UPS Ground takes 1 to 5 business days to deliver within the contiguous United States, while UPS air services take 1 to 3 business days, and the exact time of day depends on your ZIP code and the service. To residences, UPS says Ground packages generally arrive Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., sometimes later in peak season.
The fastest way to get a time for your own address is the package’s tracking page, which shows an estimated delivery date and, for many packages, a delivery window. Before you ship, UPS’s Calculate Time and Cost tool returns the transit time between any two ZIP codes for every service.
What time does UPS deliver in my ZIP code?
There is no single UPS delivery time for a ZIP code, because each driver’s route order changes daily with package volume. UPS’s general guidance is 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for Ground deliveries to homes, while businesses usually receive packages during their open hours. Air packages are delivered by the commitment time of the service, such as morning for Next Day Air.
Three UPS tools narrow that range for a specific address:
- Tracking: Enter the tracking number at ups.com or in the UPS app to see the scheduled delivery date and, once the package is out for delivery, an estimated window.
- UPS My Choice: Free members get delivery alerts and estimated windows. UPS says members can choose a 2-hour confirmed delivery window from within the original 4-hour estimate, and Premium members get two of those requests included with their annual subscription.
- Follow My Delivery: For logged-in U.S. members, UPS shows a live map of the driver’s progress starting about one hour before the delivery window.
If you are shipping rather than receiving, enter both ZIP codes in UPS’s Calculate Time and Cost tool, or check the Ground time-in-transit map built from your 5-digit origin ZIP code. Our guide to UPS tracking and delivery walks through each tracking status you will see along the way, and how UPS scans packages explains why the estimate updates as the box moves.
How long does each UPS service take?
Every UPS domestic service has a set number of business days and a time-of-day target. Business days are Monday through Friday, excluding UPS holidays, so a 2-day package shipped Friday normally arrives Tuesday.
| UPS service | Transit time (business days) | Typical delivery time | Saturday delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS Next Day Air Early | 1 | As early as 8 a.m. in many major cities | Option in many areas |
| UPS Next Day Air | 1 | By 10:30 a.m. to most commercial areas; later in some areas | Option in many areas |
| UPS Next Day Air Saver | 1 | By end of day | Generally not offered |
| UPS 2nd Day Air A.M. | 2 | Morning, to commercial addresses | Generally not offered |
| UPS 2nd Day Air | 2 | By end of day | Option in many areas |
| UPS 3 Day Select | 3 | By end of day | Check at booking |
| UPS Ground | 1 to 5 | Residential: generally 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Many residential areas |
| UPS Ground Saver | About 1 to 2 days longer than Ground | Not guaranteed | Varies |
“End of day” means the package can arrive any time before the driver finishes that day’s route, which for homes can be well into the evening. Only some services are covered by the UPS Service Guarantee: UPS lists the money-back guarantee as active for its Next Day Air services and 2nd Day Air A.M., and suspended for the others. Our overview of UPS service tiers and transit times covers each one in more depth, and once a package lands, our piece on whether UPS takes pictures of delivery explains the photo proof you may see in tracking.
How long does UPS Ground take by distance?
UPS Ground transit time grows with distance. A package going to a nearby city often arrives in 1 or 2 business days, a regional shipment in 2 or 3, and a coast-to-coast shipment in 4 or 5. Alaska and Hawaii take longer, and UPS’s time-in-transit map shows the exact day count for each destination from your origin ZIP code.
UPS Ground Saver, the lower-cost residential option, typically adds about one to two business days to the Ground time, and UPS does not guarantee its delivery date. For the full zone-by-zone picture, see our reference on how long UPS Ground takes.
Does UPS deliver on weekends and holidays?
UPS delivers on Saturdays in many areas. Ground packages reach many residential addresses on Saturday as part of the normal schedule, and shippers can add Saturday delivery to Next Day Air Early, Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air where it is offered. UPS does not run regular Sunday delivery for most services, and Saturday is not counted as a business day in transit times.
UPS also closes on several holidays, including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, which adds a day to anything in transit. Check the UPS delivery schedule for the days and hours UPS operates before you count on a specific arrival date.
What can slow down a UPS delivery?
Most late UPS packages trace back to a handful of causes. Severe weather can close hubs or roads, peak season from late November through early January stretches capacity, and incomplete addresses send a package back for correction. Large or heavy pieces that need extra handling can also lose a day in sorting.
Missed deliveries are another common source of delay. If no one is available and the package needs a signature, UPS leaves a notice and tries again on the next business day; our guide to how many times UPS will attempt delivery explains the options after each try. When a package seems stuck, our article on why UPS is so slow lists the specific fixes.
How can you get a UPS package there faster?
As a shipper, you control speed in three ways: the service you choose, the day and time the package enters the UPS network, and the accuracy of the label. Dropping a package before a location’s last pickup time means it starts moving that evening instead of the next day.
- Pick the service by deadline: Choose Ground when 1 to 5 days is fine, 3 Day Select or 2nd Day Air for a fixed day, and Next Day Air when it has to arrive tomorrow.
- Ship early in the week: A Ground package shipped Monday has the whole week to arrive before the weekend.
- Drop off before the cutoff: The UPS Store and UPS Access Point counters post their last pickup times; our guide to UPS locations and Access Points shows the options, and we also check whether Walgreens takes UPS packages.
- Use a complete address: Include apartment or suite numbers and a phone number to avoid an address correction.
Speed and cost go together, so compare both before you buy a label. ParcelPath is free to use and offers up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS, so you can check whether a faster UPS service or a USPS option fits your budget in the ParcelPath rate calculator. Our guides to UPS shipping rates, what a UPS business account costs and how to ship for less cover the savings side, and the key differences between UPS and USPS help when either carrier would work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take UPS to deliver a Ground package?
UPS Ground delivers in 1 to 5 business days within the contiguous United States, depending on the distance between the origin and destination ZIP codes. Nearby deliveries often take 1 or 2 days and cross-country shipments 4 or 5. Weekends and UPS holidays are not counted, and UPS’s Ground time-in-transit map shows the day count from your origin ZIP code.
What time does UPS deliver to residential addresses?
UPS says Ground packages are generally delivered to residences Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., and drivers may deliver later during the holiday season. Air services arrive by their own commitment times, such as morning for Next Day Air. Your tracking page shows the estimated window for your specific address once the package is out for delivery.
Can I find out what time UPS will deliver to my ZIP code?
Yes, for a package already in transit. Track it at ups.com or in the UPS app to see the estimated window, or join UPS My Choice for alerts and a 4-hour estimate, then request a 2-hour confirmed window if you need one. Before shipping, UPS’s Calculate Time and Cost tool shows transit days between any two ZIP codes.
Does UPS guarantee its delivery times?
Only for some services. UPS lists its money-back Service Guarantee as active for the Next Day Air services and 2nd Day Air A.M., and suspended for other services, including Ground. Ground still has a scheduled delivery date, but a late Ground package is not eligible for a refund under the guarantee. Check UPS’s Service Guarantee page for the current list before shipping.
Sources
- UPS Tracking Support: delivery hours and Follow My Delivery map
- UPS My Choice: estimated and 2-hour confirmed delivery windows
- UPS Domestic Shipping: Ground and Air services
- UPS Ground Saver
- UPS Ground Time-in-Transit Maps
- UPS Service Guarantee
This article is part of our UPS shipping guide. For carriers and services beyond UPS, see our roundup of the best shipping services and solutions.
Part of our UPS Delivery Schedule guide. Related: UPS Delivery Policy, How to Ship for Less, UPS Shipping: Rates, Tracking and Services.
