Amazon Prime Air is set to expand its drone delivery service to reach nearly 500 cities and towns in the U.S. by the end of 2026.
This represents a sixfold increase from its current drone delivery footprint, Amazon said.
The announcement comes about four years after Amazon started its drone delivery service and about a decade after it first floated the idea about using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for package delivery.
“We've already delivered hundreds of thousands of packages to customers by drone this year, and by the end of 2026 we plan to reach customers in nearly 500 cities and towns,” said David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air. “We're pairing the convenience of ultrafast drone delivery with the low prices and selection customers love about Amazon.”
Amazon’s drone delivery offers items like groceries, cosmetics, medications and electronics like Apple iPhones, Ring doorbells, food thermometers and more — anything that is 5 pounds or less that fits into a box about the size of a shoebox.
First floated drone delivery
More than a decade ago, Amazon was one of the first companies to float the idea of using UASs to deliver packages to the doorsteps of consumers. Back then, using drones in such a way was scoffed at as they were only used by hobbyists primarily.
But in the years that followed, while Amazon faltered in its drone delivery service, others flourished including Wing by Alphabet, DroneUp and more accelerated UAS delivery. Simultaneously, big box retailers like Walmart and Home Depot became hubs for drone deliveries and even UPS and FedEx signed on for their own plans to use the machines for package delivery.
But Amazon has made great strides in the following years starting with the first drone delivery location in Lockeford, California, and then expanding quickly to College Station, Texas, after a few months.
By 2024, Amazon opened its second drone delivery location in Tolleson, Arizona. Now, the e-retail giant will push to 500 cities in 2026. Currently, Amazon Prime Air delivers to the following areas:
- Tolleson, Arizona (Phoenix metro area)
- Ruskin, Florida (Tampa metro area)
- Kansas City, Kansas
- Papillion, Nebraska (Omaha metro area)
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Hazel Park, Michigan (Detroit metro area)
- Pontiac, Michigan (Detroit metro area)
- Richmond, Texas (Houston metro area)
- San Antonio, Texas
- Richardson, Texas (Dallas metro area)
- Waco, Texas
However, the company plans to launch services in Chicago, Illinois; Syracuse, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia; and Boise, Idaho metro areas. Amazon said it will also announce more communities later this year.
Additionally, Amazon launched drone delivery services to Darlington, England, the first time the drone service has been available outside of the U.S.
