How to send a letter to United States of America

How to address and send post to another country — the address layout, postage, delivery times and what you can and can’t send.

United States of America

Sending post to United States of America
Full name on envelopeRequired
Delivery timeTypical 7–21 days depending on route.
PostageFirst-Class International, Priority Mail, Tracked, Registered.
Postcode5-digit ZIP; ZIP+4 optional; two-letter state codes.

✉️ Addressing the envelope

Address layout
Full Name
Street Number + Street Name
CITY, ST ZIP+4
UNITED STATES
Example
Alex Rivera
1234 Pine Ave
SEATTLE, WA 98101-1234
UNITED STATES
More examples
Apartment:
Jordan Lee
55 Market St Apt 9B
BOSTON, MA 02108
UNITED STATES
Full name
Required
Full given + family name required.
Postcode
5-digit ZIP; ZIP+4 optional; two-letter state codes.
Language
English; uppercase city/state preferred.

📮 Sending

Postage methods
First-Class International, Priority Mail, Tracked, Registered.
Delivery times
Typical 7–21 days depending on route.

⏱️ How long letters take to reach United States of America

From anywhere
about 8 days (5,902 letters)
Within USA
about 6 days (2,802 letters)
From United Kingdom
about 11 days (696 letters)
From Germany
about 3 weeks (323 letters)
From Canada
about 13 days (276 letters)
From Australia
about 2 weeks (252 letters)
From Japan
about 2 weeks (138 letters)

Based on letters our members logged and marked as received over the last two years, using the quicker letters on each route. A letter may arrive sooner: members don’t always mark a letter as received as soon as it arrives.

🛃 Customs and restrictions

Customs
CN22/CN23 for goods; declare value accurately.
Restrictions
Batteries, aerosols, perishables restricted (see Pub 52).

💡 Tips

Include return address top left/back; minimal punctuation.
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