The United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers mail Monday through Saturday to over 149 million destinations (homes, businesses, and post office boxes) in the fifty United States, American Samoa, the Federal States of Micronesia, Guam, Palau, the Northern Marina Islands, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Marshall Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In this article, learn which days to expect no mail delivery in 2010, alternative package shipping services for USPS holidays, and how to find out hours of operation for local post office locations.
Post Office Holidays 2010 – Official Postal Service Closings
The post office delivers mail on most days of the year with the exception of Sundays and a handful of observed holidays. Many individuals incorrectly assume that post office holidays are the same as United States federal government holidays. Federal holidays are mandated by Congress and officially apply only to federal government entities; the United States Postal Service is not a true government agency, so USPS holidays may not match the list of official federal government holidays.
Each year, the United States Postal Service posts a list of postal holidays on its website, usps.com. Last year, the post office was officially closed on ten different days.
2010 Postal Holidays – Post Office Closings on Mail Delivery Holidays
In 2010, the post office will also be closed for ten holidays. Here are the days individuals should expect no mail delivery:
- January 1, 2010 – New Year’s Day
- January 18, 2010 – Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday
- February 15, 2010 – Presidents Day
- May 31, 2010 – Memorial Day
- July 5, 2010 – Independence Day (Fourth of July)
- September 6, 2010 – Labor Day
- October 11, 2010 – Columbus Day
- November 11, 2010 – Veterans Day
- November 25, 2010 – Thanksgiving Day
- December 25, 2010 – Christmas Day
Contrary to popular belief, the post office will not be closed on Election Day, November 2, 2010.
Although the United States Postal Service has not released an official post office holiday schedule for 2011, it did note on the 2010 mail delivery holiday schedule that post offices will be closed on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2011.
Fourth of July Observed on July 5, 2010 Instead of July 4th
Americans should note that since the Fourth of July falls on a Sunday in 2010, the postal service has moved its day of observance to Monday, July 5th.
Does the Mail Run Today, Tomorrow? Learn USPS Hours of Operation
Some post office locations may close early on the eve of certain holidays, particularly Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. One way to find out if a particular post office location will be closing early on those days is to call that location ahead of time. Another way to check this information is through the Post Office Locator function on usps.com. With this tool, consumers can find out USPS hours of operation by location.
Shipping Alternatives on USPS Mail Service Holidays – FedEx & UPS
USPS customers have other, albeit expensive, options on days the mail doesn’t run. Although UPS will be closed on seven days in 2010, it offers UPS Express Critical service 365 days a year. Likewise, FexEx offers FedEx Same Day®, FedEx International Next Flight, and FedEx Custom Critical® shipping options every day of the year.
2010 Federal Holidays in the United States
As noted above, Congress mandates federal government holidays. Find out where this information can be found in the United States Code and get a list of commonly mistaken government holidays in the article United States Federal Holidays in 2010.
Resources:
Cornell University Law School U.S. Code Collection
FexEx website
Postal Facts 2009. Retrieved from usps.com on November 23, 2009.
United States Postal Service website
UPS website
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Lena Gott - Lena Gott is a Certified Public Accountant who gives practical financial advice to her readers.
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