The holiday season is here, and many kids are getting ready to send off their wish lists to the North Pole. Several Seattle-area spots set up special letters to Santa mailboxes each year — plus national programs that ensure those notes reach Santa (and sometimes even earn a reply!). Here are the 2025 locations where families can drop off letters to Santa around the Seattle area.
Seattle-Area Letters to Santa Mailboxes
Swansons Nursery
Known for its holiday festivities, Swansons Nursery in Seattle gives kids the opportunity to write a note to Santa. Located in Santa’s Yurt, children can drop off their letters and participate in other festive activities. The nursery’s festive environment, featuring reindeer and holiday displays, makes it a delightful spot for families.
Have your kids write their letters to Santa and drop them off in the Letter to Santa mailbox located at the corner of Kirkland Ave. and Lake St., or at Urban Plaza in Downtown Kirkland. The mailboxes will be out from November 19 to December 19, 2025.
Edmonds Chamber of Commerce
The beloved Edmonds Santa Mailbox is officially open for the season, ready for wish lists, drawings, and sweet holiday messages. Families can drop off letters now through December 14, with the final pickup for North Pole-bound letters on December 13.
You’ll find the bright red mailbox outside the Log Cabin Visitor Information Center at 5th Avenue North and Bell Street in Downtown Edmonds.
This long-running program receives more than 2,500 letters each year, all answered by volunteer “elves.” To help support this community tradition, the Chamber welcomes donations — even a few dollars or a book of stamps can cover reply postage. Stamp donations can be delivered to the Chamber Office or the Log Cabin.
Tips to receive a letter back from the North Pole:
- Make sure your child’s name and return address are clearly written on the letter.
- To have your child’s original letter returned, include a plain self-addressed stamped envelope.
- Each reply is handwritten using story templates the elves create themselves. For a more personal response, kids can add questions or caregivers may include a private note.
- Reply times can vary, and volunteers process letters as quickly as life allows — kindness and patience are appreciated.
How to Mail a Letter to Santa through USPS
The USPS offers a thoughtful holiday service where your child can receive a letter back from Santa. Be sure to send your wishlist to Santa before December 6. Here’s how. Children can write a letter to Santa and address it to:
Santa’s Mailing Address (USPS Operation Santa)
Santa Claus
123 Elf Road
North Pole, 88888
Make sure to include a return address on the envelope so Santa knows where to send his reply. Drop the letter in the mail. The USPS Operation Santa program ensures these letters are received and, in many cases, adopted by charitable organizations, individuals, or employees who fulfill the wishes. Track Your Letter: The USPS website offers more information on how the program works, including how to track your letter and potentially adopt a letter to help make another child’s holiday wishes come true.
National Programs Accepting Letters
Nordstrom’s Dear Santa Program
Write this way! Send an email or write your wishlist on your favorite stationery to let Santa know what you’d like for Christmas. Download a letter template here. Between November 28 and December 19, you can deliver your letter to a Nordstrom store or write it there. Find a store near you.
More Santa Fun for Seattle-Area Families
Keep the holiday magic going! Explore more Santa-themed guides and events:
- Photos with Santa: Find the best places for festive, kid-friendly Santa portraits this season.
- Breakfast with Santa: Start the morning with pancakes, holiday cheer, and a visit from the big guy.
- Holiday Family Events: Your complete roundup of light displays, parades, markets, and can’t-miss seasonal fun.
