THE TOP FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT THE POSTAL SERVICE
ESSENTIAL
The Postal Service provides a vital public service, is a part of the nation’s critical infrastructure and was created by an act of Congress.
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).
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.
focused
We’re customer-focused. The Postal Service is committed to providing a positive customer experience.
With nearly 34,000 retail locations, more than 12 million daily visits on usps.com and serving 155.9 million residences and 12.6 million businesses typically six days a week, the Postal Service is committed to providing a positive customer experience.
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.
veterans
We're patriotic. The Postal Service employs nearly 70,000 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 Armed Forces stamps commemorating the 250th anniversaries of the
U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
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.
mailing industry
We're all heart. The Postal Service is the heart of the $1.9 trillion United States mailing industry, which employs more than 7.9 million people.
business delivery points
In 2024, the Postal Service delivered to 12.6 million business addresses.
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
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.
DIVERSE
The strength of the Postal Service lies in its amazing diversity. Our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve.
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.
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 2024, the Postal Service recognized 109 heroic employees through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program.
In 2024, the Postal Service recognized 109 employees through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program.
excellence
We're greener than you think. The Postal Service is working hard to put its stamp on a greener tomorrow for the organization and the communities we serve. In 2024, the Postal Service recycled more than 269,000 tons of solid waste.
For more information on the Postal Service’s sustainability efforts and initiatives, visit usps.com/green.
a retail giant
We’re a retail giant. The Postal Service has the nation’s largest retail network (33,780) — larger than Subway (20,484), Dollar General (20,376), Starbucks (15,270) and McDonald’s (13,598).
and collaborate
The Postal Service both competes and collaborates with the private sector. UPS and FedEx pay the Postal Service to deliver their ground packages, and the Postal Service pays UPS and FedEx for air transportation.
secure
The 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.
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.
Trademarks
The Sonic 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®, First-Class Package International Service®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, IMb®, Informed Delivery®, Intelligent Mail®, Label Broker™, Parcel Select®, P.O. Box™, Post Office®, Pony Express®, Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, #PostalProud®, Priority Mail 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®, We are people delivering to people™, ZIP+4® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Non-Postal Trademarks
Dollar General®, Forest Stewardship Council®, How2Recycle®, McDonald’s®, National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, Starbucks®, Subway®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, The Climate Registry®.
Postal Facts 2024 provides the public with information about the U.S. Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, in a business, informational or 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.
Produced by U.S. Postal Service Corporate Communications
© 2024 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
© 2016-2025 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Trademarks
The Sonic 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®, First-Class Package International Service®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, IMb®, Informed Delivery®, Intelligent Mail®, Label Broker™, Parcel Select®, P.O. Box™, Post Office®, Pony Express®, Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, #PostalProud®, Priority Mail 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®, We are people delivering to people™, ZIP+4® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Non-Postal Trademarks
Dollar General®, Forest Stewardship Council®, How2Recycle®, McDonald’s®, National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, Starbucks®, Subway®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, The Climate Registry®.
Postal Facts 2024 provides the public with information about the U.S. Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, in a business, informational or 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.
Produced by U.S. Postal Service Corporate Communications
© 2024 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
© 2016-2025 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
