The Smallest Post Office in the U.S.

On the way home from Everglades City, we decided to look for this national landmark in Ochopee via Hwy 41 or Tamiami Trail. I haven't traversed yet this portion of Hwy 41 going to Miami and I am always open to driving through roads I haven't used in the past. Knowing now that the smallest post office in the US is not that far from where we were, it was very easy in deciding this will be the road we'll be travelling on. I also have a hunch the distance back to our home is less than the route we used that morning.

So probably less than 10 minutes from the junction of Hwy 29 and Hwy 41, we saw the landmark. Well, since it was a Sunday, it was closed but that didn't stop us from stopping and have some souvenir shots even in mid-day heat and high humidity. We felt like it was a close 100 deg. F. but since it was our first time seeing this landmark, we had to 'sacrifice'. After all, people are always amazed to see the biggest, the smallest, the fastest, the slowest, etc.

I got the ff. info from the internet and you can also read more info from the first photo below. It is readable if you click it.

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This closet-sized, 7x8-foot building used to be an irrigation pipe shed for a tomato farm. It was pressed into service after a fire destroyed the Ochopee general store -- which also housed the post office -- in 1953. The town, which sits on the edge of the Everglades, and which reportedly has a population of 11, has been happy with it ever since.

Shannon Mitchell works in this tiny place as its clerk, and she says that she has the coolest job in the world. She has a phone, a computer, an air conditioner, a fluorescent tube for light, and a pair of tiny sliding screen doors to keep out the giant horseflies. Everything that she needs is obviously within reach. The job is quiet, as you might expect, although she does get occasional visits from people from all over the world who stop by to get something postmarked. Shannon has a stack of Ochopee Post Office post cards on the counter, pre-stamped both domestic and international, for when the tour busses pull up.

The person who delivers mail from this post office has a daily route that stretches across three counties, 132 miles long.


For the link, click here.


Smallest Post Office in the United States:

US Hwy 41, Ochopee, FL[Show Map]

Directions: On U.S. 41 around three miles east of Hwy 29, south side.

Phone: 239-695-4131

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Lastly, my hunch was right, we saved at least 5 miles on the return trip.

Our photos:

A Trip to Everglades City and the Ten Thousand Islands

Yesterday, we left home at around 5:30am and headed for Everglades City, a kind of sleepy, rusting town on the gulf coast about 100 miles from our place. Edna Trepanier and family have invited us over to their condo there to check out the place. It was Edna's birthday the previous day and the trip was kind of an extension of her birthday celebration.


The NW entrance of Everglades National Park is situated there and we already know we'll be touring the Ten Thousand Islands. This was our first time there and although we have been to the park several times, we have always used their Florida City entrance which is actually more popular among visitors.


It was just a day trip although several families have already gone there Saturday afternoon ahead of us. The Trepaniers have two 3BR condo units so accommodating all of us was not a problem.


We spent the early morning trying to catch some fish but since it was low tide, the odds of landing one is just so great, in short 'no fish' but a lot of bug bites from the 'no see-ums'. That bug repellent spray we used was lousy.

After breakfast, I did some driving around with Glenda and Gail who used to be Ophine's college teacher and now working with her in Memorial Regional Hospital. We went to Chokoloskee Island which is just about 5 minutes away then drove around the town center of Everglades City. The city itself is just 1.5 miles across at it's longest. No way we can get lost here. Chokoloskee was even smaller. We saw a cute small white church and took some photos there. We were looking for the Everglades city post office which I thought was the smallest post office in the US but we didn't find it. I realized later upon inquiry from a restaurant waitress that the smallest church was in Ochopee and not there. Ochopee being only 10 minutes away via Hwy 41 south made me decide to pass that route on the way home instead of going back to Hwy 29 and then I-75.

Anyway, around 9:30am we all went to the Everglades National Park and got tickets for the boating cruise through the Ten Thousand Islands and the gulf coast and of course we had a swell time during the 1.5 hour trip. We learned so much from the guides about the place. Saw a lot of pelicans, ospreys, snow egrets, herons and even the roseate spoonbills. We just didn't see any manatee really up close but they were there. Anyone can easily get lost among the mangrove islets and one should bring a GPS if you want to go kayaking or canoeing.

After eating lunch at the Seafood Depot Restaurant, a local landmark operating since 1928 that serves all you can eat 'peel and eat shrimp' and/or fried chicken, salad bar and assorted side dishes for the buffet, we all headed south for home, full but feeling great.

As usual, any trip will be more memorable with photos so here they are.













Edna and youngest daughter Gail.





Jing and Edward.



Glenda, Edna, Ed and Gail.






Roseate Spoonbills.



The mangroves up close.



In case of emergency...


Gail (another one) and Glenda.


Missy, Kayla, Beverly, Christian and David.



The kids with a big 14' gator, stuffed and dead of course in the restaurant where we had lunch.