USPS Ground Advantage: Thursday, December 17, 2026
For the lower 48 states, USPS recommends sending Ground Advantage by Thursday, December 17 for expected delivery before December 25, 2026. That is also the First-Class Mail date. Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories are different for Ground Advantage, because service expectations can be 10 days or longer.
Updated .
Compare Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, or read why Alaska and Hawaii Ground Advantage dates differ.
At a glance
| Mail class, lower 48 | Recommended send-by |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| First-Class Mail | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| Priority Mail | Friday, December 18, 2026 |
| Priority Mail Express | Saturday, December 19, 2026 |
For the lower 48 states, USPS recommends sending Ground Advantage by Thursday, December 17 for expected delivery before December 25, 2026. That is also the First-Class Mail date. Alaska, Hawaii, and territories are different for Ground Advantage.
Check a drop-off date
| Mail class | Recommended send-by date (contiguous U.S.) |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| First-Class Mail | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| Priority Mail | Friday, December 18, 2026 |
| Priority Mail Express | Saturday, December 19, 2026 |
USPS footnotes these dates: actual delivery may vary based on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance time, and other conditions. Ship earlier when you can.
Sources
Common questions
Is December 17 a guaranteed Ground Advantage delivery date?
No. USPS footnotes that actual delivery may vary based on origin, destination, acceptance time, and other conditions. Ship earlier when you can.
Does Alaska or Hawaii use the same Ground Advantage date?
No. USPS says packages between the contiguous United States and Alaska, Hawaii, and listed territories have a 10-day or longer service expectation. Use the official service-commitments lookup.
Is First-Class Mail the same date?
Yes, in the lower 48, First-Class Mail is also recommended by Thursday, December 17, 2026.
What if December 17 has already passed?
USPS still lists later recommended dates for Priority Mail (December 18) and Priority Mail Express (December 19) in the lower 48. See the late-shipping page.