Seven boxes, one lane, one window. The calculator shows the estimate attached to each rate before you buy.
The published number and the quoted number
FedEx states that delivery within the contiguous US takes 1 to 5 business days on Ground, and that shipping to or from Alaska and Hawaii requires 3 to 7. That is the range for the whole country. What a rate returns is a forecast for one origin and one destination, and the two do not always agree.
| Box | Weight | Price | Window on the rate | Estimated date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 by 14 by 10 in | 16 lb | $29.72 | 5-6 business days | August 3 |
| 12 by 12 by 12 in | 15 lb | $28.59 | 5-6 business days | August 3 |
| 18 by 14 by 10 in | 5 lb | $32.23 | 5-6 business days | August 3 |
| 20 by 16 by 12 in | 25 lb | $41.48 | 5-6 business days | August 3 |
| 20 by 16 by 12 in | 32 lb | $43.70 | 5-6 business days | August 3 |
| 24 by 18 by 14 in | 5 lb | $59.61 | 5-6 business days | August 3 |
| 24 by 18 by 14 in | 50 lb | $63.45 | 5-6 business days | August 3 |
Seven captures, one answer. Every FedEx Ground row on that lane came back at 5 to 6 business days with the same estimated date, while the price moved from $28.59 to $63.45. Weight and volume drove the money and left the calendar alone, which is exactly what you would expect from a network that runs a fixed linehaul between two cities.
Paying for the day you save
FedEx runs two surface tiers, and on the same lane they came back a day apart. Both figures are all-in checkout totals from the same capture run.
| Service | Price | Window on the rate |
|---|---|---|
| FedEx Ground Economy | $19.63 | 6-7 business days |
| FedEx Ground | $28.59 | 5-6 business days |
That single day cost $8.96 on this box. Whether it is worth it depends entirely on the promise you made your buyer, and on a lane this short the answer is usually no. Longer lanes stretch the gap in both directions, so quote before deciding rather than assuming the pattern holds.
Business days do not include the weekend
FedEx Ground stops run Monday to Friday for commercial addresses, so a Thursday pickup with a three-day count lands on Tuesday, not Sunday. Hand the parcel over early in the week when a Friday deadline matters.
Residential ground is a different product
FedEx Ground covers businesses, while parcels to homes move under FedEx Home Delivery, which runs every day of the week. The day count is similar, the schedule is not, and the address type decides which one applies.
Size caps before the day count matters
FedEx publishes a ground ceiling of 150 lbs, 108 inches in length, and 165 inches in length plus girth, measured as length plus twice the width plus twice the height. A parcel over any of those never gets a transit estimate, because it is not a parcel any more.
FedEx Ground transit questions
How many days does FedEx Ground take?
FedEx publishes 1 to 5 business days within the contiguous US and 3 to 7 business days to or from Alaska and Hawaii, per fedex.com checked 2026-07-28. The estimate attached to a live rate is lane-specific and can sit at the slow end of that range, as ours did.
What did FedEx Ground quote on a real lane?
Every one of the seven FedEx Ground rows we captured from Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303 on 2026-07-28 carried a 5 to 6 business day window and the same estimated date. Prices on those rows ran from $28.59 for a 12 by 12 by 12 in carton at 15 lb up to $63.45 for a 24 by 18 by 14 in box at 50 lb.
Does a heavier box take longer on FedEx Ground?
Not on the lane we tested. Weight moved the price by more than double across our captures and left the window untouched, because surface transit is set by the distance between sorting points rather than by what is inside the carton.
Is FedEx Ground Economy worth the wait?
On our 15 lb carton the economy tier quoted $19.63 at 6 to 7 business days against $28.59 at 5 to 6 for FedEx Ground, so one day cost $8.96. On a short lane that is rarely worth paying, but the gap moves with distance and weight, so quote both before choosing.