2025 Holiday Shipping Deadlines You Need to Know Now

UPS, FedEx and USPS guidelines to get your cards and gifts there on time

Sheryl Jean,

Updated December 03, 2025

AARP

Comments

Published November 13, 2020

/ Updated December 03, 2025

a photo shows a top-down view of a person opening a cardboard package box with a gift and styrofoam popcorn inside

ASIFE/GETTY IMAGES

Ho, ho, hoping your holiday cards and gifts arrive on time?

Of course you are. Punctuality is important when you and your loved ones are sending mail and packages to celebrate the holiday season. Mountains of first-class letters and packages are already on their way.

It’s a good idea to heed the holiday shipping deadlines set by FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to ensure cards and gifts arrive on time. That’s especially true this holiday season, with shipping analytics company ShipMatrix projecting a 5 percent increase from last year to 2.3 billion U.S. parcel deliveries.

Increased volume may mean more delays, too. Sriram Sridhar, CEO of parcel-tracking company LateShipment, expects shipping congestion and delays to be worse this holiday season than in 2024 as “people put off their purchases until the last minute, considering the economic climate.”

Consumers also can expect to see higher postage and delivery service prices this year thanks to inflation. Sending items sooner than later can reduce shipping costs, which are partly based on delivery speed.

Holiday Dates for 2025

Christmas is Dec. 25, which falls on a Thursday.
Hanukkah begins at sundown on Sunday, Dec. 14, and ends on the evening of Monday, Dec. 22. Dates vary by year.
Kwanzaa is celebrated from Friday, Dec. 26, until Thursday, Jan. 1. Dates for the weeklong celebration stay the same annually.

Here’s your must-know now guide to getting your deliveries to their destination on time for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Procrastinators, you may want to check with your local offices to confirm hours of operation on the days just before those holidays.

U.S. Postal Service

These are the key deadlines for domestic mail deliveries in the contiguous 48 states for deliveries before Dec. 25.

Dec. 17 for first-class mail and retail ground service
Dec. 18 for priority mail service
Dec. 20 for priority mail express service

The USPS says its official holiday season begins on Thanksgiving Day and continues through New Year’s Day. Typically, the last two weeks before Christmas are the busiest stretch.

“Holidays can be hectic, so it’s always a good rule of thumb to ship early,” says Kim Frum, a USPS senior public relations representative. Because Hanukkah is early this year, beginning Dec. 14, she advises customers to send gifts for Hanukkah celebrations earlier than the recommended shipping deadlines.

USPS doesn’t release holiday mail volume projections, but says it’s “ready to handle the expected increase in holiday mail and package volume.”

Important to know: Mail to and from Hawaii and Alaska, overseas military mail and other international mail often have earlier deadlines. Here’s more if you’re interested.

FedEx

These are the company’s deadlines for deliveries by Dec. 24 within the United States:

Dec. 15 for FedEx Ground
Dec. 20 for FedEx Express Saver
Dec. 22 for FedEx Express 2 Day Shipping
Dec. 23 for FedEx Express Overnight and Priority Overnight
Dec. 24 for FedEx Express Same Day Delivery

FedEx expects an increase in volume this year because the peak season is one day longer than last year, according to Amelia Ables, a FedEx spokeswoman. She adds that the company has been “preparing all year” and is “ready to deliver outstanding service this holiday season.”

Here’s more on FedEx holiday deadlines.

UPS

These are UPS deadlines for Dec. 24 delivery:

Check ups.com/ctc for UPS Ground (depending on origin and destination)

Dec. 19 for UPS 3 Day Select
Dec. 22 for UPS 2nd Day Air
Dec. 23 for UPS Next Day Air

Find more on UPS holiday deadlines here.

For peace of mind this holiday season, UPS spokeswoman Karen Tomaszewski Hill recommends using UPS My Choice to control and track deliveries. The free service lets customers receive delivery alerts and change the delivery time or place.

“If customers are at work during the day, they can use UPS My Choice to have packages delivered to where they work,” a UPS Access Point location or a relative or neighbor who’s home during the day, Hill says. “Customers can tell our driver where they’d like packages left … for example, in the shed in the backyard or behind the garage,” she adds.

On Christmas Day, there’s no UPS pickup or delivery service, but UPS Express Critical service is available and some UPS Stores might be open. Check with your local store or call 800-714-8779.

Editor’s note: This article is updated annually to reflect new information.

%{postComment}%

Sheryl Jean is a contributing writer who covers aging, business, technology, travel, health and human-interest stories. A former reporter for several daily metropolitan newspapers, her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune and The Dallas Morning News and on the American Heart Association’s website.