California has no state post office agency. Every post office in the state belongs to the United States Postal Service, from the Arcade Post Office on South Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles to small counters in mountain and desert towns. This page explains who runs these offices, how service differs between big cities and rural counties, and what to prepare before you go.

Our directory lists 1,645 post offices across 1,029 California cities and all 58 counties. The list covers main offices, neighborhood stations and postal stores. The right choice depends on whether you need to mail a parcel, rent a box, file a passport application or collect a missed package.

Who Runs Post Offices in California

The Postal Service is an independent agency of the federal government. Congress gave it its current structure in the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, and its governing rules sit in Title 39 of the United States Code. A Board of Governors oversees it, and the Postal Regulatory Commission reviews rates and service performance. None of this runs through Sacramento.

That has practical consequences. California's state agencies, counties and city councils cannot set post office hours, close a branch or change postal prices. If your local office cuts its window hours or a delivery route changes, the decision comes from USPS management, and your response should go through postal channels.

Start with the postmaster at your local office. If that does not solve the problem, contact USPS customer service. You can also contact your U.S. representative or senator, whose California district offices handle postal casework regularly. Federal rules require public notice and a comment period before a retail facility is closed or consolidated.

California ZIP Codes begin with the digits 90 through 96. That is a quick way to check an address. San Francisco addresses typically start with 941, San Diego with 921 and Sacramento with 958.

Big-City Post Offices in Los Angeles, San Diego and the Bay Area

Los Angeles has 101 listings, more than any other California city. The Arcade Post Office at 506 South Spring Street (213-244-1445) serves the downtown core. Across Los Angeles County, which has 275 listings, you will also find the East Long Beach Post Office on East Anaheim Street and the Grand Central Post Office on San Fernando Road in Glendale. Others include the Catalina Post Office on East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, the Crenshaw Imperial Post Office in Inglewood, the Lyons Post Office in Santa Clarita and the Marcelina Post Office in Torrance.

In San Diego, the Carmel Mountain Postal Store at 11251 Rancho Carmel Drive (858-674-0205) is one of 41 city listings. A postal store is a retail-focused counter, useful when you only need to ship a package or buy stamps. San Diego County has 106 listings, spread from coastal neighborhoods to inland suburbs.

Orange County is dense with suburban offices. The Brookhurst Center Post Office on West Ball Road in Anaheim, the Bristol Post Office on West 1st Street in Santa Ana, the Corona Del Mar Post Office on Orchid Avenue in Newport Beach and the Harvest Post Office on Murphy Avenue in Irvine all sit in Orange County, which has 83 listings.

The Bay Area mixes historic neighborhood offices with newer facilities. San Francisco's 18th Street Post Office at 4304 18th Street (415-431-2701) sits in a city that is also a county, so our database files it under the City and County of San Francisco. In San Jose, the Alviso Post Office at 1525 Gold Street (408-262-4258) serves the historic Alviso district. Oakland's Laurel Post Office is on High Street, and the A Station Berkeley Post Office is on San Pablo Avenue. The Fremont Post Office on Dusterberry Way is a larger suburban facility. Most of these are in Alameda County, with 50 listings.

Big-city offices get crowded around lunchtime, at the end of the month and in the weeks before major holidays. Mid-morning on a Tuesday or Wednesday is usually calmer. Saturday hours are shorter at many offices, and Sunday counter service is rare, so check hours by phone or on the USPS locator before you drive.

Inland, Central Valley and Rural California Post Offices

The Inland Empire has grown quickly, and its postal network has grown with it. San Bernardino County has 78 listings and Riverside County has 55. Examples include the Northpark San Bernardino Post Office on Hallmark Parkway and the Hardman Post Office on Arlington Avenue in Riverside. Distances between offices are longer here than on the coast, so confirm the address before you go.

In the Central Valley, the Barton Post Office on East Tulare Avenue serves Fresno. The Bakersfield Post Office at 3400 Pegasus Drive (661-391-8026) is a major Kern County facility. The Calaveras Post Office on West Robinhood Drive serves Stockton, and the Arden Post Office on Arden Way serves Sacramento. On the Central Coast, the John Steinbeck Post Office on West Alisal Street in Salinas and the Montecito Post Office on East Valley Road in Santa Barbara County serve their communities.

Rural California works differently. In mountain, desert and far-northern counties, a small post office may be the only government counter for miles, and some keep short window hours. Many households have no street delivery and rely on a P.O. Box or a rural carrier route. If you live in one of these areas, ask your postmaster about box availability and the best time to reach the counter.

