USPS shipping cost calculator: what your package costs
The USPS shipping cost of a 2-pound package from New York to Los Angeles is $19.80 by Ground Advantage at the Post Office today, and $13.42 with a label bought online. A stamp for a letter is $0.82. Type your two ZIP Codes and the weight for your own price.
Independent site: not the Postal Service and not a label seller. No account, no e-mail asked.
Example: a 2 lb package from 10001 to 90012· change a figure to see yours
Cheapest at the Post Office today
$19.80
USPS Ground Advantage, zone 8, 2 to 5 days
| Ground Advantage at the Post Office (2 to 5 days) | $19.80 |
| Priority Mail at the Post Office (2 to 3 days) | $22.55 |
| Priority Mail Express at the Post Office (1 to 3 days, guaranteed) | $74.80 |
| Cheapest online label today (Ground Advantage) | $13.42 |
| Cheapest at the Post Office from Jan 17, 2027 | $20.81 |
| Service | Post Office now | Online now | Post Office from Jan 17, 2027 | Online from Jan 17, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage | $19.80 | $13.42 | $20.81 | $13.63 |
| Priority Mail | $22.55 | $17.22 | $23.20 | $17.46 |
| Priority Mail Express | $74.80 | $66.29 | $84.75 | $71.65 |
USPS Notice 123 price files · zone chart effective November 1, 2026 · January 2027 prices proposed · How the prices are built · Who publishes this · Last updated November 13, 2026
Three things set a USPS price
- The service. Ground Advantage, Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express: the same box can cost three different prices.
- The weight step. Ground Advantage counts 4, 8, 12 and 15.999 ounces, then whole pounds; a large light box is charged by its size.
- The zone. Read in the official chart from the first three digits of both ZIP Codes: zone 1 is local, zone 8 across the country.
| Zone | Ground Advantage today | Priority Mail today | Ground Advantage from Jan 17, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | $11.30 | $12.45 | $11.77 |
| Zone 2 | $12.00 | $13.15 | $12.54 |
| Zone 3 | $12.70 | $13.95 | $13.32 |
| Zone 4 | $13.50 | $14.85 | $14.21 |
| Zone 5 | $14.85 | $17.85 | $15.37 |
| Zone 6 | $15.85 | $19.15 | $16.54 |
| Zone 7 | $17.20 | $20.45 | $17.98 |
| Zone 8 | $19.80 | $22.55 | $20.81 |
USPS Notice 123 retail prices; January 2027 = proposed base price plus the 11% fuel surcharge.
What you need: two ZIP Codes, a weight, sometimes a size
The calculator needs the ZIP Code you mail from, the ZIP Code of the recipient and the weight of the packed box. That is all the Postal Service uses for a box smaller than one cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches, for example 12 by 12 by 12). For a larger box, open “More details” and enter the length, width and height in inches: above one cubic foot, the price is charged on the larger of the real weight and the size weight. The dimensional weight page explains the rule.
Results come in two columns. “Post Office” is the retail price at a counter. “Online” is the Commercial price you pay for a label bought on usps.com with Click-N-Ship. Then come the same two prices from January 17, 2027, when the proposed prices and the 11% fuel surcharge apply.
The USPS shipping cost of a package depends on three things: the service, the weight rounded up to the next price step, and the zone, a distance band from 1 to 9 that the Postal Service reads in its zone chart from the first three digits of each ZIP Code. A 1-pound package by Ground Advantage costs $10.05 at a Post Office in zone 1 and $13.65 in zone 8; by Priority Mail, $11.50 and $17.95. These are the retail prices of Notice 123 in force from October 4, 2026 to January 16, 2027, which already include the temporary 8% increase of April 2026 and a holiday increase. A label bought online on usps.com is charged the lower Commercial price. On January 17, 2027 the Postal Service plans new base prices plus an 11% fuel surcharge: the filing is under review by the Postal Regulatory Commission, so the 2027 figures here are proposed, not final. Stamps do not change: a Forever stamp stays at $0.82.
USPS shipping cost by service: three speeds, three prices
USPS Ground Advantage is the cheapest way to send most packages, with an expected delivery of 2 to 5 days. On the 2-pound example from New York to Los Angeles it costs $19.80 at the Post Office. Under 1 pound it is charged by the ounce step: $8.40 for 8 ounces in zone 1, $10.20 in zone 8. Details on the Ground Advantage page.
Priority Mail arrives in 2 to 3 days and costs $22.55 for the same package. It also sells flat rate boxes: one price whatever the weight up to 70 pounds and whatever the distance. The Medium Flat Rate Box is $25.80 at a counter today, $22.02 online. The Priority Mail page and the flat rate page compare them.
Priority Mail Express comes with a delivery date guaranteed in 1 to 3 days and a refund if it is missed, at $74.80 for the example: it is the USPS answer to overnight shipping. Media Mail, for books and recorded media only, costs $5.13 for 2 pounds whatever the distance, but takes 2 to 8 days.
Ground Advantage for your weight
Example: a 2 lb package from 10001 to 90012· change a figure to see yours
Ground Advantage at the Post Office today
$19.80
zone 8 · charged as 2 lb
| from Jan 17, 2027 (proposed, with the 11% fuel surcharge) | $20.81 |
| Change on January 17, 2027 | +5.1% |
| Same label bought online today | $13.42 |
Every service on one card is on the USPS rates page; letters, large envelopes and packages share one form in the postage calculator; packages abroad are priced by country on the international shipping page, and documents in a flat rate envelope cost the same at any distance.
