George Washington has appeared on more U.S. postage stamps than any other person.
Mr. ZIP
Mr.
ZIP
Mr. ZIP, who has no first name, appeared in many public service announcements and advertisements urging customers to use their five-digit ZIP Code introduced on July 1, 1963. Within four years of his appearance, eight out of 10 Americans knew who Mr. ZIP was and what he stood for. The character has found new life in recent years a USPS-licensed character and even has YouTube series.
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. Today, Mr. ZIP is a USPS-licensed character used to expand the Postal Service brand and introduce the organization to new generations of Americans.
1863 — Free city delivery begins
1863
free city delivery
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 two-cent fee for letter delivery or use private delivery firms. 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.
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.
Link
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 columns include “Off the Clock,” a column about employees and their after-hours pursuits, and “Milestones,” a regular roundup of employee appointments, awards and retirements.
Employees with USPS email addresses receive a Link email each weekday with the most recent stories. Employees without a Postal Service email address can sign up for the Link Weekly Highlights email at usps.link to have the week’s top stories delivered to their personal email inbox.
One day in the life of the Postal Service
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.
Famous postal employees
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! Sixteen have even had their image or work featured on stamps.
See the list at about.usps.com/who/profile/history/personnel.htm.
Next-generation delivery vehicles
Next-
generation vehicles
In December 2022, USPS announced plans to acquire 106,000 new vehicles, including at least 66,000 battery electric delivery vehicles. This includes 21,000 commercial off-the-shelf battery electric vehicles and 45,000 battery electric next-generation delivery vehicles (NGDV). The NGDVs provide better visibility, ergonomic seating, air conditioning, safety improvements and user-friendly operations.
Flags flown at Post Offices
Flags
at Post Offices
Post Offices were first required to display the American flag in 1885 to comply with Treasury Department instructions. As of Nov. 7, 2019, Post Offices are required to fly the Prisoner of War (POW)-Missing in Action (MIA) flag on the same days that the American flag is flown.
In 2025, the Postal Service replaced 24,413 U.S. flags and 29,096 POW-MIA flags.
Trademarks
LEAVING
our mark
The Postal Service has 409 domestic and 957 foreign trademark registrations.
Patents
PATENTLY
the best
Patently the best. USPS has 1,763 domestic and foreign patents and applications on file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
We’re universal
UNIVERSAL
service
We’re universal. Everyone living in the United States and its territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands) has access to postal products and services and pays the same for a First-Class Mail postage stamp regardless of the sender’s location.
We’re customer-focused
CUSTOMER
focused
We’re customer-focused. The Postal Service is committed to providing a positive customer experience.
With more than 32,600 retail locations, more than 13 million daily visits on usps.com and serving 157.8 million residences and 12.6 million businesses typically six days a week, the Postal Service is committed to providing a positive customer experience.
We’re resilient
RESILIENT
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 250 years, it has adapted to meet the evolving needs of its customers.
Data-driven
DATA-
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.
The original social network
The ORIGINAL
social network
The Postal Service is the original social network, but that doesn't mean we aren't represented on the other, newer social networks. You can find the Postal Service on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Threads, X and YouTube. We also have a blog and a podcast.
We’re patriotic
64,000
veterans
We're patriotic. The Postal Service employs more than 64,000 military veterans, making it one of the largest employers of veterans in the country.
The Postal Service has also issued more than 140 stamps honoring the nation’s military history, including the 2025 Armed Forces stamps commemorating the 250th anniversaries of the
U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
USPS-owned properties
8,500
owned properties
The Postal Service owns approximately 8,500 properties around the country.
Leased properties
24,000
leased properties
The Postal Service has approximately 24,000 leased properties.
Shipping container Post Office
Post Office
in a shipping container
The Power, MT, Post Office (ZIP Code 59468) was built in 2019 and is the first Post Office built using a shipping container.
Carrier Alert
CARRIER
ALERT program
As one of the few points of human contact for some homebound customers, letter carriers are particularly attuned to signs that could indicate an accident or illness. If carriers notice something unusual, such as uncollected mail at an at-risk customer’s home, the employee will alert emergency personnel. Carrier Alert began in 1982.
Dog bite awareness
Dog Bite
Awareness
Thousands of carriers deliver to homes with dogs every day. During the annual USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, the Postal Service promotes safety initiatives and shares prevention tips to protect employees and customers from dog bites.
The USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign promotes responsible pet ownership to protect Postal Service employees and customers.
Stamp Out Hunger food drive
Stamp Out
Hunger food drive
Every year, the Postal Service and the National Association of Letter Carriers hold the largest one-day food drive in the nation. The program has collected more than 1.9 billion pounds of food since the campaign began in 1993.
