Interesting Facts

United States Postal Service – SIZE & SCOPE
Fiscal Year 2015 Data (Source: USPS.com)
*all information based on Fiscal Year 2015 data, unless otherwise noted
**as of Jan. 13, 2016

• 68.8 billion — 2015 operating revenue
• 154.2 billion — number of pieces processed and delivered
• 47 — percent of the world’s mail volume handled by the Postal Service
• 1.8 billion — dollar amount paid every two weeks in salaries and benefits
• 493,381** — number of career employees
• 131,732** — number of non-career employees
• 31,606 — number of Postal Service-managed retail offices
• 214,933 — number of vehicles — one of the largest civilian fleets in the world
• 37 million — number of address changes processed
• 19.2 billion — total retail revenue
• 919.5 million — total number of retail customer visits
• 45.7 — percent of retail revenue from alternative access channels
• 1.5 billion — total number of visits to usps.com
• 276.8 million — total Postal Store revenue on usps.com
• 53.4 million — number of inquiries handled by the Postal Customer Care Center
• 53.6 million — number of Click-N-Ship labels printed
• 555.3 million — total revenue, in dollars, from Click-N-Ship label purchases
• 93 million — number of money orders issued
• 5.4 million — number of passport applications the Postal Service accepted at post offices
• 462.8 million — amount in revenue from 2,500 postal Self-Service Kiosks, in dollars
• 1.1 million — number of new delivery points added to the network in 2015
• 155 million — total number of delivery points nationwide
• 74 — Megan J. Brennan, 74th Postmaster General
• 0 — tax dollars received for operating the Postal Service

The Top 12 Things You Should Know About the U.S. Postal Service
(Source: USPS.com)

1. Nearly 6,000 mail carriers are attacked by dogs each year. All attacks are preventable. It’s a serious problem the Postal Service addresses every day and customers are asked to restrain their pets when carriers are on their delivery routes. While the Postal Service routinely promotes safety tips to avoid dog attacks, one week a year is dedicated to promoting education and public safety during the annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week in May.
2. The Postal Service has the country’s largest retail network — larger than McDonald’s, Starbucks and Walmart combined, domestically
3. Through the Carrier Alert Program, Postal Service letter carriers help monitor the well-being of elderly and disabled customers. If carriers notice an accumulation of mail that might indicate an accident or illness, they notify emergency personnel. In addition, each year postal employees go beyond the call of duty, some even risking their own safety to save the lives of the customers they serve. In 2015, the Postal Service recognized 318 employee heroes for going above and beyond.
4. The Postal Service processes and delivers nearly half of the world’s mail — 47 percent.
5. The Postal Service embraces the heroic service of the United States’ armed forces. More than 113,000 veterans are employed with the organization, and more than 140 stamps have been issued that reflect the nation’s military history, including the current Medal of Honor series. (As of Jan 2015)
6. The Postal Service is the only organization in the country that has the resources, network infrastructure and logistical capability to regularly deliver to every residential and business address in the nation.
7. The Postal Service has more than 200,000 vehicles, one of the largest civilian fleets in the world. Part of this fleet is currently in the process of being replaced with next generation vehicles to incorporate the automotive industry’s advances in ergonomics, safety features, fuel efficiency, low emissions and design flexibility.
8. The Postal Service can and does compete with the private sector — and it collaborates with it, too. UPS and FedEx pay the Postal Service to deliver hundreds of millions of their ground packages to residences, taking advantage of the Postal Service’s expansive delivery network. The Postal Service pays UPS and FedEx for air transportation, taking advantage of their comprehensive air networks.
9. Mail is a great communication tool. It’s personal. You can keep letters and cards forever. There are no monthly plans. No signal outages. No roaming charges. Regardless of geographic location, anyone can send a letter for just 49¢ to anywhere in the United States, its territories and U.S. military and diplomatic installations worldwide.
10. Mail is reliable, trusted and secure — more than 200 federal laws protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail. These laws are enforced by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the country. U.S. Postal Inspectors are federal agents, mandated to safeguard the nation’s mail — including the people who move it and the customers who use it.
11. The U.S. Postal Service is the core of the $1.4 trillion mailing industry in this country that employs more than 7.5 million people.
     
    And most importantly…
12. The Postal Service receives NO tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Post Office Fun Facts
(Source: USPS.com)

• Highest — Alma, CO (80420) — 10,578 feet above sea level
• Lowest — Death Valley, CA (92328) — 282 feet below sea level
• Coldest — North Slope of Alaska: Barrow (99723) and Wainwright (99782)
• Hottest   — Death Valley, CA (92328)
• Wettest — Mt. Waialeale, near the Kapaa Post Office (96746) in Hawaii
• Driest    — Death Valley, CA (92328)
• Westernmost   — 48 contiguous — La Push, WA     (98350)
• Westernmost   — 50 states — Adak, AK       (99546)
• Easternmost   — 48 contiguous  — Lubec, ME     (04652)
• Easternmost   — 50 states — Lubec, ME     (04652)
• Southernmost — 48 contiguous — Key West, FL     (33040)
• Southernmost — 50 states — Naalehu, HI   (96772)
• Northernmost  — 48 contiguous — Angle Inlet, MN (56711)
• Northernmost  — 50 states — Barrow, AK    (99723)
• Most Centered (all 50) — closest to the geographical center of the 50 states — Belle Fourche, SD
• Most Centered (48) — closest to geographical center of the 48 contiguous states — Lebanon, KS
• Smallest Post Office — Ochopee Post Office, Ochopee, FL —  61.3 square feet
• Largest Retail Space — James A. New York, NY —  393,000 square feet
• Oldest in same building — Hinsdale, NH, since 1816
• 2nd oldest — Castine, ME, since 1833
• Most Extraordinary— Peach Springs, AZ, Post Office has walk-in freezers for food destined for delivery to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by mule train.
• Most Needing a Bridge — the Point Roberts, WA, Post Office can be reached by car only by driving through British Columbia, Canada. Only a boat or float plane can travel directly there.
• Most Subterranean Facility — Stamp Fulfillment Services, located in Kansas City, MO, is located in a limestone cave 150 feet under-ground. It is the Postal Service’s only facility located in such an under-ground environment. The consistent, year-round temperatures and humidity levels in the caves allow the stamps to be maintained in mint-quality condition. The underground facility also keeps the inventory and employees safe from snow, flooding, winds and tornadic activity common in the Midwest.