Delivery time calculator
How long a parcel takes within Canada, carrier by carrier. Enter two postal codes and a ship date to see every service’s delivery date from Canada Post, UniUni, Purolator, UPS and FedEx, with each carrier’s holidays counted by province.
From the carriers’ published service times, checked . How we check
Enter two postal codes to see each carrier’s delivery dates.
The first three characters are enough.
How long shipping takes in Canada
Short answer. Within Canada, ground parcels take 4 to 5 days across the country by Purolator, UPS and FedEx, and 1 day within a city. Canada Post's standard between major cities across the country is 4 to 10 days for Regular Parcel and 2 to 8 days for Expedited Parcel. Express services take 1 to 2 days across Canada. All of these are business days. The territories take up to 7 days by courier and 14 by Canada Post.
Delivery times at a glance
The table gives business days in transit for every service by distance, from the couriers’ published transit times and Canada Post’s delivery standards. Same city is under 80 km, and nearby is up to 1,000 km.
| Service | Same city | Nearby | Across Canada | Territories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Post Regular ParcelEconomy | 1 to 3 days | 3 to 6 days | 4 to 10 days | 6 to 14 days |
| Canada Post Expedited ParcelGround | 1 to 2 days | 1 to 4 days | 2 to 8 days | 6 to 14 days |
| Canada Post XpresspostExpress | 1 day | 1 day | 2 days | 5 to 8 days |
| Canada Post PriorityExpress | 1 day | 1 day | 1 day | 5 to 8 days |
| UniUni StandardEconomy | 2 days | 3 to 4 days | 5 to 6 days | Not offered |
| Purolator GroundGround | 1 day | 2 to 3 days | 4 to 5 days | 7 days |
| Purolator ExpressExpress | 1 day | 1 day | 2 days | 3 days |
| Purolator Express 10:30 AMExpress AM | 1 day | 1 day | 2 days | 3 days |
| Purolator Express 9 AMEarly AM | 1 day | 1 day | 2 days | Not offered |
| UPS StandardGround | 1 day | 2 to 3 days | 4 to 5 days | Not offered |
| UPS ExpeditedExpedited | 1 day | 2 days | 3 days | Not offered |
| UPS Express SaverExpress | 1 day | 1 day | 1 to 2 days | 3 days |
| UPS ExpressExpress AM | 1 day | 1 day | 1 to 2 days | 3 days |
| FedEx GroundGround | 1 day | 2 to 3 days | 4 to 5 days | 7 days |
| FedEx 2DayExpedited | 1 day | 2 days | 2 days | 4 days |
| FedEx Standard OvernightExpress | 1 day | 1 day | 1 day | 3 days |
How long each carrier takes
How long does Canada Post take?
Between major urban centres, Canada Post's delivery standard for Regular Parcel is 1 to 3 days locally, 3 to 6 days regionally and 4 to 10 days across the country, in business days. Nationally, Expedited Parcel takes 2 to 8 days, Xpresspost 2 days and Priority 1 day. Other areas take longer, and northern and remote places up to 14 business days. Canada Post services and limits
How long does Purolator take?
Purolator Ground takes 1 day in the same city, 2 to 3 days to nearby cities, 4 to 5 days across Canada and 7 days to the territories, in business days. Purolator Express takes 1 day nearby and 2 days across the country, and its 9 AM and 10:30 AM options arrive by those times. Purolator services and limits
How long does UPS take in Canada?
UPS Standard takes 1 day in the same city, 2 to 3 days nearby and 4 to 5 days across Canada, in business days. Across the country, UPS Expedited takes 3 days and UPS Express Saver 1 to 2 days, by 3:00 pm to businesses. Only UPS Express and Express Saver reach the territories, in 3 days. UPS services and limits
How long does FedEx take in Canada?
FedEx Ground takes 1 day in the same city, 2 to 3 days nearby, 4 to 5 days across Canada and 7 days to the territories, in business days. Across the country, FedEx 2Day takes 2 days and FedEx Standard Overnight 1 day, by 5:00 pm to businesses and 8:00 pm to homes. FedEx services and limits
How long does UniUni take?
