Post history
11 shocking facts about the U.S. Postal Service
Image: Ekaterina Belinskaya
If you think that the U.S. Postal Service is just about delivering mail and selling stamps, you’ve got another thing coming. Over its long history, the USPS has encountered some unusual occurrences, like the time someone mailed a child, or how it has a whole department just to decode messy handwriting. Prepare to be surprised by these 11 incredible facts about our postal service!
1
Postal "Army" (of Sorts)
Image: Emily Powers
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), founded in 1775, is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency . It protects the USPS, its employees, and its customers from crimes such as mail fraud, theft, and identity theft.
USPIS agents investigate mail-related crimes, provide security at postal facilities, and work to stop illegal drugs from being transported through the mail system.
2
Zip codes
Image: Tareq Ismail
ZIP codes were introduced by the USPS in 1963 to improve mail sorting and delivery. The five-digit code, short for Zone Improvement Plan, pinpoints specific geographic areas.
The digits represent a region, a city or county, and a local delivery zone . Today, ZIP codes are also used to study demographics and help businesses target mailings to particular areas.
3
The Postal Anthem
Image: Keagan Henman
The "United States Postal Service Anthem," composed by Jack Stamp (yes, that is his real name), honors the USPS and its long-standing service to the nation. It’s a musical tribute to the dedication of postal workers and the agency’s role in American life.
The lyrics highlight the USPS’s core values: honesty, integrity, and reliability, while celebrating its impact on U.S. history and everyday citizens.
4
Guaranteed delivery
Image: Victória Kubiaki
The USPS is legally required to deliver to every U.S. address, no matter how remote . This includes over 153 million addresses, even in hard-to-reach areas.
To meet this huge challenge, USPS uses curbside mailboxes, local post offices, and partnerships with community centers. Virtual mailbox services, such as Stable, also help remote residents access and manage their mail online.
5
A lot of mail
Image: Sam LaRussa
Every day, the USPS handles over 400 million pieces of mail, including 162 million First-Class items. It delivers worldwide to more than 180 countries through its Global Express Guaranteed service and processes approximately 44% of the world’s mail . That is a lot of mail, by any standard.
To manage this massive volume, USPS uses advanced automation tools and operates over 34,000 retail locations, keeping its system fast, efficient, and reliable.
6
Going out West
Image: Jim Strasma
In the 19th century, the USPS played a vital role in developing the American West, providing new settlements with access to mail, supplies, and communication. Post offices and mail routes connected remote areas to the rest of the country.
This network helped settlers stay in touch with loved ones, receive news, and trade goods. Without the USPS, much of the frontier would have remained isolated.
7
Post office in a tavern
Image: Kevin Snow
The first USPS office was established in Boston in 1775, inside a tavern associated with Benjamin Franklin , who served as the first Postmaster General. Franklin viewed mail delivery as key to America’s independence and began developing a postal network.
The office supported routes to Philadelphia and New York, and by 1789, post offices existed in all 13 colonies.
8
A floating post office
Image: Alessio Billeci
The Halibut Cove Post Office in Homer, Alaska (ZIP code 99603, in case you are interested), is unlike any other: it floats on water!
This tiny post office operates from a houseboat that’s permanently docked , serving the local community right from the harbor.
9
Bad handwriting department
Image: Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
We are not sure as to how often this happens, but it must be often. When automated equipment at a USPS processing plant cannot read a piece of letter mail, an image of the mail is captured and sent to the Remote Encoding Center (REC). At the REC, employees review the image and manually enter the address information .
The information is matched up with a valid address, the data is transmitted back to the equipment at the plant, and a barcode is printed on the letter, which can be read by the processing machines.
10
Mail a brick
Image: Math
Yes, you can mail a brick through the U.S. Postal Service. Just write the recipient’s address and return information directly on the brick with a permanent marker .
Once it’s weighed and stamped with the correct postage, your brick is ready to ship.
11
Someone mailed a kid
Image: Jonathan Borba
In 1913, shortly after the Parcel Post service began, some parents mailed their children to relatives. One baby in Ohio was sent to his grandmother just a few miles away .
The child arrived safely, but the incident led to new rules banning people from being sent through the mail.
