Wait. Before you stand by the window staring at the driveway, let’s get the big question out of the way. Yes, the United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers today, Saturday, January 17, 2026.
It's a normal Saturday. The trucks are out. The carriers are walking their beats. If you're expecting a birthday card or that random gadget you ordered at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, it should be arriving as long as it isn't caught in a sorting facility backlog.
But there’s a catch. Or rather, a looming deadline.
While today is a business-as-usual kind of Saturday, we are staring down a federal holiday. Monday, January 19, 2026, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. That changes things. It changes them a lot if you’re counting on a package arriving by a specific deadline or if you need to visit a retail counter.
Does the US post office deliver today and what about the holiday?
Since today is Saturday, you’ll see the usual white-and-blue LLVs (those boxy mail trucks) buzzing around neighborhoods. USPS considers Saturday a standard delivery day for most mail classes. This includes First-Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Priority Mail.
However, don't expect the same for Monday.
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On Monday, Jan 19, the Post Office takes a breather. Most mail stays sitting in the bins. The retail lobby where you buy stamps? Locked. The guy who usually waves while stuffing envelopes into your box? He’s at home.
What actually moves on a holiday?
Even when the USPS "closes," it doesn’t actually stop completely. It’s kinda like a sleeping giant that still has a few fingers twitching.
- Priority Mail Express: This is the high-tier, expensive stuff. It’s the only service that technically delivers 365 days a year. If someone paid the "Sunday/Holiday" premium fee, that package is still moving on Monday.
- Amazon Packages: You’ve probably seen a mail truck on a Sunday and wondered if you were hallucinating. You weren't. USPS has a long-standing contract to deliver certain Amazon parcels on days when regular mail is suspended.
- Self-Service Kiosks: If your local post office has one of those big blue machines in the lobby, you can usually still get in to weigh a package or buy stamps, even if the counter is closed.
Timing is everything: When will the mail actually show up?
"Today" is a broad term. If you’re asking does the us post office deliver today because it’s 4:00 PM and your mailbox is empty, don't panic yet.
The "official" cutoff for mail delivery is 5:00 PM local time. That’s the goal. But honestly? That goal is missed all the time. Ask any carrier and they’ll tell you about the "Heavy Volume" days where they're still out with a headlamp at 8:00 PM.
If you live at the end of a long rural route, you're almost always going to be the last stop. Conversely, businesses usually get their mail first because they're on the early part of the loop. If your mail usually comes at 10:00 AM and it’s now 2:00 PM, there might be a "pivot" happening—that’s postal-speak for a carrier having to cover two routes because a coworker called in sick.
Why your mail might be "missing" even if they deliver today
Sometimes the post office is delivering, but your specific piece of mail is stuck in limbo. It happens.
The Sorting Facility Black Hole
Every letter goes through a sectional center facility (SCF). If a machine breaks or a truck is delayed by weather three states away, your mail won't make it to the local office in time for the morning "pull." If it’s not on the truck when the carrier leaves the station at 8:30 or 9:00 AM, you aren't getting it today. Period.
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Weather and Safety
Carriers are told not to deliver if it’s unsafe. If you have an aggressive dog loose in the yard or your sidewalk is a sheet of ice that hasn't been salted, the carrier is within their rights to skip your house. They'll try again tomorrow—or in this case, Tuesday, since Monday is a holiday.
Informed Delivery: The "Spoiler" for your Mailbox
If you aren't using Informed Delivery, you’re missing out. It’s a free service where USPS emails you a grayscale image of the exterior of every letter scheduled to arrive that day.
Expert Tip: Just because it appears in your Informed Delivery email doesn't mean it’s 100% arriving today. The fine print says it should arrive "soon," though 90% of the time, it’s in your box by evening.
Logistics of the 2026 Holiday Calendar
Since we’re currently in January 2026, it’s worth looking at the road ahead. The Post Office has 11 official holidays this year.
- New Year’s Day (Jan 1) - Already passed.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan 19) - This coming Monday.
- Presidents' Day (Feb 16) - No mail.
- Memorial Day (May 25) - No mail.
- Juneteenth (June 19) - This falls on a Friday this year.
- Independence Day (July 4) - This is a Saturday. Usually, when a holiday hits Saturday, the preceding Friday (July 3) is the "observed" holiday for some federal workers, but the USPS usually stays closed on the actual Saturday.
The 2026 schedule is pretty standard, but the mid-week holidays are the ones that usually trip people up. When a holiday falls on a Monday, like this upcoming MLK Day, it creates a "dead zone" for mail from Saturday afternoon until Tuesday morning.
Comparing USPS to the "Other Guys"
If you absolutely must get something delivered on Monday, Jan 19, and you didn't ship it via Priority Mail Express, you might be looking at UPS or FedEx.
Usually, UPS and FedEx do not follow the exact same holiday schedule as the federal government. For example, on many "minor" federal holidays, UPS keeps the brown trucks moving. However, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, you should check their specific 2026 holiday calendars, as they sometimes reduce service or only offer "Express" options.
Actionable Steps for Today
Since the post office is delivering today, here is what you should do to make sure your mail life stays on track:
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- Check your tracking numbers now. If it says "Out for Delivery," it's on a truck. If it says "Arrived at Hub," it’s probably not coming until Tuesday.
- Drop off outgoing mail before the Saturday cutoff. Most blue collection boxes have an earlier pickup time on Saturdays—often between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. If you miss that, your letter will sit there until Tuesday.
- Clear your path. If you’re in a cold climate, shovel that snow. If the carrier can’t get to the box, they won’t deliver.
- Sign up for Informed Delivery. Seriously. It stops the guessing game of whether the mail has come yet or if the box is just empty.
The postal service is a massive, complex machine. While it feels like a simple "yes or no" question, the reality of a Saturday delivery right before a federal holiday Monday means you need to plan for a three-day gap in service starting tonight.
Get your shipping done before the retail counters close this afternoon. Otherwise, you’re waiting until Tuesday morning when the gates finally swing back open.