Postal Facts 2012

As the U.S. Postal Service continues its evolution as a forward-thinking, fast-acting company capable of providing quality products and services for its customers, it continues to remember and celebrate its roots as the first national network of communications that literally bound a nation together.

Ours is a proud heritage built on a simple yet profound mission: Connect every American, every door, every business, everywhere through the simple act of delivering mail. This idea of universal service is at the heart of a $900 billion industry that drives commerce, plays an integral part of every American community and remains the greatest value of any post in the world.

This is the promise and the potential of the Postal Service and it can be found on every page of “Postal Facts 2012.”

Size and Scope ›

A Decade of Facts and Figures ›

People, Community, Social Responsibility ›

usps.com - This Post Office is Always Open ›

Quick, Easy, Convenient ›

A Simpler Way to Ship ›

What the Postal Service wants you to know......Setting the Record Straight ›

Sustainability ›

Innovation and Technology ›

Security, Law Enforcement, Preserving the Trust ›

Forensics, Crime Sceners, Evidence ›

Fun Facts ›

A Day in the Life — By the Numbers ›

SIZE AND SCOPE

The United States Postal Service delivers more mail to more addresses in a larger geographical area than any other post in the world. The Postal Service delivers to more than 151 million homes, businesses and Post Office boxes in every state, city, town and borough in this country. Everyone living in the U.S. and its territories has access to postal products and services and pays the same postage regardless of their location.

By the Numbers

66 billion — revenue in 2011, in dollars
167.9 billion — number of mail pieces processed in 2011
554 million — average number of mail pieces processed each day
23 million — average number of mail pieces processed each hour
384,000 — average number of mail pieces processed each minute
6,400 — average number of mail pieces processed each second
40 — percent of the world’s mail volume handled by the Postal Service
1.9 billion — dollar amount paid every two weeks in salaries and benefits
546,000 — number of career employees
31,509 — number of Postal Service-managed retail offices
34 million — number of work hours reduced equals 19,000 full-time employees
213,881 — number of vehicles — the largest civilian fleet in the world
1.2 billion — number of miles driven each year by letter carriers and truck drivers
39.9 million — number of address changes processed in 2011
35.5 — percent of retail revenue from alternative access channels in 2011
1.2 million — number of people who visited usps.com each day
62 million — number of inquiries handled by Postal Service Contact Center in 2011
236 million — dollar amount of online stamp and retail sales at usps.com in 2011
467 million — total revenue, in dollars, from Click-N-Ship label purchases in 2011
5.6 million — number of passport applications accepted in 2011
116 million — number of money orders issued in 2011
543 million — amount in revenue from 2,500 Automated Postal Centers
71,000 — number of stores, banks and ATMs that sell postage stamps
636,530 — number of new delivery points added to the network in 2011
0 — tax dollars received for operating the Postal Service

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A Decade of Facts and Figures

Both literally and figuratively, the Postal Service delivers for America. Even in an increasingly digital world, the Postal Service remains part of the bedrock infrastructure of the American economy, serving its people and businesses, and binding the nation together. The core function of the Postal Service is the physical delivery of mail and packages, provided reliably, safely, affordably and universally to every address in America.

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People. Community. Social Responsibility.

The Postal Service is part of the fabric of this nation. Postal employees make a difference in every community across the country.

• Each year, postal employees around the country risk their own safety to save the lives of the customers they serve. In 2011, the Postal Service recognized 331 employee heroes.
• The Breast Cancer Research semi-postal stamp has raised nearly $74 million for breast cancer research since 1998. Sales of the stamp have been extended until December 2015.
• The fourth semi-postal — Save Vanishing Species — was issued in 2011 to support the Multinational Species Conservation Funds. The stamp has raised more than $620,000 since its September issuance.
• In 2011, 20.3 billion stamps were printed — miniature works of art reflecting the American experience and highlighting heroes, history, milestones, achievements and natural wonders.
• The Postal Service and the National Association of Letter Carriers hold the largest one-day food drive in the nation. In 2011, more than 70.2 million pounds of food were collected. Nearly 1.2 billion pounds of food have been collected since the drive began in 1993.
• The Postal Service, National Marrow Donor Program and Be the Match Foundation created the Delivering the Gift of Life campaign 15 years ago. Nearly 57,000 postal employees and their families have joined the donor registry.
• Working with Valassis, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the “Have You Seen Me” campaign demonstrates the power of the mail. The campaign has returned 151 missing children to their families (as of December 2011).
• Each year in May, the Postal Service supports National Dog Bite Prevention Week. This public safety campaign builds awareness concerning animal attacks.
• Postal Service employees pledge an average of $38 million annually to the Combined Federal Campaign.