The January 17, 2027 change in one paragraph
The Postal Service plans to raise shipping prices by 5.9% on average and to turn the temporary 8% increase of April 2026 into a permanent fuel surcharge of 11%. For the example, Ground Advantage goes from $19.80 to $20.81 at the counter and Priority Mail from $22.55 to $23.20. Some prices fall instead: the holiday increase of October 2026 ends on January 16. The price increase page shows the change for any weight and zone.
How zones work, and why zone 8 costs more
Zones measure distance from the sender's 3-digit ZIP Code prefix. Zone 1 is local; zone 8 is across the country; zone 9 covers some Pacific territories. The official chart lists 914 origin prefixes. It is not quite symmetric: in 99.8% of pairs, the zone from A to B equals the zone from B to A, so always start from the sender.
A 1-pound Priority Mail package costs $11.50 in zone 1 and $17.95 in zone 8, a gap of $6.45. A flat rate box ignores the zone, which is why it pays for heavy packages going far. The zone page gives the zone of any two ZIP Codes.
Flat rate boxes: when they win
Today at the Post Office the Flat Rate Envelope costs $13.90, the Small Flat Rate Box $14.65, the Medium $25.80 and the Large $36.10. From January 17, 2027 the Medium box would cost $26.97 with the fuel surcharge. The box wins when the package is heavy and goes far; for a light package to a near zone, paying by weight is cheaper. The flat rate calculator compares both for your ZIP Codes.
Stamps, letters and extra services
A Forever stamp mails a 1-ounce letter and costs $0.82; each extra ounce adds $0.29. A postcard stamp is $0.65. No change was filed for January 2027. The stamp page counts the stamps for any letter or large envelope; a book of 20 stamps costs $16.40, and the Forever stamp history and First Class postage by ounce have their own pages.
Extra services add a fee to the postage: Certified Mail $5.55, a paper return receipt $4.65, Signature Confirmation $5.15 at a counter. Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and Ground Advantage include $100 of insurance; above that, the fee follows the declared value. See the Certified Mail and insurance pages.
What the 2027 filing changes, service by service
On a 5-pound package in zone 5, Ground Advantage at the counter was $17.45 in July 2026, is $18.85 today and would be $19.04 from January 17 (+9.1% over six months). Priority Mail goes from $22.10 to $24.20 and then $24.53. Priority Mail Express rises more in far zones. The fuel surcharge page explains the 11% and the holiday price page the prices in force until January 16.
Every calculator by topic
Package prices
Zones, size and weight
Stamps and letters
Tracking, signature, insurance
January 2027 price change
Questions people ask before they mail
Tap a question to see the answer.
Why is the online price lower than the Post Office price?
The Postal Service sells two price lists. Retail prices apply at a counter. Commercial prices apply to labels paid online, on usps.com with Click-N-Ship, with no volume required. For the 2-pound example, Priority Mail costs $22.55 at the counter and $17.22 online. Both come from the same Notice 123 file.
Is this site the Postal Service?
No. US Parcel Rates is an independent site published by Radif Partners. It is not the United States Postal Service, sells no label and asks for no account, name or e-mail. It reads the price files and the zone chart the Postal Service publishes and shows them with the date they were read. The price at the counter or at checkout is the one you pay.
Are the January 2027 prices final?
Not yet. The Postal Service filed them with the Postal Regulatory Commission on November 12, 2026 (docket CP2027-1) for January 17, 2027. The Commission reviews the filing before that date. The calculator shows the proposed base price plus the 11% fuel surcharge announced the same day. If the Commission or the Postal Service changes them, this site rereads the file; nothing updates by itself.
Does the calculator include UPS and FedEx?
No. UPS and FedEx publish their list prices in pages that refuse automated reading, and their real price depends on your account and on surcharges that change each week. Rather than copy figures it could not check, this site covers the Postal Service only. Compare by asking each carrier for a quote with the same weight, size and ZIP Codes.
How do I find the zone of my package?
Type the two ZIP Codes: the calculator reads the zone in the official domestic zone chart, effective November 1, 2026. The zone depends on the first three digits of the sender's ZIP Code and of the recipient's. New York to Los Angeles is zone 8; Chicago to Atlanta is zone 4; Houston to Dallas is zone 3. Zone 9 covers some Pacific territories.
What weight should I enter for a package?
The weight of the package ready to mail: contents, box, padding and tape. Weigh it on a kitchen or bathroom scale and round up. The Postal Service charges Priority Mail by the pound, any fraction counting as a full pound, and Ground Advantage under 1 pound by steps of 4, 8, 12 and 15.999 ounces. A box larger than one cubic foot can also be charged by its size.
Postal Service price files, manual chapters and filings behind this page (9)
Each price, rule and zone was read in these documents on November 13, 2026.
- USPS news release, November 12, 2026: U.S. Postal Service Recommends Shipping Price Adjustments for 2027
- USPS news release, March 25, 2026: transportation-related time-limited price change
- USPS Postal Explorer: price change files (Notice 123 of July 2026, October 2026 and January 2027)
- USPS Notice 123, Price List (prices in force)
- USPS Domestic Zone Chart (effective November 1, 2026)
- Domestic Mail Manual 123: Priority Mail prices and eligibility
- Domestic Mail Manual 133: USPS Ground Advantage retail prices and eligibility
- USPS: mail and shipping services compared (delivery times, weight limits, included insurance)
- Postal Regulatory Commission filings portal (docket CP2027-1, filed November 12, 2026)
Compiled by Radif Partners
Independent publisher of US parcel price tables built from the Postal Service's Notice 123 price files and its domestic zone chart. Paid by no carrier: no commission, no affiliate link, no paid placement.
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Prices are read from the Postal Service price files, never estimated. They leave out pickup, special handling, hazardous material and any extra service you add at the counter. The January 17, 2027 prices are proposed and await review by the Postal Regulatory Commission.