Every town in the United States, from a small hamlet like Accord in Ulster County, New York to a busy city branch, relies on the same federal mail system. Our directory lists 30,690 Post Office locations, with the street address, county and phone number where we have them. The sections below explain who operates these offices, which rules are national and which are local, what to bring to the counter, and how to find the right listing without wasting a trip.

How the Post Office Is Organized in the United States

Post offices are not run by states, counties or cities. They belong to the United States Postal Service, an independent agency of the federal executive branch. A Board of Governors and a Postmaster General lead it, and the Postal Regulatory Commission reviews its rates and service performance. Congress sets the legal framework. The Postal Service pays for its operations mainly through postage and product sales rather than general tax revenue.

That structure explains why a counter in Abbott, Texas works almost the same way as one in Acampo, California. Mail classes, stamp prices, shipping rates and acceptance rules come from national standards, including the Domestic Mail Manual. A clerk in Aaronsburg, Pennsylvania cannot set a private price for a parcel, and neither can a clerk in a large city.

What stays local is the day-to-day operation. Each office has a postmaster or a manager responsible for staffing, window hours, lobby access and box availability. Offices report to higher postal management, so a complaint about one branch is best raised first with that office, then with USPS customer service if nothing changes.

What State, County and City Offices Still Handle

Confusion usually starts when residents expect the post office to handle paperwork that belongs to another agency. The post office does not issue driver licenses, register vehicles, record deeds, or issue marriage licenses and birth certificates. In most states, the motor vehicle agency, the county clerk or recorder, and the state or county health department handle those tasks. Property tax bills come from your county or municipality, not from the Postal Service. If you are heading to a postal counter to settle one of these matters, you are probably going to the wrong building.

There are a few overlaps worth knowing. Passport applications are a State Department function, but many post offices act as acceptance facilities, usually by appointment. Notary services follow state law, and most post offices do not routinely offer them. Counties also often assign the street numbers used for 911 and emergency response, while the Postal Service decides the mailing city and ZIP Code used for delivery. That is why an address can sit in one township and still carry another town's name on envelopes.

Services, Fees and Hours That Change from One Post Office to Another

National prices are the same everywhere. A stamp or a flat-rate box costs the same at the Alachua Post Office in Florida as at the Abbotsford Post Office in Wisconsin. What varies is access. Retail window hours, lobby hours, Saturday service and the time of the last collection all differ by location. Small offices in places such as Ackley, Iowa or Adona, Arkansas may keep shorter window hours than a city main office, and some may close for a midday break. Call before you drive, using the phone number on the listing.

PO Box availability and rental prices also vary. Rates depend on the box size and on the location of the office, and a small rural office may have few boxes in the larger sizes. Passport appointments are another local variable: busy branches can book out, while quieter ones may have openings within the week. Some postal retail partners, such as stores that sell stamps, offer only a limited set of services, so a full-service post office is the safer choice for registered mail, certified mail or international shipping.

Hours and services can change without much notice. A seasonal rush, a staffing shortage or a building repair can alter the schedule at any branch. The phone number on each listing is the quickest way to confirm that the window will be open when you arrive.

What to Bring to the Counter Before You Go

A little preparation saves a second trip. Bring the items that match your errand:

  • Government photo ID for passport applications, PO Box rentals and pickups of held or restricted items. Box rentals generally require two forms of identification, one with a photo.
  • Your delivery notice or tracking number when you are collecting a package that could not be delivered to your door.
  • Passport paperwork: the DS-11 form, proof of citizenship with a photocopy, a passport photo and the payment methods the State Department requires. Sign the form only in front of the acceptance agent.
  • A complete delivery address and a return address on every parcel, including the ZIP Code, so staff can price and label it correctly.
  • A credit or debit card if you plan to submit a change of address online, since USPS charges a small identity-verification fee for that method. A request made at the counter does not carry that charge.

Choosing the Right State Page and Avoiding Common Mistakes

Start with the state, then narrow the search by county or city. The largest collections are in Post Office in New York with 1,842 listings, Post Office in Pennsylvania with 1,829, Post Office in Texas with 1,660, Post Office in California with 1,645 and Post Office in Illinois with 1,326. A large count does not mean better service. It simply means more separate offices to browse, so the county named on each listing becomes your best filter.

