You might need to find out which post office delivers your mail if you missed a package delivery, received mail that you have to sign for or if you have to pick up mail that was put on hold. Identifying your local post office is a simple process, but the United States Postal Service (USPS) now offers options that might eliminate your need to visit the post office entirely.

Locate Nearby USPS Locations

The quickest way to find out which post office delivers your mail is by searching online. The USPS suggests locating your local USPS locations by using the Service Locator tool on its website, which will have the most up-to-date and accurate information about the correct post office for a given street address. On the "Find Locations" page under the drop-down section for location type, choose "post offices" and then enter your address. USPS will show you which location services your area. You can also find the USPS hours for your local post office as well as local USPS drop off locations in case you need to send a package too large for your local postal carrier to pick up from you.

Look at Your Package Delivery Information

If you missed a package or a certified letter, the mail carrier will leave a peach-colored slip on your door. This slip will include the address of the local post office that you need to visit to pick up your mail. The slip will also indicate when your mail will be available for pickup, although sometimes the carrier will leave this section blank. In these cases, you should wait at least a few hours from the time the carrier delivered the slip as he will need to return to the post office with the package in order for you to be able to retrieve it.

Contact USPS Directly

Another option is to contact USPS directly to find out which office delivers your mail. The general phone number for USPS is 1-800-ASK-USPS. Alternatively, you can send an email to USPS, but you may have to wait up to three business days for a response. Your email does not need to be long, but be sure to include your full mailing address.

Alternatives to Visiting the Post Office

USPS offers a number of options that can help you avoid visiting the post office entirely in most cases. For example, if you missed a mail delivery you can fill out a form online to have the mail redelivered and choose which date you'll be available.

You can also set up a MyUSPS.com account. With this account, you can authorize USPS to leave a package at your door if you're not home, request that your mail be temporarily put on hold or schedule an alert so you can make sure you're home to receive your package. Because some packages require signatures or identification for delivery, you may have to be home to receive a package or pick it up in person at the post office rather than having it left at your door. Delivery slips will usually specify when signatures or identification are required for delivery.