Central IL District Post Offices Open until Noon on Christmas Eve

1:00 pm Set as Day’s Final Mail Collection
Delivery Unaffected by the Change -- Mail Will be Delivered

Bedford Park – The Central Illinois District of the United States Postal Service announced changes to its post office retail counter hours and mail collection pickup times during the Christmas Eve and New Years Eve holiday period.

The Central Illinois District includes the following 3-digit zip codes: 604-605 (Chicago suburbs),
609 (Kankakee area), 618-619 (Champaign Area), 625-627 (Decatur/Springfield Area) and 613-617 (Peoria/Galesburg/Bloomington area).

“Historically, there’s a significant decline in retail traffic in our Post Office lobbies on the day following a national holiday,” said District Manager Peter Allen.  “We view this as an opportunity to adjust our staffing and to give our retail employees more time to spend with their families during the long holiday weekends.”

“We will make our last collection for mail deposited in blue collection boxes at 1pm,” Allen said.  For those who still have cards or packages to send, the U.S. Postal Service will continue to make deliveries by Express Mail, even on Christmas and New Years Day.

Customers needing to mail packages after noon on Christmas and New Years Eve can also purchase postage and schedule a free Carrier Pickup at usps.com for the next business day.

All postal retail facilities will be closed on Christmas and New Years Day, and continue the reduced times on Friday and Saturday, December 26-27 and January 2-3, respectively.

However, regular mail delivery for Christmas Eve and December 26-27 will be unaffected by the change, including Post Office Box service.

Customers who wish to purchase stamps, mail packages, or ship urgent letters or packages on Wednesday, December 24th or December 31st may use the Automated Postal Centers (APC) located at larger Postal facilities and are available 24 hours.  The ATM-like kiosk accepts credit or debit cards only and can handle about 80 percent of typical postal transactions – like weigh packages and dispense postage for Express, Priority, First-Class and Parcel Post mail.

Letter carriers will make their regular deliveries on all routes on Christmas and New Years Eve.  All available Express Mail, Priority Mail and holiday packages will be delivered on Christmas and New Years Day.  Regular deliveries resume on Friday and Saturday.  Express Mail is delivered 365 days a year.