An independent audit shows some of the nation’s fastest and most reliable post offices are in Iowa. Of 85 postal districts nationwide, only five are being recognized, and the Hawkeye District, which encompasses most of Iowa, is among the five. Postal service spokesman Richard Watkins says it’s a source of pride for postal workers and a benefit for all residents.The audit of the U.S. Postal Service by I-B-M found first-class mail in the Des Moines-based district was processed and delivered the next day 97-percent of the time. Watkins says the national average is 95-percent, he says that means from the time you drop you mail into the box, they’re hitting 97-percent of it being delivered the next day. The other postal districts with 97-percent ratings are: Minneapolis-St. Paul; Portland, Oregon; Spokane, Washington and Erie, Pennsylvania. Watkins says the Hawkeye District includes virtually all of Iowa and the Quad Cities area, but does not include the Council Bluffs area. He says the 97-percent overnight delivery rating is exemplary. He says overnight first-class is considered within 250 miles of the destination. Watkins says customer satisfaction, which is measured independently by The Gallup Organization, showed more than 97-percent of postal customers in Iowa and the Quad Cities reported having a positive view of the Postal Service — three points higher than the national average.
