Here’s How Mail Is Delivered On Mackinac Island
In my mind, there are two ideal ways mail should be delivered to an island: carrier pigeons fly back and forth all day, or you get a really big trebuchet and launch those packages. There are plenty of reasons these wouldn't work, but man, would that be cool.
But I have always wondered how a place with no cars and that requires a ferry ride manages to get all its mail delivered. So, I've done some digging after seeing someone on Reddit ask whether there is a designated mailman for Mackinac.
How Mail Delivery Works On Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island has ~500 year-round residents, rising to ~800 during the non-winter months. That can generate quite a bit of mail, but what might surprise you is that there isn't a designated mailman on the island. Each resident has a designated PO box where their mail is delivered and picked up. The only worker at the post office is a desk clerk who fills the boxes.
READ MORE: 66 Years Ago, A Man Flew An Airplane UNDER The Mackinac Bridge
But that's just for the USPS. Amazon and FEDEX orders are a different story, according to Mackinac Redhead, a full-time resident on the island who shares what it's like living there. These types of packages embark on a pretty different journey: they are first loaded into a freight container before being brought to the mainland.
From there, those workers load the packages onto a trailer, which is then transported around the island by what other than a horse? I mean, can you imagine what Prime Day looks like on Mackinac Island? Those poor horses have their work cut out for them!
While there isn't an opening for a mailman on the island, you can view what jobs are available on the island here.
