In the 250 years since its inception, the Postal Service has expanded from a handful of routes crisscrossing the Colonies into a 234,000-route network encompassing 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five major U.S. territories in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
To help mark the organization’s anniversary this year, USPS has released a list of its longest routes in its four geographical areas — Atlantic, Central, Southern and WestPac:
• In WestPac Area, a 195-mile route out of Sidney, MT — the nation’s longest — delivers to 305 mailboxes;
• In Southern Area, a 183-mile route out of Mangum, OK, delivers to 277 mailboxes;
• In Central Area, a 146-mile route out of Pleasant Hill, IL, delivers to 385 mailboxes; and
• In Atlantic Area, a 120-mile route out of Addison, NY, delivers to 404 mailboxes.
Some delivery routes are served by traditional means — vehicles and walking — while others employ less conventional methods such as dog sleds, boats, donkeys and bicycles.
More offbeat information about the Postal Service can be found on the Postal Facts website.
