Holiday Shipping Deadlines 2026: Last Days to Ship With USPS, UPS and FedEx for Christmas

If you want a package to arrive by Christmas, the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx have each published their last recommended ship dates for 2026. The main USPS cutoff for ordinary packages is Thursday, Dec. 17, with later dates for faster, pricier services. Here are all the deadlines in one place.

USPS 2026 holiday shipping deadlines

Service	Contiguous 48 states	Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, territories
USPS Ground Advantage	Dec. 17	Dec. 16
First-Class Mail (cards, letters)	Dec. 17	Dec. 17
Priority Mail	Dec. 18	Dec. 18
Priority Mail Express	Dec. 19	Dec. 19

Military APO/FPO/DPO addresses and international destinations have earlier cutoffs, some in early December; USPS lists them on its holiday shipping page. The dates are recommendations for delivery by Dec. 25, not guarantees, and the clock starts when the package is scanned at acceptance, not when you print the label.

UPS 2026 deadlines

UPS Ground: depends on the route; use the UPS transit-time calculator. Most domestic ground shipments need to go by Dec. 16 to 18.
UPS 3 Day Select: Dec. 21
UPS 2nd Day Air: Dec. 22
UPS Next Day Air: Dec. 23
UPS delivers on Dec. 24 but offers only limited pickups; it is closed on Dec. 25.

FedEx 2026 deadlines

FedEx Ground Economy: Dec. 15
FedEx Ground / Home Delivery: by transit time. Five-day lanes Dec. 17, four-day Dec. 18, three-day Dec. 21.
FedEx Express Saver: Dec. 21
FedEx 2Day: Dec. 22
FedEx Overnight services: Dec. 23 for delivery on Dec. 24

Peak surcharges

Both UPS and FedEx add residential peak surcharges during the holiday weeks, reported at up to about $0.75 to $0.80 per package for small shippers, with larger fees on oversized items. USPS does not add a residential surcharge but has seasonal price increases on some services.

Tips to make the deadlines

Ship early. Deadlines are for a best-case delivery; weather and volume can add days.
Use tracking and keep the receipt with the acceptance scan.
Measure and weigh before buying postage online; underpaid packages get held.
Gift cards and documents: First-Class Mail by Dec. 17 is enough for most of the country.
Last-minute: Priority Mail Express on Dec. 19 or UPS/FedEx overnight on Dec. 23 are the final options, at the highest price.

Post office and carrier holiday hours

USPS does not deliver on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) or Christmas Day. Post offices are open normal hours on Black Friday and on Dec. 24 in most locations, often with shorter hours; check your local branch. For stock market, bank and mail hours over Thanksgiving, see our Thanksgiving holiday hours guide.