Women postmasters
WOMEN
postmasters
Women served as postmasters in this country more than a century before they won the right to vote.
U.S. Postal Service history
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 about.usps.com/who/profile/history/.
Surface transportation — miles traveled
1.8 billion
miles driven in 2025
To move mail using surface transportation, the Postal Service drove more than 1.8 billion miles in 2025.
Pounds of mail flown daily
3.5 million
pounds of mail fly each day
The Postal Service flew 3.5 million pounds of mail a day in 2025.
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
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 upu.int.
International Post Corporation (IPC)
INT'L
Post Corporation
The Postal Service is one of 24 members of the International Post Corporation (IPC). The IPC is a cooperative association of posts in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Kahala Post Group (KPG)
Kahala
Post Group
The Postal Service is one of 10 members of the Kahala Post Group (KPG), an international alliance of the world’s largest postal administrators.
The Postal Service is one of 11 members of the Kahala Posts Group (KPG), an international alliance of the world’s largest postal administrators.
Express Mail Service (EMS) Cooperative
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 more than 170 postal operators. It allows member countries to provide EMS — the UPU’s fastest cross-border international postal product.
Bicycle delivery
71
bicycle delivery routes
The Postal Service delivers mail by bicycle on 71 routes in Arizona and Florida, reducing emissions and saving fuel.
Label Broker
LABEL
BROKER
The Label Broker service solves the problem of online customers not being able to print shipping labels. With Label Broker, customers can receive a shipping label on their mobile device directly from the merchant. The customer uses the code to print an outbound or return shipping label at a Post Office or on a printer connected to usps.com.
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 an outbound or return shipping label at a Post Office or on a printer connected to usps.com. Label Broker is also the foundational technology that has enabled the USPS Operation Santa program to expand and evolve in a digital format.
For more information, go to usps.com/business/label-broker.htm.
1775 — First postmaster general
1775
first postmaster general
The Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin the first postmaster general on July 26, 1775.
Launch of USPS website
1994
USPS launches its website
The Postal Service launched its first public website, usps.gov, in 1994. The site became usps.com in 2000.
Visitors to usps.gov are redirected to the official Postal Service website, usps.com.
Stamp Fulfillment Services facility
STAMPS
in caves
No troglodytes here! The Stamp Fulfillment Services facility, located in Kansas City, MO, is housed 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 cave 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.
Boat delivery on the Detroit River
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
Postal Service Headquarters
USPS
Headquarters
The U.S. Postal Service Headquarters building is located in Washington, DC, 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, DC, 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 USPS Headquarters and the Washington, DC, Post Office. Horse-drawn wagons brought mail to the building in its early years. By the time the headquarters moved to a larger building, almost all mail was carried by motor vehicles.
Bolger Center
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, MD. 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.
Automated Delivery Unit Sorter (ADUS)
Automated
delivery unit sorter
The Automated Delivery Unit Sorter sorts packages and bundles of mail at a rate of 3,400 pieces per hour with a sort accuracy of 99.95 percent.
Average mailpieces processed daily
361 MILLION
mailpieces processed daily
The Postal Service processed and delivered an average of 361.1 million mailpieces daily in 2025.
Copyright registrations
© is for
CREATIVE
© is for creative. The Postal Service has 749 copyright registrations, many of them to protect artwork on postage stamps.
We’re global
HALF OF THE
WORLD'S MAIL
We're global. The Postal Service processes and delivers nearly half of the world’s mail and is constantly innovating to make customer experiences better.
Transporting the mail
WE
deliver!
The Postal Service moves mail by planes, hovercraft, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, subways, bicycles, mules and feet.
Number of daily address changes
22,199
address changes daily
On average, the Postal Service processed 22,199 address changes each day of 2025.
We are social!
we are
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.com/@uspostalservice
X — x.com/usps
YouTube — youtube.com/usps
Postal Vehicle Service — trucks moving the mail
Postal
Vehicle Service Operations
Postal Vehicle Service (PVS) operations include more than 12,500 uniformed motor vehicle and tractor-trailer operators. The PVS fleet includes 377 spotters, 2,570 cargo vans, 2,862 tractors and 8,991 trailers.
History of USPS
History
of 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.
You can find the publication at about.usps.com/publications/pub100.pdf.
Global postal cooperation
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.
We’re socially responsible
WE'RE
socially responsible
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 to mail carriers, educating customers on consumer protection and delivering holiday magic through USPS Operation Santa.
Sunday package delivery
Our
Sunday best
Our Sunday best. The Postal Service operates Sunday package delivery to meet the shipping needs of customers.