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usps.com — This Post Office is Always Open

The Postal Service website — usps.com — is an online Post Office at your fingertips, and it is open for business 24/7.

• usps.com is one of the most frequently visited government sites with more than 423 million visits in 2011 — averaging more than 1.2 million visitors each day.
• In 2011, stamp and retail sales at the Postal Store, the official online Post Office, totaled more than $236 million.
• Click-N-Ship allows customers to print shipping labels with postage for Priority Mail, Express Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Priority Mail International and Express Mail International.
• CardStore, Premium Postcards and Click2Mail allow customers to create and send customized mailings from the convenience of a personal computer.
• Internet Change-of-Address allows customers to change addresses, sign up for various services and order moving supplies from a personal computer. More than 12 million address changes were submitted online in 2011.
• Customers can reserve and renew a Post Office Box online.
• In 2011, Hold Mail Service allowed more than 10 million customers to have their mail held safely at local Post Offices while they were away from home. Scheduling can be done online.
• Customers can reserve and renew a Post Office Box online.
• In order of popularity, the top usps.com sites in 2011:
  1. Track & Confirm
  2. ZIP Code Lookup
  3. Calculate Postage
  4. Click-N-Ship
  5. Post Office Locator

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Quick. Easy. Convenient.

Postal customers are at the center of everything the Postal Service does. With their needs in mind, the Postal Service is making sure mail remains relevant and its products and services are quick, easy and convenient to use.

• There's a Post Office on your phone. Some of the most popular functions currently available on usps.com —Track & Confirm, Post Office Locator and ZIP Code Lookup — are now available on cell phones and other mobile devices.
• Since launching in Oct. 2009, the Postal Service iPhone application has been repeatedly ranked in the top 10 free business applications.
• Automated Postal Centers (APCs) provide customers with self-service access to the most frequently purchased postal products and services.
• In 2011, 2,500 APCs generated $543 million in revenue through nearly 86 million transactions.
• Since the APCs launched in 2004, they have generated more than $3.2 billion in revenue.
• The Postal Service has more than 14 million PO Box customers.
• Redelivery Service allows customers to schedule the delivery of the package they missed.
• Going away for a while? Take your mailbox with you. Premium Forwarding Service forwards the mail from your permanent address to a temporary address once a week.
• Working with the U.S. Department of State, the Postal Service accepted 5.6 million passport applications in 2011, generating $182 million in revenue.

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A Simpler Way to Ship.

With 2- to 3-day delivery, free shipping supplies, flat-rate options and easy online tools, Priority Mail offers a simpler way to ship.

• If It Fits, It Ships! Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes and envelopes eliminate the need to weigh packages or calculate postage.
• In 2011, customers shipped more than 148 million Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, generating $1.4 billion in revenue — this represents a 15 percent revenue increase and 16 percent volume increase since 2010.
• Click-N-Ship (CNS) allows customers to print shipping labels with postage for Priority Mail, Express Mail, Priority Mail International, Global Express Guaranteed and Express Mail International.
• In 2011, more than 42 million CNS labels were created in 2011, generating $467 million in revenue.
• With Carrier Pickup, customers can go online to request Express Mail and Priority Mail packages be picked up at their homes or offices — for free.
• In 2011, through Carrier Pickup, more than 65 million packages were picked up at homes and offices.
• The Postal Service is the No.1 choice for eBay shippers!
• Shipping supplies are free. Priority Mail and Express Mail boxes, envelopes and labels, international mailing products and customs forms are available at no charge. They can be ordered at usps.com or picked up at a local Post Office.
• Unlike other shippers, the Postal Service doesn't add surcharges for fuel, residential or Saturday delivery.
• The Postal Service is the #1 choice for eBay shippers!
• Environmentally friendly Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are available at no cost at any Post Office, or can be ordered online at shop.usps.com. Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online anytime using Click-N-Ship.
• The Postal Service is the best way to ship directly to APO and FPO locations. The Military Care Kit and special pricing make it easier than ever before to send care packages to loved ones stationed overseas.
• The Military Care Kit contains six Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes — two large and four medium — six address labels, one roll of tape and six customs forms. The kit can be ordered at no charge by calling 1-800- 610-8734.
• Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes can be used to ship around the country or around the world. There are seven Priority Mail Flat Rate Box options to ship to more than 190 international destinations and five available for domestic use.