UniUni Standard takes 2 days in the same city, 3 to 4 days nearby and 5 to 6 days across Canada, in business days. It serves cities: for a rural address or the territories, choose another carrier. UniUni services and limits
Which is faster, Purolator or Canada Post?
It depends on the service. Across Canada, between major cities: Purolator Ground takes 4 to 5 days, Canada Post Expedited Parcel 2 to 8 days and Regular Parcel 4 to 10 days, in business days. For express, Canada Post Priority takes 1 day nationally, Xpresspost 2 days and Purolator Express 2 days, and Purolator's 9 AM and 10:30 AM options add a delivery time. Canada Post publishes ranges and Purolator one number, so for a single route the calculator above compares them directly.
What time do carriers deliver?
Ground services come during the carrier’s delivery day with no set time. Express services promise one:
- Purolator Express: by end of day
- Purolator Express 10:30 AM: by 10:30 am
- Purolator Express 9 AM: by 9:00 am
- UPS Express Saver: by 3:00 pm to businesses, end of day to homes
- UPS Express: by 10:30 am
- FedEx 2Day: by 5:00 pm to businesses, 8:00 pm to homes
- FedEx Standard Overnight: by 5:00 pm to businesses, 8:00 pm to homes
What time does Canada Post deliver?
Canada Post delivers parcels to homes Monday to Friday from 9 am until as late as 8 pm, and to businesses from 9 am to 5 pm. Canada Post’s delivery hours
What time does Purolator deliver?
Purolator Ground has no set delivery time and arrives during Purolator's delivery day. The express services promise a time: Purolator Express by end of day, Purolator Express 10:30 AM by 10:30 am and Purolator Express 9 AM by 9:00 am.
What time does UPS deliver?
UPS Standard and UPS Expedited have no set delivery time and arrive during UPS's delivery day. The express services promise a time: UPS Express Saver by 3:00 pm to businesses and end of day to homes; UPS Express by 10:30 am.
What time does FedEx deliver?
FedEx Ground has no set delivery time and arrives during FedEx's delivery day. The express services promise a time: FedEx 2Day by 5:00 pm to businesses and 8:00 pm to homes; FedEx Standard Overnight by 5:00 pm to businesses and 8:00 pm to homes.
How the dates are worked out
Carriers quote delivery in business days, counted from the day after pickup. The calculator takes each service’s days for the distance between the two postal codes, the same figures as our carrier pages, and counts forward from your ship date, skipping weekends and the days that carrier is closed.
Couriers publish one number for each distance. Canada Post publishes a range instead, and a different range for major urban centres, other areas and the north, so its rows show the earliest and the latest date.
Holidays by carrier and province
Holidays don’t close every carrier the same way. Each carrier’s own schedule decides here, province by province (Canada Post, Purolator, UPS, FedEx, UniUni): a Purolator parcel to Calgary skips Remembrance Day, one to Toronto doesn’t. Each carrier’s full list is in its own guide: Canada Post holiday schedule, Purolator holiday schedule, UPS holiday schedule, FedEx holiday schedule and UniUni holiday schedule. To check a single day, see are carriers open today?
Getting it there sooner
- Ship before the carrier’s pickup cut-off, or drop the parcel off early in the day. A parcel handed over late counts from the next business day.
- Business addresses usually get earlier delivery times than homes.
- Rural addresses and the territories take longer, and some services don’t reach them.
Questions about delivery times
When does the count start?
On the business day after the carrier picks the parcel up or you drop it off. A parcel shipped on a Friday, or the day before a holiday, starts counting on the next day that carrier works.
Do weekends and holidays count?
Only business days count, and each carrier closes on its own holidays. On Remembrance Day, Canada Post closes everywhere, Purolator closes outside Ontario and Quebec, FedEx closes in Nova Scotia and UPS works. The calculator follows each carrier's published schedule, province by province.
Is the delivery date guaranteed?
These are the carriers' typical times. Guarantees differ by carrier and service, and some are suspended during busy seasons. A quote shows the date each carrier gives for your exact addresses.
Do carriers deliver on Saturdays?
Some services do, in some places. Our weekend delivery guide covers each carrier’s Saturday and Sunday options. Weekend days never count as business days here.
Compare four carriers in one quote
UniUni, Purolator, UPS and FedEx in one account, paid per label.