Priority: You
Priority
YOU!
Priority: YOU! The Postal Service priority is and always will be serving you. With free shipping supplies, flat-rate options, $100 worth of free insurance for most shipments, improved tracking and easy online tools, Priority Mail service offers one of the best values in the shipping business.
Here’s more you should know:
Priority Mail Express offers you overnight delivery to many 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!
Salaries and benefits
$2.2 billion
every two weeks
In fiscal year 2025, the Postal Service paid $2.15 billion every two weeks in salaries and benefits.
Passport applications
8.9 million
passport applications
The Postal Service accepted 8.9 million passport applications in fiscal year 2025.
Fortune 500
Ranked 52nd
if a private sector company
If it were a private sector company, the Postal Service would rank 55th in the 2025 Fortune 500.
Military Postal Service Agency
1980
MPSA 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.
Number of employed military veterans
64,000
military veterans
We’re patriotic. The Postal Service employs approximately 64,000 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.
USPS Operation Santa
USPS
Operation Santa
USPS Operation Santa. This program is in its 114th year of operation and relies solely on random acts of kindness and the generosity of strangers. During the 2025 holiday season, millions of people visited uspsoperationsanta.com. Generous customers adopted letters written to Santa and fulfilled wishes, helping families and children experience the magic of the season when they might not have otherwise, one letter to Santa at a time.
For more information, go to USPSOperationSanta.com.
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.
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 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 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.
HISTORY
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.
Annual operating revenue
$80.5 B
operating revenue
The Postal Service generated $80.5 billion in operating revenue in fiscal year 2025.
Total mail volume
108.7 B
total mail volume
Total mail volume in fiscal year 2025 was 108.7 billion mailpieces.
Total First-Class Mail volume
42 billion
First-Class Mail volume
In fiscal year 2025, there were 42 billion pieces of First-Class Mail processed and delivered by USPS.
Total shipping / package volume
6.8 B
shipping and package volume
In fiscal year 2025, the Postal Service's shipping and package volume was 6.8 billion.
Marketing Mail volume
56.8 billion
Marketing Mail volume
In fiscal year 2025, Marketing Mail volume was 56.8 billion pieces.
Total delivery points
170.4 M
delivery points
The Postal Service prides itself on going the last mile to deliver the U.S. Mail. In fiscal year 2025, the Postal Service delivered mail and packages to 170.4 million delivery points nationwide.
Total retail offices / Post Offices
30,972
total retail offices
The Postal Service had 30,972 retail offices across the United States in fiscal year 2025.
Total retail customer visits
655 million
customer visits
The Postal Service had 655.2 million customer visits in 2024.
Total retail revenue
$11.2 B
retail revenue
In 2024, Postal Service retail revenue totaled $11.2 billion.
Total delivery routes
236,347
delivery routes
The Postal Service maintained 236,347 delivery routes across the United States in fiscal year 2025.
Dock-to-dock delivery
Dock! Dock!
Who's there?
The Postal Service’s only dock-to-dock delivery route is 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.
Point Roberts, WA, Post Office – accessible through Canada
bridging
the gap
The Point Roberts, WA, Post Office can be reached by car only by driving through British Columbia, Canada. Only a boat or float plane can travel directly to the office.
PMG Heroes
SOME HEROES
deliver the mail
We have heroes among us. Postal employees regularly go above and beyond to protect the lives of the people they serve, including elderly or disabled customers, through the Carrier Alert Program. In fiscal year 2025, the Postal Service recognized 95 heroic employees through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program.
We’re a retail giant
WE ARE
a retail giant
The Postal Service has the nation’s largest retail network — 32,661 retail locations — larger than the footprints of Subway, Dollar General, Starbucks and McDonald’s.
Number of postal vehicles
262,740
postal vehicles
At the end of fiscal year 2025, the Postal Service had 262,740 vehicles — one of the largest civilian fleets in the world.
Price of First-Class stamp
78
CENTS
For 78 cents, anyone can send a letter, regardless of geographic location, to anywhere in the United States and its territories. (Stamp price effective July 14, 2025.)
Postal money orders
Postal
money orders
In fiscal year 2025, the Postal Service issued an average of 180,435 money orders a day.
Salaries and benefits
$2.15 B
every two weeks
In fiscal year 2025, the Postal Service paid $2.15 billion in salaries and benefits every two weeks.
We are self-funding
WE'RE
self-funding
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.
Daily revenue generated
$267.3
million in daily revenue
The Postal Service generated, on average, $267.3 million in revenue each day in fiscal year 2025.