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What the Postal Service Wants You to Know ......Setting the Record Straight

For more than 235 years, the U.S. Postal Service has been delivering the nation’s mail in snow, rain and in the dark of night. However, tough economic and market conditions and unrealistic legislative expectations have created challenges that have never before been faced. Misconceptions about the future of the U.S. Postal Service abound — it’s time to set the record straight.

• The Postal Service receives NO tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. We are required by law to cover our costs.
• The Postal Service has the world’s largest retail network — larger than McDonald’s, Walmart and Starbucks combined (in U.S.).
• The Postal Service can and does compete with the private sector — and it collaborates, too. UPS and FedEx pay the Postal Service to deliver more than 400 million of their ground packages to residences and the Postal Service pays them for air transportation — taking advantage of their comprehensive air network.
• The Postal Service is the only organization in the country that has the manpower, network infrastructure and logistical capability to deliver to every residence and business in the U.S. and its territories.
• An independent assessment by Oxford Strategic Consulting named the U.S. Postal Service the best postal service among the 20 largest economies in the world. Criteria included the average number of citizens served, the number of letters and parcels delivered, service reliability and public trust.
• The Postal Service is environmentally friendly and is a respected sustainability leader. It was promoting sustainable practices long before doing so was encouraged, mandated or governed.
• Mail is a great communication tool. No monthly plans. No signal outages. No roaming charges. Regardless of geographic location, anyone can send a letter for just 45¢ anywhere in the United States and its territories.
• Mail is reliable, trusted and secure — federal laws protecting the sanctity of the U.S. Mail are enforced by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
• The Postal Service has the world’s largest civilian fleet and the world’s largest alternative fuel–enabled fleet of vehicles.
• The Postal Service delivered 168 billion pieces of mail in 2011 — facilitating $10 trillion in commerce.

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Sustainability

The mission is simple — to be a sustainability leader. The Postal Service is committed to actions that promote sustainability — meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future. It is working to create a culture of conservation among its more than 546,000 employees in its 32,000 facilities.

Protecting the Environment

• The Postal Service has partnered with suppliers to ensure the design and manufacturing of its stamps, postcards, Priority Mail and Express Mail boxes and envelopes maximize the use of recyclable materials.
• The Postal Service received the EPA’s WasteWise Federal Government Partner of the Year award in 2010 and 2011.
• In 2011, the Postal Service was the only agency-wide registrant for the EPA Federal Green Challenge.
• The Postal Service is the first federal agency to publicly report its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and receive third-party verification of the results.
• The Postal Service is helping to prevent prescription drugs from contaminating natural resources. In 2011, the Postal Service recovered approximately 180,000 pounds of unused pharmaceuticals through a prescription mail-back initiative.
• Mail is delivered on bicycle by more than 60 letter carriers in Arizona and Florida, reducing emissions and saving fuel.
• The Postal Service uses three-wheeled electric delivery vehicles — the T-3 has a 40-mile range, a maximum speed of 12 mph, can carry 450 pounds and averages 2 cents a mile in energy costs.
• Two-ton electric vehicles have been delivering mail in New York City since 2001.
• Recycling postal-wide in FY 2011 generated about 240,000 tons of material and $24 million in combined revenue and avoided landfill fees.
• Almost 75,000 letter carriers drive to a neighborhood and then deliver the mail on foot. More than 8,000 just deliver on foot.
• More than 200,000 tons of wastepaper, cardboard, cans, plastics and other materials are recycled annually through nationwide recycling and waste prevention programs.
• The U.S. Mail offers an easy and efficient way to recycle items that, if disposed of improperly, could harm the environment.
• For more information on Postal Service sustainability efforts, go to about.usps.com/what-we-are-doing/green/welcome.htm.

