Gifts and cards headed anywhere in the lower 48 states need to be in the mail by Thursday, Dec. 17, to reach their destination by Christmas, according to the U.S. Postal Service's 2026 holiday shipping dates. That date covers the two cheapest options: USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail. Paying for faster service buys a day or two: Priority Mail by Friday, Dec. 18, and Priority Mail Express by Saturday, Dec. 19.
International packages need to leave about a week earlier.
The Postal Service also notes that Hanukkah comes early this year. It runs from Dec. 4 to Dec. 12, so the agency asks shippers to plan around it.
USPS send-by dates for Christmas delivery
| Where it's going | Cheapest option | Last day | Fastest option | Last day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower 48 states | Ground Advantage or First-Class Mail | Thu., Dec. 17 | Priority Mail Express | Sat., Dec. 19 |
| Alaska and Hawaii, plus Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories | First-Class Mail | Thu., Dec. 17 | Priority Mail Express | Sat., Dec. 19 |
| Any international destination | First-Class Package International or Priority Mail International | Wed., Dec. 9 | Priority Mail Express International | Wed., Dec. 16 |
| Military and diplomatic mail (APO/FPO/DPO) | First-Class Mail or Priority Mail | Wed., Dec. 9 | Priority Mail Express Military, where offered | Wed., Dec. 16 |
The international dates match for every region on the Postal Service's list. Canada and Mexico get the same cutoff as Asia or Africa. Military Ground Advantage packages had a much earlier cutoff, Nov. 4, which has already passed.
Ground shipping to Alaska and Hawaii, and the fine print
Ground Advantage is the one service without a single date for the offshore states and territories. The Postal Service says packages between those places and the lower 48 have a service expectation of 10 days or more, depending on distance, and points shippers to its service commitment lookup to check a route on a given mailing day. USPS calls all of these recommended dates and says actual delivery depends on the route and when a package is accepted. It also stopped refunding the delivery guarantee on Priority Mail Express in 2023, though refund requests for lost items are still handled.
FedEx and UPS publish their own holiday cutoffs. FedEx's Nov. 5 holiday announcement links to its 2026 last-day-to-ship list and describes its free Delivery Manager app, which shows a four-hour delivery window and can send a package to a nearby pickup spot such as a FedEx Office or Walgreens store instead.
