Third place is its natural habitat
Across the day's quotes, some UPS or USPS row undercut FedEx Ground almost every time it appeared. Treat it as the option you pick for network preference or pickup convenience, not for price.
The faster FedEx ground
FedEx Ground rates as one day of quotes recorded them
FedEx Ground is the commercial ground network, and in our pricing data it plays a specific role: quicker than the economy tier, pricier than nearly everything. Below is each FedEx Ground row from the 2026-07-27 capture, first the weight ladder on two routes, then the real items where the service made the cut at lighter weights.
Every captured row shownTwo routes, datedEconomy tier distinguished
A premium wearing work boots
In the capture, FedEx Ground consistently priced above the other ground rows while promising tighter windows than the economy option.
Weight ladder rows where FedEx Ground appeared
Our checkout lists the most competitive services per request, and FedEx Ground only broke into that list at 15 lb and up heading east, and 30 lb and up heading cross-country. Lighter ladder weights had five cheaper rows, which is a finding in itself, not a missing measurement.
| Weight | Route | Price | Quoted window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 lb | Newark, NJ to Atlanta, GA | $32.23 | 3-4 business days |
| 20 lb | Newark, NJ to Atlanta, GA | $34.22 | 3-4 business days |
| 30 lb | Newark, NJ to Atlanta, GA | $43.15 | 3-4 business days |
| 40 lb | Newark, NJ to Atlanta, GA | $53.64 | 3-4 business days |
| 50 lb | Newark, NJ to Atlanta, GA | $63.45 | 3-4 business days |
| 30 lb | Los Angeles, CA to New York, NY | $80.23 | 7-8 business days |
| 40 lb | Los Angeles, CA to New York, NY | $97.53 | 7-8 business days |
| 50 lb | Los Angeles, CA to New York, NY | $112.57 | 7-8 business days |
Lighter items where it still made the list
| Item | Price | Quoted window |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch in a tiny box | $19.07 | 3-4 business days |
| Wireless headphones | $21.96 | 3-4 business days |
| Laptop with charger, padded box | $25.27 | 3-4 business days |
| Karaoke machine | $33.40 | 3-4 business days |
| Box of motorcycle parts, 33 lb | $47.36 | 3-4 business days |
| Telescope in a long box | $55.53 | 3-4 business days |
Ground against Ground Economy: the actual difference
FedEx sells two ground speeds and the naming invites mistakes. FedEx Ground is the mainline service with the tighter quoted windows you see above. FedEx Ground Economy is a deferred, lighter-duty tier that trades days for dollars: at 15 lb eastbound our capture priced Economy at $20.51 against Ground's $32.23, and at 30 lb westbound $60.59 against $80.23. When the calendar has slack, Economy usually deserves the click; our FedEx Ground Economy rates page measures that tier on its own terms.
Absence from a quote is a verdict
When FedEx Ground fails to appear for your small box, the engine is reporting that five services beat it. No row means outbid, and outbid is useful information.
Coast to coast erodes its speed edge
The eastbound windows read 3-4 business days, but the LA to New York rows stretched to 7-8. On long lanes the price premium stays while the speed advantage over Economy thins out.
FedEx Ground, question by question
How much does FedEx Ground cost?
From our 2026-07-27 capture: $32.23 for 15 lb rising to $63.45 for 50 lb from Newark to Atlanta, and $80.23 to $112.57 for 30 to 50 lb from Los Angeles to New York. Smaller shipments returned item-level rows like $19.07 for a smartwatch box and $25.27 for a padded laptop.
What is the difference between FedEx Ground and FedEx Ground Economy?
Ground is the standard commercial network with shorter quoted windows; Ground Economy is the deferred budget tier. Our capture priced the same 15 lb eastbound box at $32.23 on Ground versus $20.51 on Economy, with the Economy window running about a day or two longer.
Why does your table skip light weights on some routes?
Because the checkout returns the most competitive services, and below 15 lb eastbound FedEx Ground was beaten by five cheaper rows every time. We publish what the system returned rather than reconstructing rates it declined to surface.
How fast is FedEx Ground?
Lane-dependent. Our eastbound quotes carried 3-4 business day windows at every weight, while the cross-country rows quoted 7-8 business days. The service name stays constant; the calendar does not.