The most common mistake is trusting a name alone. Many post offices share one. There is an Abingdon Post Office at 123 West Meek Street in Knox County, Illinois, and another at 300 West Main Street in Washington County, Virginia. Ada has one in Kent County, Michigan and another in Norman County, Minnesota. Abbeville appears in Wilcox County, Georgia and in Henry County, Alabama. Always check the state, county and street before you travel.

A second mistake is assuming the office name matches the mailing city. The Cliffwood Post Office at 349 Route 35 North is listed with Aberdeen as its city in Monmouth County, while other Aberdeen offices sit in Brown County, Ohio and Moore County, North Carolina. Other frequent errors are relying on old hours, arriving without photo ID, bringing a motor vehicle or deed question to a postal window, and leaving passport plans until the last week before a trip. Confirm the details by phone and bring the right documents, and most errands finish in one visit.

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Using Post Office Listings Across the United States

A post office listing is most useful when you match it to the exact place where you receive mail. Open the state page, find the county, then compare the street address with the one on your delivery notice, bill or package label. Counties such as Ulster in New York, Centre in Pennsylvania and Hill in Texas each contain small offices like Accord, Aaronsburg and Abbott, where a short phone call can save a long drive.

Hours, passport appointments and box availability change, so treat the phone number as your final check. The lobby and the retail window often follow different schedules, so plan around the window closing time if you need a clerk.

A simple routine works well: confirm your ZIP Code, pick the state page, match the county and street, call ahead, and bring photo ID. If an office appears closed or has moved, USPS customer service can confirm its current location. For tasks that are not postal, such as licenses or deeds, contact your state agency or county clerk instead.

Frequently Asked Questions About Post Offices in the United States

The federal government does. Every post office belongs to the United States Postal Service, an independent federal agency led by a Board of Governors and a Postmaster General. Local postmasters manage daily operations such as staffing and window hours, but prices, mail classes and acceptance rules are national. State and county governments handle separate tasks like vehicle registration, deeds and vital records. If your problem is a lost package or a closed lobby, contact the post office on the listing first, then USPS customer service if it stays unresolved.

Start with your ZIP Code, which USPS assigns to delivery areas rather than to municipal borders. Your mailing city may differ from the township or village where you live. The Cliffwood Post Office at 349 Route 35 North, for example, is listed with an Aberdeen mailing city in Monmouth County. Compare the street address and county on each listing with the place where you actually receive mail. Then call the number shown to confirm which office handles your box, your delivery route or your package pickup.

At many locations, yes, but not all. Passport acceptance is a State Department program, and participating post offices act as acceptance facilities, usually by appointment. First-time applicants and minors generally apply in person with Form DS-11, as do people whose passports were lost, damaged or issued long ago. Bring proof of citizenship with a photocopy, valid photo ID, a passport photo and payment. The post office checks the paperwork and witnesses your signature, but the State Department issues the passport. Call ahead, because appointments can fill quickly.

Ask at the retail counter, or start the process online and finish in person. You will need two forms of identification, one with a photo, and proof of your physical address. Rental fees depend on the box size, the length of the rental and the location of the office, so the same size box can cost different amounts in a small town and a large city. Availability varies too, and a small office may have few larger boxes. Call first to ask about sizes, current rates and any waiting list.

Communities chose their names locally over more than two centuries, and popular names were reused across states. Our database shows an Abingdon Post Office at 123 West Meek Street in Knox County, Illinois, and another at 300 West Main Street in Washington County, Virginia. Aberdeen appears in Brown County, Ohio and Moore County, North Carolina, among other places. Confirm the state, county and street address before you travel or mail something to a specific branch, because a similar name in another state will not help you.

If you received a delivery notice, bring it with photo ID to the office named on it, since held packages are kept only for a limited time before they go back to the sender. If tracking says delivered but nothing arrived, check with neighbors and household members, wait a day, then contact your local post office. If the package is still missing, file a missing mail request through USPS and tell the sender. Keep the tracking number, receipt and a description of the contents ready.

New York has 1,842 listings, Pennsylvania 1,829, Texas 1,660 and California 1,645, followed by Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, Virginia, Iowa, North Carolina and Minnesota. Those counts show how many separate offices appear in our directory, not how fast or how well each one serves you. A state such as Iowa, with 844 listings on its Post Office in Iowa page, simply has many local offices to browse. Service rules are the same nationwide, so use the state pages to find the closest office, then call for hours.