2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines: USPS, UPS, FedEx
USPS says mail Ground Advantage by December 17 and Priority Mail Express by December 19, 2026; FedEx Ground's last day is December 17 to 23 by transit time.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
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Carrier schedules change. This is a summary in our own words of the 2026 holiday pages published by USPS, FedEx and UPS, read on October 27, 2026. These are the carriers' recommended last days to send a package so it arrives before Christmas; they are not guarantees, and a store's own order cutoff can be earlier. Check the carrier again in December.
USPS: send-by dates for delivery before December 25
| Service | Lower 48 states | Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and territories |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thursday, December 17 | No fixed date; allow 10 or more days |
| First-Class Mail | Thursday, December 17 | Thursday, December 17 |
| Priority Mail | Friday, December 18 | Friday, December 18 |
| Priority Mail Express | Saturday, December 19 | Saturday, December 19 |
For international mail, USPS lists Wednesday, December 9 for First-Class Package International and Priority Mail International, and Wednesday, December 16 for Priority Mail Express International, for every region it names. For military APO, FPO and DPO addresses, USPS lists November 4 for Ground Advantage, December 9 for First-Class Mail and Priority Mail, and December 16 for Priority Mail Express Military Service where it is offered.
USPS also notes that Hanukkah runs from December 4 to 12 in 2026, earlier than usual, so plan those gifts sooner.
FedEx: last day to ship for arrival by December 24
| Service | Last day to ship |
|---|---|
| FedEx Ground Economy | Tuesday, December 15 |
| FedEx Ground and Home Delivery, 5-day transit | Thursday, December 17 |
| FedEx Ground and Home Delivery, 4-day transit | Friday, December 18 |
| FedEx Ground and Home Delivery, 3-day transit | Monday, December 21 |
| FedEx Ground and Home Delivery, 2-day transit | Tuesday, December 22 |
| FedEx Ground and Home Delivery, 1-day transit | Wednesday, December 23 |
| FedEx Express Saver | Monday, December 21 |
| FedEx 2Day and 2Day AM | Tuesday, December 22 |
| FedEx First, Priority and Standard Overnight | Wednesday, December 23 |
| FedEx SameDay | Thursday, December 24 |
FedEx says Ground transit inside the contiguous US is typically 1 to 5 business days, or 3 to 7 to and from Alaska and Hawaii, and that its transit map gives the exact time for your ZIP codes. The dates assume a regular pickup or a drop-off at a staffed FedEx location, and FedEx says they may change.
UPS
UPS's holiday schedule page lists December 24 and 25 as its Christmas holiday and says UPS is closed on Christmas Day. It says the last day to ship for delivery by December 24 depends on the service and the route, and it links to a 2026 year-end schedule PDF that we could not open. Check UPS's site for your service and ZIP codes before you ship.
Tips for on-time gifts
- Ship ground packages early. Ground dates depend on distance, and USPS and FedEx both point you to a ZIP code lookup.
- Allow extra time for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and military addresses.
- For gifts you order online, check the store's own holiday cutoff, which may come before the carrier's date.
Sources
2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines, USPS; 2026 Shipping deadlines for holiday packages, FedEx; UPS Holiday Schedule, UPS. Checked October 27, 2026.