Building Green

• The Postal Service National Center for Employee Development in Norman, OK, was recognized by Oklahoma’s travel and tourism board as being the greenest hotel in the state, receiving the highest sustainable travel certification offered by “Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma.”
• The Postal Service makes new and existing facilities more sustainable with features like high-efficiency lighting and HVAC, recycled building materials (such as insulation), low-water use fixtures, solar energy systems, native plant species in landscaping, natural day lighting and low-volatile organic compound materials.
• We are upgrading our buildings to reduce energy use. Our objective is to reduce facility energy consumption 30 percent by 2015. We have already achieved an over 29 percent reduction.
• The Postal Service has the largest green roof in New York City and one of the largest in the country, totaling 109,000 square feet, nearly 2.5 acres.

Conserving Energy

• The Postal Service operates the world’s largest fleet of alternative fuel-capable vehicles — more than 44,000 — most are equipped to use ethanol. There are electric, compressed natural gas, liquid propane gas and bio-diesel vehicles.
• Thousands of energy-saving projects have been completed, saving an average of 900 billion BTUs per year. Over 1 trillion BTUs of additional energy reductions have been identified.
• The Postal Service continues to use and benefit from solar power with solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into electricity.
• Detailed energy audits are ongoing at our largest facilities — representing about 150 million square feet of space and roughly 70 percent of the energy consumption in the Postal Service.
• The Postal Service is testing 10 Navistar eStar electric step vans. This test is part of the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act funded through the Department of Energy. The new 2-ton vehicles will be tested in three locations: CA, NY and VA.

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Innovation and Technology

From the telegraph, to the telephone, to the terabyte, the U.S. Mail has complemented every new technology.

Information Technology

• We have one of the world’s largest e-mail systems. Over 3 million e-mails a day — over 1 billion annually — are delivered to nearly 208,000 e-mail accounts.
• The Postal Service has the world’s third-largest computing network.
• The Postal Service maintains one of the world’s largest intranets.
• The Postal Service has a total inventory of 957 applications with 469 classified as national applications. Of those, 234 are considered critical to postal business functions.
• There are 3,473 remote locations within the postal system that receive Internet service via satellite.
• Our communications network supports and maintains 125,000 desktop computers, 21,000 notebook computers, 85,000 printers, 11,000 Blackberrys, 152,000 phone lines and 310,857 handheld scanners.
• The Postal Service maintains 29,000 informational pages on its Website, usps.com.
• The Postal Service has 22 petabytes of storage capacity — equivalent to more than 59,000 years of songs on an MP3 player with no repeats.
• MeetingPlace hosts more than 50,000 meetings per month.
• The Postal Service maintains 47,000 point of sale (POS) terminals nationwide.
• 355 million internal e-mail messages and more than 13 million external e-mail messages are scanned for viruses every month.
• There are nearly 103,000 e-mail messages blocked monthly due to viruses and more than 281,000 blocked due to content.
• The Postal Service has nearly 284,000 vendors doing $16 billion in business annually using electronic money transfers.
• More than 340 million credit and debit card transactions are processed annually in Post Offices and through usps.com.

