U.S. Domestic Letter Rates

Effective Date

    

Prepaid

Collect

July 1, 1845

Under 300 miles, per 1/2 oz.
Over 300 miles, per 1/2 oz.
Drop letters
 

 

5 cents
10 cents
2 cents

5 cents
10 cents

1847

Unsealed circulars, 1 oz. or less:
 

 

3 cents

 

July 1, 1851

Up to 3,000 miles, per 1/2 oz.
Over 3,000 mies, per 1/2 oz.
Drop letters

Unsealed circular, 1 oz. or less
Up to 500 miles
500 to 1,500 miles
1,500 to 2,500 miles
2,500 to 3,500 miles
Over 3,500 miles

 

3 cents
6 cents
1 cents


1 cents
2 cents
3 cents
4 cents
5 cents

5 cents
10 cents

September 30, 1852

Unsealed circulars
3 oz. or less anywhere in U.S.
Each additional ounce

 

1 cents
1 cents

 

(Prepayment made compulsory in 1855)

Effective Date

Weight & Distance

Cost

April 1, 1855

Up to 3,000 miles, per 1/2 oz. Over 300 miles, per 1/2 oz.
Drop letters

3 cents
10 cents
1 cents

July 1, 1863

All U.S., per 1/2 oz.

3 cents

October 1, 1883 

All U.S., per 1/2 oz.

2 cents

July 1, 1885

All U.S., per 1 oz.

2 cents

November 2, 1917
(War Emergency)

All U.S., per 1 oz.

3 cents

July 1, 1919
(restoration of
pre-war rate)

All U.S., per 1 oz.

2 cents

July 6, 1932

All U.S., per 1 oz.

3 cents

August 1, 1958

All U.S., per 1 oz.

4 cents

January 7, 1963

All U.S., per 1 oz.

5 cents

January 7, 1968

All U.S., per 1 oz.

6 cents

May 16, 1971

All U.S., per 1 oz.

8 cents

March 2, 1974

All U.S., per 1 oz.

10 cents

December 31, 1975

All U.S., 1st oz.

13 cents

May 29, 1978

All U.S., 1st oz.

15 cents

March 22, 1981

All U.S., 1st oz.

18 cents

November 1, 1981

All U.S., 1st oz.

20 cents

February 17, 1985

All U.S., 1st oz.

22 cents

April 3, 1988

All U.S., 1st oz.

25 cents

February 3, 1991

All U.S., 1st oz.

29 cents

January 1, 1995

All U.S., 1st oz.

32 cents

January 10, 1999

All U.S., 1st oz.

33 cents

January 7, 2001 

All U.S., 1st oz.

34 cents

June 30, 2002

All U.S., 1st oz.

37 cents

January 8, 2006

All U.S., 1st oz.

39 cents

May 14, 2007

All U.S., 1st oz.

41 cents

May 12, 2008

All U.S., 1st oz.

42 cents
May 11, 2009 All U.S., 1st oz. 44 cents
January 22, 2012 All U.S., 1st oz. 45 cents
January 27, 2013 All U.S., 1st oz. 46 cents
January 26, 2014 All U.S., 1st oz. 49 cents
April 10, 2016 All U.S., 1st oz. 47 cents
January 22, 2017 All U.S., 1st oz. 49 cents
January 21, 2018 All U.S., 1st oz. 50 cents
January 27, 2019 All U.S., 1st oz. 55 cents
August 29, 2021 All U.S., 1st oz. 58 cents
July 10, 2022 All U.S., 1st oz. 60 cents
January 22, 2023 All U.S., 1st oz. 63 cents
July 9, 2023 All U.S., 1st oz. 66 cents
January 21, 2024 All U.S., 1st oz. 68 cents
July 14, 2024 All U.S., 1st oz. 73 cents
     

Current mailing & shipping prices on USPS.com

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