How Long Does First Class Mail Take to Arrive?

When one thinks of the United States Postal Service, letters and postcards are typically the first thing that comes to mind. While USPS is the premier shipping carrier for eCommerce packages, its mailing service are still how it generates the majority of its revenue. In fact, USPS processes and delivers over 472 million mail pieces every single day. Sometimes, this amount of mail can result in up to 3 billion pieces per week. That’s billion, with a “B”—a whole lot! Ever wondered how long First Class Mail pieces take to arrive? Hint: it’s probably quicker than you think.

First Class Mail Typically Takes Between 1 and 3 Business Days to Arrive

The delivery timeframe for letters and postcards sent First Class Mail is usually between 1-3 business days. However, it’s quite normal for mail to arrive a day or two later than expected. This is especially true when sending mail around Friday or Saturday, since USPS doesn’t deliver mail on Sundays.

In case you were wondering, the cost of sending one piece of First Class Mail is currently 55 cents, and you can pick up some pretty sweet forever stamps on the USPS website.

Mail Delivery Times Have Slightly Slowed Due to New Policies Under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

If you’ve noticed that mail has slowed down a bit this year, you’re not alone. Ever since Louis DeJoy became Postmaster General in May of 2020, mail delivery timeframes have dipped by a small margin. This is mostly due to restrictions that DeJoy instituted preventing letter carriers from working overtime to make final deliveries at the end of their routes. These new policies have also contributed to an increase in USPS package delivery timeframes, and not just First Class Mail.

All this said, it’s important to remember just how much mail USPS processes and delivers each day. Considering USPS sometimes handles up to 3 billion pieces of First Class Mail per week, a delivery timeframe of roughly 1-3 business days is quite impressive.