The past year was extraordinary for the U.S. Postal Service. We were presented with unique challenges, we revealed hidden strengths and demonstrated our essential role in the life of the nation, and in the lives of the American public. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout America’s communities, the 644,000 women and men of the Postal Service delivered — and continue to deliver today — demonstrating constant commitment to our mission of service and ensuring that customers received the medications, supplies, benefit checks, letters and other correspondence and products they depend upon.
Amid the commotion of the outbreak, postal employees drew strength from public support, expressed by many thousands of customers across the nation in the form of handwritten messages of thanks to our essential employees — on paper, on posters, on stickers and on sidewalks.
The Postal Service is proud of its ability to provide a trusted, valued service to the American public, while safeguarding its employees and customers during the ongoing national public health emergency.
We are mindful that we must build upon the core strengths of the Postal Service: our mission of public service and our people — who live, work and serve in every community in America. We strive to provide world-class affordable and dependable service to every American community six and seven days a week — today, tomorrow and for generations to come. It’s what we do!
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. Learn more
Enforcing the law. Established Aug. 7, 1775.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service enforces federal laws, prevents crimes and keeps customers, employees and the mail safe. Learn more
The Postal Service is the original social network, but that doesn't mean we aren't represented on the others. You can find the Postal Service on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Learn more
Everyone living in the United States and its territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Mariana Islands) has access to postal products and services and pays the same for a First-Class Mail postage stamp regardless of their location.
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). Learn more
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 USPS functions. It has never missed a deadline since its inception in 1880. Learn more
The Postal Service provides a vital public service that is a part of the nation's critical infrastructure. 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).
The U.S. Postal Service has no official motto. Nope, it’s not this: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” But we appreciate the sentiment.
Those words are engraved on the front of the James A. Farley Post Office in NYC, set in stone by the architectural firm that built it. The phrase is taken from an ancient book by the Greek historian Herodotus and refers to messengers in the Persian Empire. Learn more
The Post Office Department was founded in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. His annual salary was $1,000. Before 1971, the PMG was a Cabinet member.
With Informed Delivery service, you can digitally preview your incoming mail and manage your packages from a computer, tablet or mobile device. More than 39 million customers have enrolled since it was launched in 2017. Learn more
Heroes. Postal employees regularly go beyond the call of duty to protect the lives of customers they serve, including older and disabled customers through the Carrier Alert Program. In fiscal year 2020, the Postal Service recognized 186 heroic employees.
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.
With Package Pickup, you can go online to request Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail packages be picked up at your home or offices as part of your mail carrier’s regular route — for free.
In 2020, usps.com recorded 3.7 billion visits -- averaging more than 10 million visitors each day. It's one of the most frequently visited government sites.
The Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp has raised more than $92.2 million for breast cancer research since 1998. More than 1.07 billion stamps have been sold. Learn more
In 2020, stamp and retail sales at The Postal Store on usps.com -- the official online Post Office -- totaled $425 million.
About Postal Facts
United States Postal Service - May 4, 2021
We deliver for America. You know that. And you know we’ve been doing it for a long time. But do you know exactly how much we deliver? Every day? Each year? Did you know we don’t use your tax dollars for our operations? Did you know we have programs designed to help the communities we serve? And what does the “ZIP” in ZIP Code mean anyway? You can find these answers and more at facts.usps.com.
When you explore Postal Facts, you’ll find information about postal operations and revenue as well as some things on the lighter side of our business. Our history goes all the way back to the founding of the nation. Postal Facts is a great place to learn about where we’ve been and where we’re going.
We’re proud to provide secure, reliable and affordable service to every address in the United States, plus its territories and its military and diplomatic installations worldwide. And consider this very important fact: Everyone in the United States and its territories has access to postal products and services and pays the same for a First-Class Mail postage stamp regardless of location.
Want even more information about the United States Postal Service? We’ll keep you posted. You can connect with us in many ways, including:
Unless otherwise noted, all figures are based on the Postal Service’s fiscal year.
Trademarks
The 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®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, IMb®, Informed Delivery®, Intelligent Mail®, Parcel Select®, P.O. Box™, Post Office®, Pony Express®, Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, PostalProud®, 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®, ZIP+4® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Non-Postal Trademarks
Forest Stewardship Council®, McDonald’s®, National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, Starbucks®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, Walmart®
Postal Facts 2020 provides the public with information about the Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, and in a business, informational, 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.
The 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®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, IMb®, Informed Delivery®, Intelligent Mail®, Parcel Select®, P.O. Box™, Post Office®, Pony Express®, Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, PostalProud®, 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®, ZIP+4® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Non-Postal Trademarks
Forest Stewardship Council®, McDonald’s®, National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, Starbucks®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, Walmart®
Postal Facts 2020 provides the public with information about the Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, and in a business, informational, 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.
