diff --git a/.changeset/beige-apples-camp.md b/.changeset/beige-apples-camp.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..aa68f1630c6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/beige-apples-camp.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+"wrangler": patch
+---
+
+Update default Queues message retention period and fix delivery delay maximum
+
+The default message retention period for `wrangler queues create` has been updated from 345600 seconds (4 days) to 72000 seconds (20 hours) to align with the Queues free tier limits. The help text now clarifies that the retention period must be between 60 and 86400 seconds on the free tier, or between 60 and 1209600 seconds on paid plans.
+
+Additionally, the maximum delivery delay value in the help text has been corrected from 42300 to 43200 seconds (12 hours).
diff --git a/packages/wrangler/src/__tests__/queues/queues.test.ts b/packages/wrangler/src/__tests__/queues/queues.test.ts
index 49238c10dc70..ac6eb892f92f 100644
--- a/packages/wrangler/src/__tests__/queues/queues.test.ts
+++ b/packages/wrangler/src/__tests__/queues/queues.test.ts
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ describe("wrangler", () => {
 					queueSettings.delivery_delay = 0;
 				}
 				if (queueSettings?.message_retention_period === undefined) {
-					queueSettings.message_retention_period = 345600;
+					queueSettings.message_retention_period = 72000;
 				}
 
 				msw.use(
@@ -252,8 +252,8 @@ describe("wrangler", () => {
 					  -v, --version   Show version number  [boolean]
 
 					OPTIONS
-					      --delivery-delay-secs            How long a published message should be delayed for, in seconds. Must be between 0 and 42300  [number] [default: 0]
-					      --message-retention-period-secs  How long to retain a message in the queue, in seconds. Must be between 60 and 1209600  [number] [default: 345600]"
+					      --delivery-delay-secs            How long a published message should be delayed for, in seconds. Must be between 0 and 43200  [number] [default: 0]
+					      --message-retention-period-secs  How long to retain a message in the queue, in seconds. Must be between 60 and 86400 if on free tier, otherwise must be between 60 and 1209600  [number] [default: 72000]"
 				`);
 			});
 			describe.each(["wrangler.json", "wrangler.toml"])("%s", (configPath) => {
@@ -476,8 +476,8 @@ describe("wrangler", () => {
 					  -v, --version   Show version number  [boolean]
 
 					OPTIONS
-					      --delivery-delay-secs            How long a published message should be delayed for, in seconds. Must be between 0 and 42300  [number]
-					      --message-retention-period-secs  How long to retain a message in the queue, in seconds. Must be between 60 and 1209600  [number]"
+					      --delivery-delay-secs            How long a published message should be delayed for, in seconds. Must be between 0 and 43200  [number]
+					      --message-retention-period-secs  How long to retain a message in the queue, in seconds. Must be between 60 and 86400 if on free tier, otherwise must be between 60 and 1209600  [number]"
 				`);
 			});
 
diff --git a/packages/wrangler/src/queues/cli/commands/create.ts b/packages/wrangler/src/queues/cli/commands/create.ts
index 4cf045458150..3f0bf8d14e61 100644
--- a/packages/wrangler/src/queues/cli/commands/create.ts
+++ b/packages/wrangler/src/queues/cli/commands/create.ts
@@ -31,14 +31,14 @@ export const queuesCreateCommand = createCommand({
 		"delivery-delay-secs": {
 			type: "number",
 			describe:
-				"How long a published message should be delayed for, in seconds. Must be between 0 and 42300",
+				"How long a published message should be delayed for, in seconds. Must be between 0 and 43200",
 			default: 0,
 		},
 		"message-retention-period-secs": {
 			type: "number",
 			describe:
-				"How long to retain a message in the queue, in seconds. Must be between 60 and 1209600",
-			default: 345600,
+				"How long to retain a message in the queue, in seconds. Must be between 60 and 86400 if on free tier, otherwise must be between 60 and 1209600",
+			default: 72000,
 		},
 	},
 	positionalArgs: ["name"],
diff --git a/packages/wrangler/src/queues/cli/commands/update.ts b/packages/wrangler/src/queues/cli/commands/update.ts
index 5fdd3f1e172f..7c09106e2100 100644
--- a/packages/wrangler/src/queues/cli/commands/update.ts
+++ b/packages/wrangler/src/queues/cli/commands/update.ts
@@ -26,12 +26,12 @@ export const queuesUpdateCommand = createCommand({
 		"delivery-delay-secs": {
 			type: "number",
 			describe:
-				"How long a published message should be delayed for, in seconds. Must be between 0 and 42300",
+				"How long a published message should be delayed for, in seconds. Must be between 0 and 43200",
 		},
 		"message-retention-period-secs": {
 			type: "number",
 			describe:
-				"How long to retain a message in the queue, in seconds. Must be between 60 and 1209600",
+				"How long to retain a message in the queue, in seconds. Must be between 60 and 86400 if on free tier, otherwise must be between 60 and 1209600",
 		},
 	},
 	positionalArgs: ["name"],