Amazon is bringing drone deliveries to the Chicago and Atlanta metro areas as part of a major expansion

Amazon says it will serve nearly 500 US towns and cities with Prime Air deliveries by the end of the year.

Amazon is planning a major expansion of its Prime Air service in the US in the coming months. The company aims to serve almost 500 towns and cities with drone deliveries by the end of the year, which would mark a sixfold increase from current levels.

As it stands, Prime Air operates in 10 metro areas from 11 sites, each of which covers 175 square miles. It's operating in the Phoenix , Tampa, Kansas City, Omaha (Nebraska), Baton Rouge (Louisiana), Detroit, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Waco (Texas) metro areas.

Amazon plans to soon expand service to the Chicago and Atlanta metro areas, as well as in the regions of Syracuse, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; and Boise, Idaho. It aims to move into more areas later this year.

The company says its drones can deliver nearly any item weighing five pounds or less that can fit into a large shoebox via drone. Most orders are fulfilled within 60 minutes, Amazon says, with some arriving in just half an hour. Prime members get free drone delivery on orders that cost at least $50. For less-expensive orders, there's a $3 fee for drone delivery. If you're not a Prime member and need a replacement phone or some such to be delivered quickly via an Amazon drone, you'll pay a $5 fee.