Innovative Technologies

• The Postal Service has the largest gantryrobotic fleet in the world using 174 robotics systems to move 314,000 mail trays per day.
• The Postal Service is the world leader in optical character recognition technology with machines reading 93 percent of all hand-addressed letter mail.
• The Postal Service uses more than 8,500 pieces of automated processing equipment to sort nearly half the world’s mail.
• The Postal Service has one of the largest material-handling systems in the world for moving mail. There are over 200 miles of conveyors within postal processing facilities.
• Intelligent Mail increases the value of mail for both the Postal Service and its customers. The Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) identifies individual pieces of mail, trays, sacks and containers of mail, and tracks them through the processing system.
• The Flats Sequencing System (FSS) sorts “flat mail” (large envelopes, magazines, etc.) in carrier walk sequence at 16,500 pieces per hour.
• In 2011, the Postal Automated Redirection System (PARS) automatically intercepted and forwarded more than 2 billion pieces of mail for the nearly 40 million address changes submitted.
• The Advanced Facer Canceller System (AFCS) positions letter mail and cancels stamps at 36,000 pieces per hour.
• The Delivery Barcode Sorter (DBCS) reads the barcode on letters and sorts them at 36,000 pieces per hour.
• The Automated Flat Sorting Machine (AFSM) sorts flat mail at 17,000 pieces per hour.
• The Automated Package Processing System (APPS) processes packages and bundles of mail at over 9,500 pieces per hour.
• The Automated Parcel and Bundle Sorter (APBS) processes packages and bundles of mail at over 6,000 pieces per hour.

Decoding the Code

The Zoning Improvement Plan (ZIP) Code was launched in 1963 to better handle increasing volumes of mail. The first number in the code represents a general geographic area of the nation, “0” in the East, moving to “9” in the West. The next two numbers represent regional areas, and the final two identify specific Post Offices. The ZIP+4 Code was introduced in 1983. The extra four numbers allow mail to be sorted to a specific group of streets or to a high-rise building. In 1991, two more numbers were added so that mail could be sorted directly to a residence or business. Today, the use of ZIP Codes extends far beyond the mailing industry, and they are a fundamental component in the nation’s 911 emergency system.

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Security, Law Enforcement, Preserving the Trust.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is mandated to safeguard the entire Postal Service system — from the more than 546,000 employees who process and deliver the U.S. Mail to the millions of customers who use it daily..

• One of the country’s oldest federal law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long, proud and successful history of protecting the Postal Service, securing the nation’s mail system and ensuring public trust in the mail.
• Postal Inspectors arrested more than 5,500 suspects for crimes involving the mail or against the Postal Service in 2011. About half of the arrests involved mail theft and more than 750 involved mail-related fraud.
• Postal Inspectors arrested 83 suspects in conjunction with Operation Homeless, which targeted mail thieves who recruit homeless people to cash stolen checks. Victim losses exceeded $7 million.
• Postal Inspectors are members of the Identity Theft & Economic Crimes Task Force, national and state Joint Terrorism Task Forces and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, among others. They work closely with the financial service, airline and mail order industries to maintain America’s confidence in the U.S. Mail.
• To quickly respond to incidents such as natural disasters, the Postal Inspection Service has 18 mobile command centers and a mobile mail-screening station ready for action.
• Postal Inspectors deploy state-of-theart screening equipment designed to identify hazardous substances and suspicious items in the mail and to ensure safety at postal facilities while keeping the mail moving.
• In 2011, Postal Inspectors responded to more than 3,550 incidents involving suspicious items, substances, powders or liquids in the mail or at postal facilities. Of those incidents, 212 involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
• Postal Inspectors seized $13.1 million in proceeds related to illegal drugs from the mail in 2011.
• Postal Inspectors participated in Operation Due North, a multi-agency effort targeting criminal networks specializing in telemarketing and lottery fraud. This initiative resulted in disrupting 11 major criminal networks operating out of Montego Bay, Jamaica. A large amount of cash and dozens of high-value items were seized and 14 suspects were arrested.
• The Inspection Service participated in national mail fraud initiatives with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. The Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fraud Initiative focused on fraudulent claims related to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Operation Empty Promises focused on business opportunity fraud initiatives targeting small businesses and work-at-home schemes.
• Postal Inspectors intercepted over 5 million foreign lottery mail pieces containing counterfeit checks totaling over $675 million.
• In 2011, Postal Inspectors seized approximately 143,000 counterfeit postal and non-postal money orders worth nearly $155 million mailed to the U.S. from criminal groups.
• Postal Inspectors participated in National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) in March 2011, holding over 600 events nationwide. The national theme “Your Information Destination” highlighted consumer education resources. Over 375,000 pounds of documents were shredded for consumers in conjunction with the NCPW event.
• Postal Inspectors, investigating those who use the mail to sexually exploit children, identified more victims under the age of 5 than in previous years. In 2011, courts ordered more than $1 million in restitution to child victims identified by Postal Inspectors during these investigations, a 100% increase over the previous year.

