What's open and closed on Columbus Day?
Columbus Day — Indigenous Peoples' Day in many states — is the holiday where the country genuinely splits, and the split runs right through the financial markets. The stock market trades a full 9:30am to 4pm ET session while the bond market is closed, most banks are closed, the post office is closed, and every federal office is closed. UPS runs normal routes, FedEx delivers on a modified schedule, and most cities collect trash as usual.
Two cautions make this the day to double-check rather than assume. Because the Federal Reserve schedule isn't a mandate, this is the holiday where bank exceptions actually show up — some banks, including a few large ones, keep branches open, so your bank's own holiday page beats any general rule. And school districts are divided enough that neighboring districts land on opposite sides of it. States make their own call as well: about half close DMV offices for the day and about half don't, and each state's page here says which.
| Year | Falls on | Observed |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday, October 12, 2026 | Same day |
| 2027 | Monday, October 11, 2027 | Same day |
| Who | Status |
|---|---|
| Banks | Closed at most branches — Columbus Day is on the Federal Reserve calendar, but a few banks stay open, so check your bank's holiday page before making the trip. |
| Mail & the Post Office | Closed — no delivery and no retail windows; it's the closure people most often guess wrong, because so much else stays open. |
| The Stock Market | Open — NYSE and Nasdaq run a full 9:30am to 4pm ET session, the same as any Monday, with no early close. |
| The Bond Market | Closed — SIFMA's recommended schedule takes the day, so Treasuries and corporate bonds sit still while stocks trade. |
| Federal Offices | Closed — Social Security field offices, IRS assistance centers, passport agencies, VA regional offices, and federal courts are all shut. |
| UPS | Open — normal pickup and delivery, though Ground Saver and Mail Innovations take one extra day because the post office is closed. |
| FedEx | Delivering on a modified schedule — deliveries run on their scheduled dates, while on-call and drop-box pickups go early in some areas. |
| Schools | Varies by district — districts are genuinely divided, and some use the Monday as a staff development day, which closes school for a reason that isn't the holiday. |
| Trash Pickup | Varies by city — most sanitation departments work straight through Columbus Day; where a city observes it, the week slides a day in the usual way. |
Questions people ask
Why is the stock market open when banks are closed on Columbus Day?
They follow different calendars. Stocks run on the NYSE and Nasdaq holiday calendars, which skip Columbus Day, while banks follow the Federal Reserve's schedule, which includes it. The bond market follows SIFMA's recommendations and closes — Columbus Day and Veterans Day are the only two days a year when stocks and bonds split like this.
Why is my package delayed on Columbus Day if UPS is running?
Almost always because it's moving by Ground Saver or Mail Innovations. Those two hand off to a USPS carrier for the last mile, and the post office is closed, so they take an extra day while regular UPS services keep their dates.
Is the DMV open on Columbus Day?
It depends on the state — about half close their licensing offices for the day and about half stay open. Each state's page on this site carries its own holiday list.