Post Offices in Pennsylvania Are Federal, Not State-Run

Every post office in Pennsylvania is operated by the United States Postal Service, an independent federal agency. No state department runs, funds or licenses them. The governing rules come from federal law, mainly Title 39 of the United States Code, and the Postal Regulatory Commission reviews rates and service standards. Daily decisions sit with district managers and local postmasters.

That shapes how you solve problems. A late package in Pittsburgh is a USPS matter, not something to raise with a state office in Harrisburg. State government does touch the mail in a few places, such as mail-in voting, and we cover those below. Our directory lists 1,829 offices across the commonwealth, from busy Philadelphia counters to small village offices in Union and Indiana counties.

The history runs deep here. Benjamin Franklin, working from Philadelphia, served as a colonial deputy postmaster and became the first Postmaster General under the Continental Congress in 1775. Today Pennsylvania ZIP Codes run from 15000 in the west to 19999 in the southeast. The first two digits give a rough guide: 15 and 16 point mostly to western and northern areas, 17 to the central region, 18 to the northeast and Lehigh Valley, and 19 to the Philadelphia area.

Big-City Branches and Village Counters Across Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has two large metro areas at opposite ends of the state. The post office experience in each differs sharply from the experience in the countryside between them.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Philadelphia has 57 listings in our database and Pittsburgh has 42. In Philadelphia, the Bridesburg Post Office at 2734 Orthodox Street (215-533-8010) serves a river ward in the lower northeast of the city. Pittsburgh's listings include the Bellevue Post Office at 15 North Sprague Avenue (412-761-0527), in Allegheny County northwest of downtown. In dense areas like these, expect lines at midday and on Saturdays. Self-service kiosks handle basic postage, and a carrier will leave a notice if nobody answers for a package. For counter services such as passports, book an appointment first. You can browse every office by Philadelphia County or by Allegheny County.

Harrisburg, Reading, Scranton and the mid-sized cities. The Keystone Post Office at 813 Market Street in Harrisburg (717-232-5717) serves the capital in Dauphin County. The Reading Post Office at 2100 North 13th Street (610-921-7040) is in Berks County. In the northeast, the Scranton Post Office at 2800 Stafford Avenue (570-969-5128) serves Lackawanna County, and the Allentown Post Office at 442 Hamilton Street (610-821-8450) serves Lehigh County. These cities usually have a main office plus several neighborhood stations. Check which location handles the service you need before you go.

Small-town and rural offices. Away from the cities, the pattern changes. The Laurelton Post Office at 2495 Laurel Road in Millmont (570-922-1832) serves Union County in central Pennsylvania. The Beyer Post Office at 7389 Highway 85 in Home (724-783-7923) is in Indiana County. The Derrick City Post Office at 432 Derrick Road in Bradford (814-368-9542) is in McKean County, close to the New York line. Small offices often keep shorter window hours and may have a single clerk. Rural carriers can also sell stamps and take packages along their routes, so ask before you drive a long way.

County Patterns: Where Pennsylvania's Post Office Listings Cluster

Allegheny County leads our listings, driven by Pittsburgh and the many boroughs around it. Pennsylvania has more than 2,500 municipalities, and small boroughs often kept their own post office long after growth moved elsewhere. Westmoreland County comes next. There you will find the Bovard Post Office at 3 Jefferson Avenue in Greensburg (724-836-0176) and the Mount Pleasant Post Office at 24 Rumbaugh Avenue (724-547-3409). Montgomery County has the Lederach Post Office at 690 Harleysville Pike in Harleysville (215-256-9010).

Fayette and Schuylkill counties stand out because they are largely rural yet hold dozens of offices each. Both have a coal-mining past, and many small communities there still have their own post office. In Fayette County, the Brier Hill Post Office at 6608 National Pike East in New Salem (724-246-6040) and the Downtown Uniontown Post Office at 34 West Peter Street (724-437-0474) show the range, from a village counter to a county-seat office.

Lancaster County has 62 listings, including the Lampeter Post Office at 1638 Lampeter Road (717-464-4031). Farm roads and Amish and Mennonite communities shape the rural routes there. Allow extra time for delivery and pickup in the countryside, and expect the nearest counter to be in the next village rather than your own.

What You Can Do at a Pennsylvania Post Office, and What to Bring

Most offices sell stamps, ship packages and rent PO Boxes. Several services need paperwork, so bring the right items:

Voting is the main place where Pennsylvania state rules meet the mail. Pennsylvania law requires a mail-in ballot to reach your county board of elections by 8 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark on or before that day is not enough. Mail early, or use your county's drop-off option if it offers one. The Pennsylvania Department of State and your county elections office publish the current deadlines.