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Forensics, Crime Sceners, Evidence.

The Postal Inspection Service’s National Forensic Laboratory, composed of more than 60 highly trained forensic scientists, plays a key role in identifying, apprehending and convicting suspects responsible for criminal offenses against the Postal Service.

• Forensic Laboratory Services provides forensic services and technical support in the following areas:
  - Fingerprint and Automated Fingerprint
  - Identification System (AFIS)
  - Questioned Documents and Imaging
  - Physical Sciences
  - Digital Evidence

• In 2011, Forensic Laboratory Services analysts examined more than 80,000 documents, fingerprints, controlled substances, audio, video, digital media and other items of physical evidence. The examinations resulted in the identification of 443 subjects, of which 94 were identified through (AFIS).
• Forensic experts testified 27 times in various court proceedings for Inspection Service investigations.
• In 2011, analysts identified counterfeit stamps, altered money orders and controlled substances in the mail.

           For additional information about the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, go to postalinspectors.uspis.gov.

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Fun Facts

Postal Service superlatives — everything you’ve ever wanted to know … and more.

Post Office Fun Facts

• Highest elevation — Leadville, CO — 10,150 feet above sea level
• Lowest elevation — Mecca, CA — 180 feet below sea level
• Westernmost in US — Wales, AK
• Easternmost in US — Lubec, ME
• Southernmost in US — Key West, FL
• Northernmost in US — Barrow, AK
• Closest to the geographical center of the 50 United States — Belle Fourche, SD
• Closest to geographical center of the 48 contiguous states — Lebanon, KS
• Smallest — Ochopee Main Post Office, Ochopee, FL — 61.3 square feet
• Largest — James A. Farley Post Office — New York, NY — 393,000 square feet
• Oldest in same building — Hinsdale, NH, since 1816
• 2nd oldest — Castine, ME, since 1833
• Coldest — North Slope area of Alaska, including Barrow and Wainwright
• Hottest — Death Valley, CA
• Most extraordinary — Peach Springs, AZ, Post Office has walk-in freezers for food destined for delivery to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by mule train.
• Most isolated — Located in the farthest reaches of northern Alaska, the Anaktuvuk Pass Post Office is the only link to the outside world for the 300 residents who live there. There are no roads; everything must be flown in.
• Dual personality — Sitting on the border between TN and VA, the Post Office here has two different ZIP codes and serves customers in Bristol, TN, and Bristol, VA.
• Most needing a bridge — The Point Roberts, WA, Post Office can be reached by car only by driving through British Columbia, Canada. Only a boat or float plane can travel directly there.
• Clinton is the most common Post Office name. Madison is second, and Franklin and Washington are tied for third.
• The five most common street names in the country are Second, Third, First, Fourth and Park
• The longest Main Street in America is located in Island Park, ID (83429) — it's 33 miles long.
• Franklin is the most common city name with 32 namesakes around the country. Tied for second place are Arlington, Clinton and Washington with 29 each and tied for third place, with 28 locations each, are Madison, Salem and Springfield.

