Look out your window. Is there a white truck with a blue eagle creeping along the curb? If you’re reading this on Sunday, January 18, 2026, the answer is probably no. Unless you ordered that 10-pack of rechargeable batteries from Amazon at 2:00 AM yesterday. Or you’re expecting a life-saving medication via Priority Mail Express.
Most of us treat the mailbox like a slot machine. We pull the handle and hope for a win—usually a bill we don't want or a catalog for a store we’ve never visited. But the question of whether is mail being delivered today USPS depends entirely on the calendar, the clock, and what exactly is inside that envelope.
The Sunday Slump: Why Your Mailbox is Empty
Today is Sunday. For the United States Postal Service, Sunday is the closest thing to a "day off" they get, though the logistics hubs never actually stop breathing.
Basically, regular mail does not move on Sundays. You won't see your First-Class letters, your local newspaper, or those "Current Resident" postcards for $5 off a pizza. The USPS has held this line for decades.
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But there’s a massive exception. Amazon.
The deal between the post office and the world’s largest retailer is legendary and, for postal workers, often exhausting. In most metro areas and even mid-sized suburbs, USPS carriers are out today specifically to deliver Amazon packages. If you see a mail truck today, they aren't carrying letters. They’re carrying cardboard.
Is Mail Being Delivered Today USPS? The Holiday Factor
Timing is everything. Tomorrow, Monday, January 19, 2026, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
This is a federal holiday. It means the "Closed" sign goes up on every post office lobby from Maine to Hawaii. If you were hoping to skip the Sunday drought and get your mail tomorrow, you're out of luck. Federal employees, including your mail carrier, will be observing the holiday.
Honestly, it’s one of those "double-whammy" weekends. No mail today because it’s Sunday. No mail tomorrow because it’s a federal holiday. Your mailbox is going to be a ghost town until Tuesday, January 20th.
What Actually Moves on a Holiday?
- Priority Mail Express: This is the USPS "premium" tier. It’s the only service that runs 365 days a year. If someone paid the extra $12.50 holiday/Sunday surcharge, that package is still coming today.
- Amazon Hub Deliveries: Because of their specific contract, Amazon packages often bypass the standard "holiday" rules in select markets.
- The Plants: Behind the scenes, the big sorting facilities (the ones that look like airplane hangars) are still humming. They are prepping the "Tuesday Avalanche."
The Tuesday Avalanche: What Happens After a Long Weekend
When the mail finally resumes on Tuesday, January 20, prepare yourself. Your carrier is going to be lugging three days' worth of letters, flats, and packages.
Often, this is when mail gets delayed. It’s a volume game. If a route usually takes six hours, but now has triple the mail, something has to give. Sometimes, the carrier can’t finish the route before their "clock-out" time. If your mail usually arrives at 2:00 PM, don't be shocked if it doesn't show up until 6:00 PM or even the next day during these holiday backups.
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Misconceptions About "Weekend" Mail
People often confuse Priority Mail with Priority Mail Express. It’s a common headache.
Priority Mail (the red and white boxes) is fast, usually 1-3 days. But it is not guaranteed for Sunday or holiday delivery. If you sent a package on Friday via Priority Mail, it likely sat in a sorting facility today and will sit there tomorrow. It won't move until Tuesday.
Only the "Express" (blue and black branding) has the 365-day engine behind it.
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Real Talk: Why can't we just have mail every day?
Money and exhaustion. The USPS is a massive machine. It services over 160 million delivery points. Adding Sunday as a universal delivery day would require a monumental shift in staffing and a budget that the current postal infrastructure simply doesn't have. Plus, the drop in letter volume—thanks to everyone paying bills online—makes a seven-day letter delivery service a financial nightmare.
Actionable Steps for Your Missing Mail
If you’re staring at an empty mailbox and feeling frustrated, here is how you handle the next 48 hours:
- Check Informed Delivery: This is a free service from USPS. They email you a grayscale image of the mail that is supposed to arrive. If your dashboard is empty today and tomorrow, it’s because of the Sunday/Holiday block.
- Verify the Service Type: Pull up your tracking number. If it doesn't say "Priority Mail Express," stop refreshing the page. It’s not moving until Tuesday.
- Wait for the Tuesday Reset: Expect your Tuesday mail to be significantly heavier than usual. If something urgent was supposed to arrive, Tuesday is your target date.
- Visit the Kiosk: If you need to send something today or tomorrow, many Post Office lobbies remain open even when the counters are closed. You can use the Self-Service Kiosks (SSK) to weigh packages and print postage. The mail won't leave the building until Tuesday, but at least it's out of your hands.
The postal system is a bit of a dinosaur, but it’s a reliable one. It just needs its holidays off like the rest of us. Plan for the Tuesday surge and enjoy the quiet mailbox while it lasts.