USPS overnight shipping cost: what Express charges

USPS overnight shipping cost means Priority Mail Express, the only USPS service with a guaranteed date. Type the ZIP Codes and weight to see the price.

Independent site, not the Postal Service: prices read in its own price files.

Where you mail it

Where it is delivered

Packed, box included. Up to 70 lb

0 to 15.9; 16 oz make 1 lb

Delivery day

Example: a 1 lb package from 10001 to 90012· change a figure to see yours

Priority Mail Express at the Post Office today

$65.15

zone 8 · charged as 1 lb

Same label bought online today$58.14
Flat Rate Envelope, any weight that fits$38.25
Priority Mail, 2 to 3 days, no guarantee$17.95
Express from Jan 17, 2027 (proposed, fuel surcharge in)$71.37
How this is computed

Compiled by Radif Partners · How the prices are built

USPS overnight shipping is sold as Priority Mail Express: the Postal Service has no separate overnight product, and Express is its only domestic service with a guaranteed delivery date, in 1 to 3 days, with the postage refunded if the date is missed. For many ZIP Code pairs the guaranteed date is the next day; the date shown when you pay is the one that counts. The price follows weight and zone. A 1-pound envelope or box from New York to Los Angeles, zone 8, costs $65.15 at a Post Office counter and $58.14 with a label bought online, against $17.95 by Priority Mail with no guarantee. Documents can go in the Express Flat Rate Envelope at $38.25, any weight and distance. Delivery on a Sunday or a holiday adds $12.50, a fee listed in Notice 123. From January 17, 2027 the envelope would cost $38.74, with the proposed 11% fuel surcharge counted.

USPS overnight shipping cost by weight and zone

The zone is the distance band between the two ZIP Codes: zone 1 is local, zone 4 is a regional trip, zone 8 crosses the country (Chicago to Atlanta is zone 4). The table gives counter prices of Priority Mail Express, then the online price and the proposed price from January 17, 2027 in zone 8.

Priority Mail Express, Notice 123. Half a pound is the first step; then by the pound.
WeightZone 1Zone 4Zone 8Zone 8 onlineZone 8 from Jan 17, 2027
8 oz$37.05$39.95$55.70$49.98$57.94
1 lb$37.30$44.85$65.15$58.14$71.37
3 lb$38.00$56.05$84.50$74.39$98.18
5 lb$40.25$68.30$107.80$93.90$124.93

The first step is half a pound: $37.05 in zone 1 and $55.70 in zone 8 at a counter. A heavier package pays by the pound, so a 5-pound part sent overnight across the country costs several times the envelope price.

Your overnight package

Example: a 1 lb package from 10001 to 90012· change a figure to see yours

Priority Mail Express at the Post Office today

$65.15

zone 8 · charged as 1 lb

Same label bought online today$58.14
Flat Rate Envelope, any weight that fits$38.25
Priority Mail, 2 to 3 days, no guarantee$17.95
Express from Jan 17, 2027 (proposed, fuel surcharge in)$71.37
Back to the full calculator at the top →

Ways to pay less for a next-day package

Buy the label online: the Commercial price is lower than the counter price for every weight. Use the flat rate envelope for papers, contracts or passports, since its price does not move with distance. Weigh before you go, because the step rounds up to the next pound. If a day or two later is fine, Priority Mail costs far less, with no guarantee. The guarantee itself, the refund rules and the far-zone rise of 2027 are on the Priority Mail Express rates page.

Questions people ask before they mail

Tap a question to see the answer.

Does USPS have overnight shipping?

Yes, through Priority Mail Express. The Postal Service guarantees a delivery date of 1 to 3 days depending on the ZIP Codes, and for many routes that date is the next day. If the package arrives late, the postage is refunded. A 1-pound package between two nearby ZIP Codes, zone 1, costs $37.30 at a counter today.

How much is the USPS overnight envelope?

The Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope costs $38.25 at a Post Office and $33.46 with an online label, whatever the weight and distance, as long as it closes normally. Legal and padded versions cost a little more. For a light document going far it is often cheaper than paying by weight: half a pound in zone 8 costs $55.70.

Can I get USPS delivery on a Sunday?

Priority Mail Express can be delivered on a Sunday or a holiday in many places for a premium of $12.50 on top of the postage, the fee listed in the Notice 123 Express sheet. Ask at the counter or check online whether the ZIP Code of the recipient offers it, because not every address does.

Next steps

Priority Mail Express rates

The guaranteed USPS service: price by weight and zone, and the 2027 jump in far zones.

USPS flat rate envelope

Regular, legal and padded envelopes, Priority Mail and Express: price and when it pays.

Priority Mail rates

Two to three days, priced by the pound and zone, at the counter and online.

Zone chart by ZIP Code

The zone between two ZIP Codes, read in the official chart, and what each zone costs.

Postal Service price files, manual chapters and filings behind this page (4)

Each price, rule and zone was read in these documents on November 13, 2026.

Compiled by

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.

Checked on · Editorial policy · Contact

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.