More shipping tools
- Will it arrive in time?Pick the date it has to be there; see the last day to ship with each service, and which ones can still make it.
- Last day to ship for ChristmasUSPS, UPS and FedEx holiday deadlines for your two ZIP codes, with days left.
- Which day will it arrive?Turn "2–5 business days" into dates, with weekends, holidays and cutoffs handled.
- USPS postage costRetail price for Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Express by weight and distance.
- USPS delivery timeFirst-Class Mail, Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express.
- UPS delivery timeUPS Ground and the air services, zip to zip.
- FedEx delivery timeFedEx Ground, Home Delivery and the air services, zip to zip.
- Dimensional weightThe weight carriers actually bill for a big, light box.
- Which carrier is fastest?UPS vs FedEx vs USPS, compared honestly.
- How long mail takes from your stateTypical delivery days from each state to every other.
Compare all three carriers at once
USPS.com shows USPS, UPS.com shows UPS, and FedEx.com shows FedEx. Nobody puts them side by side, so you end up checking three sites to answer one question. ParcelForecast estimates all three from the same two ZIP codes, so you can pick the service that gets there in time for the least money.
How the estimate works
For USPS, we use USPS's own service standards: the official number of days between your two ZIP codes, from the data USPS publishes for every ZIP pair. For UPS and FedEx, which don't publish theirs, we estimate from distance and each service's published delivery window. Read exactly how our estimates work, including where they can be off.
The services, briefly
USPS First-Class Mail (1–5 days) is for letters, cards and large envelopes. USPS Ground Advantage (2–5), UPS Ground (1–5) and FedEx Ground (1–5) are the everyday package services, and usually the closest race. Priority Mail (1–3) is faster for a bit more, and Priority Mail Express is the fastest USPS option.
Tell your recipient when to expect it
Selling online, mailing a gift or sending documents? The copy-paste line under your result states the service, the route and an honest window, with the "excludes Sundays and holidays" caveat. Setting a realistic date up front heads off "where's my package?" messages.
Estimates, not guarantees
These are estimates from distance and each carrier's published windows. For an exact date on a specific shipment, use the carrier's own tool. Holiday peak (mid-November through December) can add a day or more.
Service information checked November 2026.
Questions people ask
Which is fastest: USPS, UPS or FedEx?
For ground shipping it depends on the route. UPS Ground and FedEx Ground usually take the same number of days, and USPS Ground Advantage is similar or a day slower. Enter your two ZIP codes above to see all three side by side, with the fastest ground option marked.
How long does mail take from zip to zip?
It depends on the service and the distance. USPS First-Class Mail takes 1–5 business days, Ground Advantage 2–5, Priority Mail 1–3, and UPS Ground and FedEx Ground 1–5 each. Nearby ZIP codes land at the short end, coast to coast at the long end.
Does the day I mail it count?
No. The day the carrier accepts it is day 0. USPS counts Monday through Saturday and UPS and FedEx count weekdays, and all three skip holidays. See exactly which day it arrives.
Which service is guaranteed?
Of these, only USPS Priority Mail Express has a money-back guarantee on most routes. The ground services are expected windows, not promises. UPS and FedEx air services are scheduled for set days, but their guarantees are often suspended in the holiday peak.