Upstate mail sorted out-of-state. Postal service says that saves money.

If you live in Halfmoon and put something in the mail on a Saturday for Albany, your receiver might notice something curious — the postmark says it came from Hartford, Conn.

That’s because since April 2024, the United States Postal Service has sent outgoing weekend mail from the North Country, Capital Region, Mohawk Valley and Hudson Valley to be processed in Connecticut instead of local facilities. That means mail sent from counties ranging from Franklin to Albany to Dutchess on a Saturday will travel through the neighboring state’s capital city before reaching its final destination.

According to a USPS spokesperson, weekend mail from ZIP codes beginning with numbers 120 to 129 is sent to and processed in Hartford because it  “improves efficiencies and reduces transportation costs and work hours.”