USPS Sunday Delivery: Which Cities Have It?

• 4 min read

Does the post office deliver on Sundays?

Yes, but only in special cases. The Postal Service currently delivers Priority Mail Express and certain Amazon packages on Sundays. However, the sender must select specific Sunday delivery. Not all Priority Mail Express will be delivered on Sunday. Non-Express mail, which includes First Class and Priority parcels or letters does not have a Sunday delivery option. If your package has not been shipped with the specific Express service with the additional Sunday option, you will not be receiving anything from the USPS on Sunday.

As a sender, the easiest way to check if your package or letter has a Sunday delivery option is to head over to the USPS Postage Price Calculator.

Enter your origin and destination ZIP codes as well as the mailing date. The mailing date should be on a Saturday. Since Sunday delivery is only available with Priority Mail Express 1-Day or 2-day, you’ll want to adjust the sending day of your package to a Friday or Saturday (depending on region) if you want it see if Sunday delivery is available. In the example below, we chose to ship within Los Angeles using the ZIP codes 90007 and 90001 to check if Sunday delivery was available for the city.

screen shot of usps sunday priority express rates

To guarantee the delivery date of your Priority Mail Express Sunday/Holiday service package, you should review the list of Priority Mail Express drop-off locations and take your package to the most convenient location. You must drop off your package by the latest cutoff time at a location specified to guarantee a Sunday or Holiday delivery date.

If you are the recipient of an Priority Mail Express package, check the tracking numbers status. It will tell you when to expect your package. Priority Mail Express guarantees that packages will arrive by 6pm local time at the recipient’s address.

Cheapest Express rates with shipping software

As you can see, you will be paying extra fees compared to non-Sunday deliveries. However, you can save money by buying shipping labels from places like Stamps.com, or ShippingEasy. They offer significant discounts over the retail rates the post office provides and all have free trials. All you need to do is print and tape the label at home or office and drop off the package at the post office or request a free USPS pickup.

Sunday delivery adds $12.50 to the normal retail price. So if a non-Sunday Priority Mail Express delivery cost $29.20, a Sunday delivery will cost a total of $41.70.

When did Sunday delivery start?

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has been offering limited Sunday delivery as early as 1885, but the first Express Mail was delivered to addresses in some cities in 1973. USPS Priority Express Mail is a premium service that has a guaranteed delivery date. This service allows customers in certain areas to receive mail on Sundays.

Which cities offer Sunday deliveries?

As of 2023, USPS Sunday delivery continues to expand. Here is a sampling of metropolitan areas that offer Sunday Priority Express Mail:

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Baltimore, MD
  • Boston, MA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Dallas, TX
  • Detroit, MI
  • Houston, TX
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • New York, NY
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • San Antonio, TX
  • San Juan, PR
  • Seattle, WA
  • Washington, D.C.

Along with these major cities, Sunday delivery also extends to many surrounding suburbs. The Postal Service frequently evaluates demand and adjusts the participating delivery zones. Smaller cities may have Sunday delivery to local post office boxes only. Here is a more detailed list of Sunday deliveries from 2018 that includes ZIP codes, however, it is best to verify online using the USPS postage calculator as mentioned above.

Benefits of USPS Sunday Delivery

The main benefits of USPS Sunday delivery include:

  • Faster package delivery times for customers
  • Flexibility to ship and receive on weekends
  • Ability to send late priority mail on Saturdays knowing it will arrive on Sunday
  • Continued USPS competitiveness with private carriers like UPS and FedEx

As online shopping continues to grow, demand for weekend delivery options is likely to increase. USPS Sunday delivery helps meet customer expectations for fast, convenient delivery every day of the week.