Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories
For First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express, USPS lists the same 2026 send-by dates as the lower 48: December 17, 18, and 19. Ground Advantage is the exception. USPS says packages between the contiguous United States and Alaska, Hawaii, and listed territories have a 10-day or longer service expectation.
Updated .
The lower-48 Ground Advantage date is explained on the Ground Advantage page. The full USPS table is on the 2026 deadlines page. Or use the home checker and choose a territorial destination.
At a glance
| Service | What USPS lists for 2026 |
|---|---|
| First-Class, Priority, Express | Same dates as the lower 48: Dec 17, 18, 19 |
| Ground Advantage | Not the lower-48 December 17 date |
| Service expectation | 10 days or longer; days vary with distance |
| ZIP lookup | postcalc.usps.com/ServiceCommitments |
For First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express, USPS lists the same 2026 send-by dates as the lower 48: December 17, 18, and 19. Ground Advantage is the exception. USPS says packages between the contiguous United States and Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States have a 10-day or longer service expectation. Days vary with distance. Use the USPS service-commitments lookup instead of the December 17 lower-48 Ground Advantage date.
USPS points customers to postcalc.usps.com/ServiceCommitments to look up service expectations from one ZIP Code to another on a mailing date.
Sources
Common questions
Do Priority Mail dates change for Alaska or Hawaii?
No. For First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express, USPS lists the same 2026 send-by dates as the lower 48.
Why is Ground Advantage different?
USPS says packages between the contiguous United States and Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States have a 10-day or longer service expectation. Days vary with distance.
How do I look up a specific ZIP Code?
USPS points customers to the service-commitments lookup at postcalc.usps.com/ServiceCommitments, instead of using the December 17 lower-48 Ground Advantage date.
Is December 17 safe for Ground Advantage to Honolulu or Anchorage?
Do not assume that. Use the official service-commitments lookup for the two ZIP Codes and the mailing date.