USPS Metro NY Distribution Center – Complete Guide

You’re expecting a parcel delivery from USPS and the tracking status reveals that it is at the “Metro NY Distribution Center”.

Where is this Distribution Center? How far away is your package? And what happens if it gets stuck there?

Let’s take a look…

Where is the USPS “Metro NY Distribution Center”?

The Metro NY Distribution Center is located at United States Parcel Post Building, 341 9th Ave, New York, NY 10199. It is one of the largest USPS processing facilities in operation today. 

What is the USPS Metro NY Distribution Center?

Quite simply a Network Distribution Center (NDC) is a giant mechanized sorting facility run by USPS.

It is one of 250 mail processing facilities operating in the U.S. and is responsible for the sorting and dispatch of standard mail and package services (single piece and bulk shipments).

The Metro NY Distribution Center processes inbound mail items originating from five large boroughs within New York, (Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan). However, only outgoing mail to Manhattan and the Bronx is processed.

It also sorts inbound international mail from the John F. Kennedy International Service Center, (ISC New York NY USPS)

How Much Mail is Processed Through the Metro NY Distribution Center?

The United States Post Office reported that in the fiscal year 2015, the Metro NY Distribution Center processed approximately 1.96 billion mailpieces.

Although more recent data is unavailable, this figure will only have increased by 2022 (a full 7 years later), with Covid increasing mail volumes across the U.S. as more and more people turn to buy online.

• Related Content: What Does “Arrival at Unit” Mean? (USPS Tracking Guide)

Metro NY Distribution Center Tracking Updates

Those living within the catchment area of the Metro NY Distribution Center may receive mail tracking updates relevant to the center.

If you receive a status alert informing you that your inbound package or mail item is being processed through the Metro NY distribution facility, you know that delivery is close.

A USPS truck will deliver the item to a local post office located in Manhattan or the Bronx (the Morgan Processing and Distribution Center only processes outgoing mail for delivery in these two boroughs), and from there it will go out for delivery to the recipient’s address. 

My Package is Stuck at the Metro NY Distribution Center

Occasionally, a mail item can end up “stuck in transit” at the Metro NY Processing and Distribution Center.

You will know this has happened when your tracking status does not change for multiple days.

There are a number of factors that can lead to this situation:

• High mail volumes causing a backlog and delays (seasonal issues)
• Staffing problems caused by Covid
• Bad weather causing transit issues between the USPS distribution center and the Post Office
• Technical problems causing a delay in the mail item being logged and sorted

Hold-ups at the distribution center are relatively common, however, the length of time is generally short.

The reasons listed above are far from insurmountable, and only in the case of a lost or damaged package will your item go missing for a duration long enough to warrant starting the claims process.

What to Do if Your Package is Stuck?

Should the package be stuck on this alert for more than 3 business days, you should make contact with USPS customer services. (Head here for contact details for an international Inquiry.)

Unfortunately, you cannot visit the Metro NY Distribution Center, (it has no customer-facing facilities) to find out what has happened or to collect your item.

If the mail item cannot be located by USPS you will have to begin the claims process. (If you are making an International claim you should head here.)

• Related Content: USPS Jamaica NY International Distribution Center – Complete Guide

Tracking Updates to Expect After the Metro NY Distribution Center

After the mail item has left the Metro NY Distribution Center you can expect updates such as “In Transit to Next Facility”, “In Transit Arriving Late” (if a registered delay has occurred), and even more promising “Out for Delivery” or “Delivered to Agent for Final Delivery”.

All of these updates signify that the package is nearer to delivery.

How Long will my Package Take to Arrive After a “Metro NY Distribution Center” Update?

How long your package takes to arrive after it has been processed through the Metro NY Distribution Center depends on which direction it is going.

If the final delivery destination is manhattan or the Bronx, the mail item is close to the end of its journey.

Assuming processing at the distribution center goes as it should, your package will arrive within 1 to 3 days.

However, if the mail item is passing through the Metro NY Distribution Center to destinations elsewhere within the USA, or even overseas via ISC New York NY (located at JFK Airport), the journey is only just beginning.

Delivery time will be dependent on where the recipient is located and the mail service speed ordered.

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