There is no regular mail or package delivery on Thursday, November 26, 2026, so does USPS deliver on Thanksgiving comes down to a single exception. That exception is Priority Mail Express, in select markets for an extra fee. The same applies in 2027, when the holiday lands on Thursday, November 25.
The rule holds because Thanksgiving is a federal holiday that USPS observes. Delivery picks up again on Friday, and USPS’s own Thanksgiving notice says so in one line.
Does USPS deliver on Thanksgiving Day, service by service
Thanksgiving is one of 11 holidays on the USPS list, and the OPM federal holiday calendar gives the same dates. On a USPS holiday, retail counters close and carriers do not run residential or business routes. Blue collection boxes are not emptied either.
The USPS national notice for Thanksgiving 2025 spelled it out. All Post Office locations closed on Thursday, November 27, and only Priority Mail Express was delivered that day. Regular mail delivery and retail services resumed on Friday, November 28, and the 2026 holiday follows the same pattern one day earlier.
| Service | Thanksgiving Day status |
|---|---|
| Regular letter and mail delivery | No delivery |
| Package delivery (Ground Advantage, Priority Mail) | No delivery |
| Priority Mail Express | Select areas only, for an extra fee |
| Collection box pickup | No pickup |
| Retail post office counters | Closed |
| PO Box lobby access | Varies by location |
| usps.com labels, stamps and supplies | Available online |
Does USPS run on Thanksgiving Day for Priority Mail Express?
Sometimes. USPS’s Thanksgiving notice says only Priority Mail Express will be delivered that day. Its service page adds that Sunday and holiday delivery is available in many major markets for an additional fee.
Its Christmas holiday letter describes the service as holiday premium delivery that runs with local management approval. That wording tells you coverage is limited. If a Priority Mail Express item is due on Thanksgiving, watch the tracking page the evening before and do not assume your street is covered.
Is USPS working on Thanksgiving at the counter
No. Post offices are closed on Thanksgiving, so there is no counter service for stamps, certified mail or package drop off.
A few facilities that normally open on holidays may differ, and hours vary by location. Use the USPS locator before you drive anywhere. The Thanksgiving notice also points to more than 2,600 self service kiosks in select lobbies, Rapid Dropoff Stations for prepaid parcels and Smart Lockers, often with 24/7 access.
Some post offices keep PO Box lobbies open when possible. That is a local choice, not a delivery service.
An open lobby does not mean a carrier is out on the street. For the next day’s counter hours, see whether USPS is open on Black Friday.
When is Thanksgiving, and why the date matters
Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November. That gives Thursday, November 26 in 2026 and Thursday, November 25 in 2027. Because it is always a Thursday, USPS never has to move the observance to a Friday or Monday.
USPS does shift holidays that fall on a weekend. A Saturday holiday is observed the Friday before, and a Sunday holiday the Monday after. That rule does not touch Thanksgiving, so the closure lands on the day itself.
The Wednesday before is not on the USPS or federal list. Regular delivery runs that day, and many people mail and ship heavily before the long weekend.
Delivery on the other days of Thanksgiving week follows the usual schedule. Only Thursday gets the no delivery answer to does USPS deliver on Thanksgiving.
If you ship to a business, check whether it is open on Friday before you set a delivery date. USPS will deliver on Friday even if the receiving office is closed for a long weekend.
What happens on Black Friday and the weekend
Black Friday is not on the USPS holiday list or the federal list. Friday, November 27, 2026 is a normal delivery day, and Friday, November 26, 2027 will be too. Carriers run their regular routes.
Expect a backlog of parcels that built up over the holiday. Saturday follows the usual weekend pattern, which our weekend delivery guide explains. USPS also says Priority Mail Express is delivered 365 days a year, including Sundays.
How Thanksgiving shifts your delivery date
A holiday is not a delivery day. A package that would have arrived on Thursday moves to the next day carriers run, which is Friday for most addresses. Mail already out for delivery earlier in the week is not affected.
Tracking may show the same status for a full day. A scan like “In Transit” can sit still while nothing moves, and that is normal on a holiday. The Delivery Time Estimator shows how a holiday pushes the arrival date on your route.
| Day (2026) | USPS | UPS | FedEx |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Nov 26 (Thanksgiving) | No regular delivery | No service, limited stores open | Closed |
| Fri, Nov 27 | Normal delivery | Regular operations | Modified Service |
UPS lists Thanksgiving as a no service day, with only limited stores open. FedEx and FedEx Office are both closed, though FedEx lists Custom Critical as open. On Friday, FedEx Office is open and the main FedEx network runs Modified Service.
The UPS and FedEx entries come from their own 2026 holiday schedules. If you want every carrier on one page, the Postal Holiday Checker lists them together.
What to do if a package was due on Thanksgiving
A late scan on a holiday is not a lost package. Give it until the end of the next delivery day before you act.
- Check tracking Thursday night and again Friday morning, and allow for how late a Friday route can run.
- If the status has not moved by Friday evening, wait one more delivery day.
- If it stays stuck after that, file a help request on usps.com with the tracking number.
- If tracking says delivered but nothing arrived, check with neighbors and your mail area, then contact USPS through the tracking page.
Do not call the carrier a second time on Thursday for the same package. Nobody is delivering, and the answer will not change before Friday.
You can still buy stamps, print labels and order supplies on usps.com at any hour, holidays included. Print the label Thursday and drop the parcel off when counters reopen.
Ship early so the holiday does not hurt your deadline
Thanksgiving week marks the start of the holiday rush. USPS lists the 2026 last mailing days for Christmas on its holiday shipping dates page.
| Service (contiguous US) | 2026 mailing deadline |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thursday, December 17 |
| First-Class Mail | Thursday, December 17 |
| Priority Mail | Friday, December 18 |
| Priority Mail Express | Saturday, December 19 |
Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the territories get one day less on Ground Advantage, which is Wednesday, December 16. First-Class Mail there is December 17, Priority Mail is December 18 and Priority Mail Express is December 19.
International and military dates are much earlier, so do not wait for the holiday weekend. First-Class Package International and Priority Mail International close on Wednesday, December 9. Priority Mail Express International closes on Wednesday, December 16.
Military mail to APO, FPO and DPO addresses has its own cutoffs. Ground Advantage is November 4, First-Class Mail and Priority Mail are December 9, and Priority Mail Express Military is December 16 for selected locations. Anything bound for a military address on Thanksgiving week is already late for the cheapest service.
USPS advises mailing early to arrive by December 25. For that day itself, read whether USPS will deliver on Christmas Day.
Thanksgiving mail in short
So, does USPS deliver on Thanksgiving? Plan for no mailbox delivery and expect your mail on Friday.
Priority Mail Express is the lone exception, and only in select places for a fee. For the normal weekly pattern, see the daily delivery guide.
