What’s the deadline for shipping Christmas gifts? Here’s what to know

Arizona’s first snow of the season captured

The first snow of the season is seen on Interstate 40 in northern Arizona on Nov. 18, 2025.

Provided by Arizona Department of Transportation

• To ensure Christmas delivery, be aware of the shipping deadlines for USPS, FedEx and UPS.
• It’s a good rule of thumb to ship gifts earlier rather than later.
• All three mailing services also have shipping deadlines available on their websites.

The holidays can be a stressful time. From Christmas shopping to holiday cooking, there is a lot to do.

However, in order to ensure your Christmas presents reach their destination before the holiday, you must know the shipping deadlines for your chosen postal service.

Every postal service has different shipping deadlines for each mail class, so it’s best to know the deadlines before procrastinating in your Christmas shopping.

It’s a good rule of thumb to ship gifts earlier rather than later. But if you’re running behind, there is an increased risk of your item not arriving before Christmas Day, or there could be additional fees for expedited shipping.

Here are the deadlines you should know before mailing off packages this holiday season:

USPS shipping deadlines for Christmas 2025

For an expected delivery date before Dec. 25, Arizonans using the U.S. Postal Service should send items by the following dates:

• USPS Ground Advantage Service: Dec. 17.
• First-Class Mail Service: Dec. 17.
• Priority Mail Service: Dec. 18.
• Priority Mail Express Service: Dec. 20.

People who are sending mail abroad can find the full list of deadlines for each country at usps.com

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FedEx shipping deadlines for Christmas 2025

For an expected delivery date before Dec. 25, Arizonans using FedEx should send items by the following dates:

• FedEx Same Day: Dec. 23.
• FedEx First Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight, FedEx Standard Overnight, Extra Hours: Dec. 23.
• FedEx 2Day & FedEx 2Day AM: Dec. 22.
• FedEx Express Saver: Dec. 20.
• FedEx Ground (one-day shipping): Dec. 23.
• FedEx Home Delivery (one-day shipping): Dec. 23.
• FedEx Ground Economy: Dec. 13.
• FedEx 1Day Freight: Dec. 23.
• FedEx 2Day Freight: Dec. 19.
• FedEx 3Day Freight: Dec. 18.
• FedEx Freight Priority (one-day shipping): Dec. 22.
• FedEx Freight Economy: Dec. 11.

People who are sending mail abroad can find the full list of deadlines for each country at fedex.com

UPS shipping deadlines for Christmas 2025

For an expected delivery date before Dec. 25, Arizonans using UPS should send items by the following dates:

• UPS 3 Day Select: Dec. 19.
• UPS 2nd Day Air: Dec. 22.
• UPS Next Day Air: Dec. 23.

People who are sending mail abroad can find the full list of deadlines for each country at ups.com