Are schools open on Columbus Day?
Schools · Columbus Day
Varies
It depends on your district — Columbus Day splits the country.
The second Monday in October is a federal holiday, but school districts are genuinely divided on it. Many close. Many hold a normal school day. Some use the Monday as a staff development day instead, which closes school to students for a reason that has nothing to do with the holiday.
There's no clean regional rule to lean on here — neighboring districts land on opposite sides of this one all the time. It's the day of the year when checking your own district's calendar matters most, and when a general answer is worth the least.
| Holiday | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus Day | Monday, October 12, 2026 | Varies Districts split on Columbus Day — many hold class; check your district calendar. |
| Columbus Day | Monday, October 11, 2027 | Varies Districts split on Columbus Day — many hold class; check your district calendar. |
What else on Columbus Day?
| Who | Status |
|---|---|
| Banks | Closed Mostly no — most banks are closed on Columbus Day, but it's a day worth double-checking. |
| Mail & the Post Office | Closed No — there's no mail delivery on Columbus Day, and post offices are closed. |
| The Stock Market | Open Yes — the stock market is open on Columbus Day. |
| UPS | Open Yes — UPS picks up and delivers on Columbus Day. |
| FedEx | Varies Yes — FedEx delivers on Columbus Day, with pickups on a modified schedule. |
| Federal Offices | Closed No — federal offices are closed on Columbus Day. |
| Trash Pickup | Varies Probably — most cities collect trash on Columbus Day, but some take it, so your hauler's list is the one to trust. |
Questions people ask
Why do some schools close for Columbus Day and others don't?
It's a local decision. The federal holiday doesn't bind school boards, and boards weigh the day against instructional-day requirements, staff training needs, and how they've handled it in past years. That's how two districts a few miles apart end up different.
Is Indigenous Peoples' Day a school holiday?
Where the day has been renamed, the closing decision usually travels with the name — districts that closed before generally still close. Districts that hold class often mark the day with lessons or an assembly instead.
Checked against your school district's calendar, verified August 2026. When a schedule for a new year has not been published yet, this page says so — it never guesses.