2 new applications for children mailed in on 3/15, just got an email that both were approved 8/6.

Update
 

UPDATE:
Today received an email staying my passport and passport cards are being printed and should be received around 8/15 !! Looks like it should be coming via Little Rock based on tracking.

When I applied I did have a trip planned for the beginning of September for France which was mentioned on my application. Probably it will still need to be canceled.

2 June 2020: Check Cashed

26 May 2020: Applications mailed to Irving

Two applications mailed on 5/11/2020 (adult and child) listing travel plans at the end of June.
Both had checks cashed same week and both went to "In Processing" status. No emails received, but the child passport status changed to Approved a few days ago and was received today (from Seattle center, apparently).
The adult passport remains in "In processing" status.

That conclusion can't be made from these data - the more relevant figure is number of applications waiting to be processed divided by the rate of issuance. If they issue 350K/week but have 3 times the number of applications and backlog, things would be faster now.

UPDATE: Received my passport yesterday. I applied for renewal at the end of May. Just under 11 weeks door to door from when I mailed to when I received back.

10 August: Passport Received at home.
2 June 2020: Check Cashed
26 May 2020: Application for renewal mailed to Irving

Received my passport yesterday.

After 20 weeks (almost to the day) and Congressional intervention, I received my Passport Card over the weekend and my Passport book today.

I mailed my passport renewal on March 24, received in Philadelphia and check cashed on March 27. In early April I received a confirmation email with tracking number which said longer than usual processing, expect to wait 8-10 weeks.

Near the end of last week, I saw a story on the local news that our local Congressman wanted to hear from people who have been having issues with passports, Social Security and other government services during the pandemic. I called about an hour later and spoke to my Congressman's Liaison to State Department who took down all of my details and emailed me a release form to sign. First thing the next morning I received an email with my Approval notification for my new passport book and card. The status was also upgraded to "expedited". The next day, my passport card arrived in the mail (Saturday) and my passport book arrived today (Tuesday).

I'm going to assume it was the Congressional help that expedited the passport and not a weird coincidence. But, I could be wrong?

OK got fed up with this waiting game so asked my Fiancée to contact her congressman.

She phoned and they listened and emailed her a general complaint form. She filled it in and faxed it back on Thursday. Saturday she had a message back that they had contacted the passport centre (in a completely different State I might add) and the centre had confirmed they had all three applications. Monday another email from congressman’s office to say that the passport centre in question would be working on them ASAP. Then an email from the Passport Centre A few hours later saying they had been expedited and were with FedEx for next day delivery. Just waiting for them to arrive now (Tuesday). So it took 4 working days when someone who cares and has clout makes a phone call.

That the status would be upgraded to expedited status after contacting a member of your US Congressional delegation would historically speak to it not being a coincidence on average.

Was expecting a massive delay but glad to see it is taking just shy of 3 weeks for routine service.

Appointment at USPS for child application on 25 JUL in Northern NJ (much easier to get an appointment than NYC post offices. Left the upcoming trip section blank on application.
Check converted to ACH and debited 29 JUL
Approval email 11 AUG but passport issue date is 4 AUG.
Tendered to USPS Little Rock, AR 11 AUG
USPS expect to deliver on 14 AUG
Actual delivery 13 AUG

Thank you, this is helpful!

Yup, that seems much more positive and I will now process my kids renewals. Saves a trip to Guam....

I don't think you should take that one anecdote as being applicable to your kids' renewals. If the numbers they are publishing are not completely false, it takes them around 5-6 weeks (estimated as backlog divided by passports processed per week), not the 13 days reported in post 684.

Even in normal times, non-expedited passports were not processed so fast on average. But there seems to be some randomness.

True and false. True my data point should not be taken as representative. But at the same time, "backlog divided by passports processed per week" may not be accurate either as that implies applications are being evenly distributed ("load-balanced") across all issuing sites. I don't't think they are doing that (eg issuing a passport from a West Coast site for an applicant living on the East Coast).

My guess is certain sites have a backlog while others don't but because the numbers being reported are systemwide, they are not portraying an accurate picture.

I have an appointment tomorrow in NYC (at a Post Office) for my daughter's first passport (3 months' old). Most of the answers to the DS-11 form are N/A or "none" so hopefully the processing goes fast. Will report back.

THIS ^

It’s a lottery. It all depends on where you apply and where your passport application is processed.

I am fully convinced that our application in Dallas sat there from March through July collecting dust as they were not even in Phase 1. Then, when they were shifted to Charleston it got scanned in so we got an email notification. It then went to the back of their queue whist other, much newer applications, were processed they had already received.