Checking a Pennsylvania Post Office Before You Drive

Our listings carry addresses and phone numbers, but hours change, especially at small offices. Call first. Ask about window hours, lobby hours for PO Box holders, and whether the office offers passports or package services. Some listings may not be standard post offices. The Minuteman Press Post Office at 661 South 25th Street in Easton (610-923-9266) has a business-style name, which can indicate a privately hosted postal counter, so confirm which services it offers.

A good routine is simple. Pick your county, compare nearby addresses, phone your choice, and bring ID and any forms. If an issue stays unresolved after you speak with the postmaster, our FAQs below explain the next steps.

Post offices in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania may have multiple post offices and main processing facilities.

Post Office locations are available in 1366 cities across Pennsylvania. They are spread across 68 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of post office locations include Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lancaster, reflecting densely populated areas with multiple branch offices serving different neighborhoods and zip codes.

Residents of Pennsylvania 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.

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Residents of Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania to find the nearest location.

Weather, Terrain and Village Offices: Mailing in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's terrain and weather affect the mail more than newcomers expect. Lake-effect snow can slow the Erie area, where the South Erie Post Office at 3607 Poplar Street (814-866-0321) serves residents. Ridges across central and western counties make some rural routes long in winter. Plan extra days for holiday packages sent to or from those areas.

Suburban Bucks County shows how many small offices can sit close together. The Buckingham Post Office at 4657 York Road in Doylestown (215-794-7331), the Carversville Post Office at 6208 Fleecy Dale Road in New Hope (215-297-5222) and the Milford Square Post Office at 2112 Allentown Road in Quakertown (215-536-4666) each have their own hours and services. Compare them on the Bucks County page.

In the Lehigh Valley and the anthracite region, the Westside Post Office at 2114 West Union Boulevard in Bethlehem (610-866-5982) and the Ebervale Post Office at 102 Oakmont Road in Hazleton (570-455-9833) serve different parts of the area. Southwest of Philadelphia, the Elwyn Post Office at 5 Glen Riddle Road in Media (610-566-2183) is in Delaware County. Also worth knowing are the Emigsville Post Office at 2 Emig Road in York (717-764-8713) and the Downtown New Castle Post Office at 151 Cascade Galleria (724-652-4611).

Pennsylvania Post Office FAQs

The United States Postal Service runs every post office in Pennsylvania, so there is no state postal agency. Start with the local postmaster, using the phone number on the office listing, such as 717-232-5717 for the Keystone Post Office in Harrisburg. If that fails, call USPS at 1-800-275-8777 or file a request online. Unresolved cases can go to your U.S. representative or senator, whose Pennsylvania district offices help constituents with federal agencies. Suspected mail theft or fraud should be reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and you can also report it to local police.

At many offices, yes, but acceptance is optional, so call first and ask about appointments. Bring a completed but unsigned Form DS-11, original proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate, a valid photo ID, and photocopies of both. You pay the State Department fee and a separate execution fee to the post office, and the two may require different payment methods. Offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh book up quickly, so a smaller office in a nearby county can be faster. For urgent travel, the State Department also operates a regional passport agency in Philadelphia, which generally requires an appointment.

Pennsylvania requires your county board of elections to receive the completed ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark does not save a ballot that arrives late. Mail it a week or more ahead, especially from small rural offices where the last collection can be early in the day. Follow the envelope instructions exactly, including the signature and the inner secrecy envelope. Many counties also provide a drop-off location or in-person return at the elections office. The Pennsylvania Department of State and your county set the rules and deadlines, so confirm them before each election.

Mailing addresses follow post office service areas, not municipal boundaries. Pennsylvania has more than 2,500 municipalities, so many townships share a ZIP Code with a nearby borough. Our listings show this: the Carversville Post Office appears under New Hope, the Milford Square Post Office under Quakertown, and the Lederach Post Office under Harleysville. The mailing city is what you write on an envelope, even if your township or school district uses another name. To find the right office, search by mailing city or county, then confirm by phone.

Start with your county. Counties such as Fayette, Schuylkill and Washington have dozens of offices, often a few miles apart, so the closest counter may be in a neighboring village. Berks County and Chester County mix suburban and farm communities, so compare addresses before choosing. Call the office to ask about window hours, PO Box lobby hours, and whether it takes packages or passports. If you live on a rural route, your carrier can often sell stamps and accept packages at your mailbox.

Check tracking and Informed Delivery first. If a package shows no movement for several days, submit a Missing Mail search on the USPS website with the sender's address and a description of the contents. Then speak with your local postmaster, who can check whether the item stalled at a regional facility. Keep receipts for insured or registered items so you can file a claim. After heavy snow in places like Erie, allow a few extra days before assuming a loss. If nothing works, ask your congressional office to open a case.