Wildfire is a recurring factor in California. After major fires, USPS has routinely held mail at the local office, redirected it and set up temporary pickup points. If you evacuate, call your post office or use the USPS website to ask about holding or forwarding mail.

What You Can Do at a California Post Office

Services vary by location. Larger offices and postal stores usually offer the full range, while small rural offices may have a narrower set. Common services include:

One California detail matters for every election. The state mails a ballot to each active registered voter, and a returned ballot counts if it is postmarked by Election Day and arrives within seven days. A blue collection box may postmark your envelope the next day. If the deadline is close, take it to the counter and ask for a hand postmark, or use an official ballot drop box instead.

Post offices in California are part of the national USPS network, operating under regional district management to deliver uniform service standards while accommodating the specific needs of urban, suburban, and rural communities across the state. Larger cities in California may have multiple post offices and main processing facilities.

Post Office locations are available in 1029 cities across California. They are spread across 58 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of post office locations include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, reflecting densely populated areas with multiple branch offices serving different neighborhoods and zip codes.

Residents of California can use the USPS website to find the closest post office, check current lobby and window hours, locate self-service kiosks available after hours, and track incoming and outgoing mail and packages from their phones or computers.

Post Office by Counties

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Residents of California can save time by using USPS online tools to schedule package pickups from home, print prepaid shipping labels, and set up mail forwarding or hold requests without visiting a post office. When visiting a post office in California for passport acceptance, call ahead to confirm that the specific location offers the service and whether an appointment is required.

Browse Post Office by county across California to find the nearest location.

Planning a Post Office Visit Anywhere in California

California is large, and a post office trip can mean a ten-minute walk in San Francisco or a long drive across Kern County. A few habits save time wherever you are.

Confirm the hours before you leave. Branch hours differ by office, and lunch closures and early Saturday closings are common. All post offices close on federal holidays, so the day after a holiday tends to be busy. Cesar Chavez Day on March 31 is a California state observance, but it is not a federal holiday, and post offices stay open.

Bring what the service needs. Package shipments go faster if the box is sealed and the address is written clearly. For identity-based services such as passports, P.O. Boxes and certified pickups, carry a current government photo ID. In Los Angeles and the Bay Area, allow extra time for parking, and consider a smaller neighborhood office instead of the busiest downtown counter. In rural counties, call first, since a small office may close for part of the day.

If you move within the state, file your change of address early. If you need a service close to home, browse the listings for Kern County or Fresno County to find offices in the Central Valley.

Frequently Asked Questions About Post Offices in California

No California state agency regulates post offices. They are run by the United States Postal Service, an independent federal agency governed by Title 39 of the U.S. Code. The Postal Regulatory Commission reviews rates and service performance, and a Board of Governors oversees USPS. California counties and cities cannot change postal hours or prices. If you have a complaint, talk to your local postmaster first, then USPS customer service, and then your U.S. representative or senator if the problem remains.

Many California post offices accept first-time passport applications, but not all of them do, and most require an appointment. Bring the completed DS-11 form, proof of citizenship, a government photo ID and a passport photo if the office does not take one. You pay the State Department application fee separately from the acceptance fee charged by the post office. The State Department processes the application, not USPS, so processing times are not set by your local office. Call ahead to confirm the office offers the service.

You apply with USPS Form 1093, either online or at the counter, and you must show two forms of identification. One must be a valid photo ID, and the other should show your address. Box sizes and prices depend on the ZIP Code, so a box in downtown Los Angeles can cost differently from one in a small Sierra town. Availability also varies, and busy urban offices can have waiting lists. If you need a street address for a business, ask the clerk about the options.

After major California wildfires, USPS has routinely held mail at the local post office, redirected it to another facility or set up temporary pickup locations. The arrangement depends on the fire and on whether delivery routes are open. Contact your local post office or check the USPS website for service alerts in your area. You can also submit a change of address or a temporary hold request. Carry photo ID when you collect held mail, since staff may need to verify who you are.

Yes, if you return it by mail. California sends a ballot to every active registered voter. A returned ballot counts if it is postmarked on or before Election Day and arrives within seven days. Mail dropped in a collection box late in the day may be postmarked the next day. To be safe, take the envelope to a post office counter and ask for a hand postmark, or use an official ballot drop box. Sign the envelope as the instructions direct, since a missing signature can cause problems.

You can file a change of address on the USPS website or in person at any post office. Online requests carry a small identity-verification charge on a credit or debit card, and in-person requests use a paper form and cost nothing. Submit it at least a week or two before you move, because forwarding takes time to set up. Update your address separately with the California DMV, your employer and your banks. USPS forwarding does not replace those updates, and it does not last forever.