Just the Fun Facts

• The Postal Service has one of the largest learning management systems in the country.
• The Postal Service receives 90 percent of its retail revenue from 10,000 of its nearly 32,000 postal-operated retail locations.
• The Postal Service prints more than 720,000 IRS W-2 forms, 3.25 million payroll checks, 1.8 million non-payroll checks and 14.3 million payroll earnings statements annually.
• Most Unusual Delivery Method — mule trains in AZ. Each mule carries about 130 pounds of mail, food, supplies and furniture down the 8-mile trail to the Havasupai Indians at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, averaging 41,000 pounds per week.
• Another Unusual Delivery Method — boat in MI. The JW Westcott is a 45-foot contract mail boat out of Detroit, MI, that delivers mail to passing ships in the Detroit River. The JW Westcott has its own ZIP Code — 48222.
• Another Unusual Delivery Method — dock-to-dock delivery on the Magnolia River in AL. A 17-foot Just the Fun Facts mail boat delivers to 180 dock-side mailboxes on a 29-mile stretch of the river.
• Located in MD, the William F. Bolger Center for Leadership Development is a national training facility for the Postal Service. It is the only hotel in the country featuring an on-site Smithsonian exhibit.
• There are more than 42,000 ZIP codes in the country.
• The lowest ZIP Code is 00501, a unique ZIP Code for the Internal Revenue Service in Holtsville, NY.
• The highest ZIP Code is 99950 in Ketchikan, AK.
• The easiest ZIP Code to remember is 12345, a unique ZIP Code for General Electric in Schenectady, NY.
• The longest rural delivery route is Route 2 in St. Paul, KS. The carrier travels 187 miles daily and delivers to 173 boxes.
• The shortest rural delivery route is in Veradale, WA. The carrier travels 2 miles daily and delivers to 445 boxes.
• The Postal Service moves mail using planes, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, subways, float planes, hovercrafts, T-3s, street cars, mules, bicycles and feet.

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A Day in the Life...By the Numbers

Each day the Postal Service picks up, processes and delivers millions of letters and packages. No single operation in the world comes close to this level of connectivity to so many households and businesses. Here's ONE day in the life of your United States Postal Service. (Figures are averages.)

216.9 million — revenue received, in dollars
554 million — number of mail pieces processed and delivered
242.6 million — pieces of First-Class Mail processed and delivered
279.5 million — pieces of Advertising Mail processed and delivered
159 million — dollars paid to postal employees in salaries and benefits
214,520 — number of packages picked up through Carrier Pickup
4 million — number of miles driven by letter carriers and truck drivers
8,250 — number of letter carriers who deliver mail entirely on foot — The USPS Fleet of Feet
136,964 — number of address changes processed
2,100 — number of addresses added to our delivery network
1.2 million — number of people who visit usps.com
778,877 — dollar amount of online stamp and retail sales at usps.com
1.5 million — amount of money spent on postage for Click-N-Ship labels
18,701 — number of passport applications accepted
382,256 — number of money orders issued
284,000 — number of transactions processed on 2,500 APCs
1.7 million — dollars spent at APCs
6.1 million — customers served at more than 36,000 retail locations
0 — tax dollars received for operating the Postal Service

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With nearly 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $66 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

Trademarks
The following are among the trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: ACS™, APC®, Automated Postal Center®, Carrier Pickup™, CASS™, CASS Certified™, Certified Mail™, Click-NShip ®, Confirm®, Cradle to Cradle®, If it Fits, it Ships®, Customized MarketMail®, Delivery Confirmation™, DMM®, EPM®, Express Mail®, FAST®, FASTforward®, First-Class™, First-Class Mail®, IM™, IMb™, Intelligent Mail®, LACSLink®, MASS™, MERLIN®, Mover’s Guide®, NCOALink®, Netpost®, Netpost Mailing Online™, OneCode ACS®, OneCode Confirm®, OneCode Solution®, OneCode Vision®, Parcel Post®, Parcel Select®, PC Postage®, PLANET®, PLANET Code®, Post Office™, PostalOne!®, Postal Service™, Postal Inspection Service®, POSTNET™, Premium Forwarding Service® , Priority Mail®, Quick, Easy, Convenient®, RDI™, ReadyPost®, REDRESS®, Registered Mail™, RIBBS®, Signature Confirmation™, Simple Formulas®, Stamps by Mail®, Standard Mail®, The Postal Store®, United States Postal Service®, U.S. Mail®, U.S. Postal Service®, USPS®, USPS Electronic Postmark®, USPS.COM®, usps.com®, ZIP+4®, and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.

Mail.dat®, Mail.XML® and IDEAlliance® are trademarks owned by the International Digital Enterprise Alliance.

Visit our newsroom online at:
http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm
or call the U.S. Postal Media Line: 202.268.2155

” 2012 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

The U.S. Postal Service created a simple, easy-to-understand signage system to communicate which specific products and services are available at any retail postal location our customers may visit.

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