USPS Holidays: Post Office Closures & No-Mail Days
Hero photo by Natalia S on Pexels
Quick answer
USPS closes for 11 federal holidays in 2026. On those dates, Post Offices are closed and regular mail is not delivered.5 Use the checker below for today's status or jump to the full calendar.
Why I built this checker
Honestly, I've been confused more than once about whether I should have our doors open for business at The Letter Pilot. Our operation runs in parallel with the Postal Service. We can prepare, print, and stamp customer mail, but getting it into the mailstream still depends on USPS being open.
After checking the calendar manually one too many times, I made this little tool. It uses today's date to check for Sundays and USPS holidays, then gives you a quick answer about whether regular postal service is scheduled to run today.
Date-based tool
USPS Open Today Checker
This checker uses today's date to determine whether it is Sunday or one of the 11 USPS holidays in 2026.
This is a calendar check, not a live USPS operations feed. Local retail hours, weather closures, and emergency service suspensions may differ.
Complete USPS Holidays 2026 List
Here's the full calendar of post office holidays 2026 with dates, days of the week, and delivery status.5 USPS specifically confirmed that it would remain open on Friday, July 3 and close on the actual Independence Day holiday, Saturday, July 4.6
| Holiday | Date 2026 | Day | Regular Mail Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1 | Thursday | No delivery |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 19 | Monday | No delivery |
| Presidents Day | February 16 | Monday | No delivery |
| Memorial Day | May 25 | Monday | No delivery |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | Friday | No delivery |
| Independence Day weekend | July 3 | Friday | Normal delivery6 |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Saturday | No delivery |
| Labor Day | September 7 | Monday | No delivery |
| Columbus Day | October 12 | Monday | No delivery |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Wednesday | No delivery |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 26 | Thursday | No delivery |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Friday | No delivery |
What closes on a USPS holiday
- Regular mail delivery and retail counter service are paused.57
- Collection boxes are not emptied until the next scheduled collection.7
- Priority Mail Express may be available in eligible locations for an additional fee.4
- Lobby and self-service access varies by location. Check the posted hours for your Post Office.
Be careful when dropping off important mail
Mail dropped into a blue collection box during a holiday will sit there until the next scheduled collection. USPS says blue collection boxes are not serviced on Sundays or federal holidays.7 If your letter is time-sensitive, check the pickup label on the box and keep the holiday schedule in mind before dropping it in.
How USPS holidays affect mail delivery
Holidays affect your mail in more ways than a locked Post Office door. I'm frequently asked about holiday mailing delays at The Letter Pilot, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas. The holiday itself removes a service day, but the bigger issue can be the volume building up around it. More cards, gifts, returns, and regular mail are all moving through the same network at once.
USPS has invested heavily in new processing equipment, facilities, vehicles, and seasonal staffing. Those improvements matter. During the 2025 holiday surge, USPS says it handled 16 billion mailpieces and packages between November 15 and January 9, with an average delivery time of 2.5 days.1 That is impressive, but 16 billion pieces is still an enormous amount of mail for carriers and processing plants to absorb in a short window.
In practice, I tell customers to treat a USPS estimate as an estimate, not an appointment. A holiday does not automatically add the same number of days to every letter. Origin, destination, acceptance time, service class, weather, and local volume all matter. USPS itself says actual delivery dates can vary for those reasons.2
The holiday does not count
USPS no longer counts Sundays or holidays in the service measurement for mail accepted on the day before one of those closures.3
Christmas is peak season
USPS publishes recommended mail-by dates because the weeks before Christmas are unusually busy. In 2025, it expected the week of December 15 to be the busiest of the year.2
Leave yourself room
For important mail, I would rather send a few business days early than rely on the best-case delivery estimate during a holiday week.
For normal transit ranges, read our mail delivery times guide. You can also use the USPS delivery time calculator by state or ZIP, then add extra breathing room when a holiday or peak mailing week falls in the route.
Impact on Certified Mail, Priority Mail & Express
Regular USPS services stop delivery on federal holidays. Priority Mail Express is the exception when holiday delivery was purchased and the destination is eligible.4
| Service | Holiday Delivery | Timing Impact |
|---|---|---|
| First-Class Mail | No regular delivery | May add time; actual impact varies |
| Certified Mail | No regular delivery | May add time; actual impact varies |
| Priority Mail | No regular delivery | May add time; actual impact varies |
| Priority Mail Express | Available in many major markets for an additional fee* | Depends on the purchased delivery commitment |
*Priority Mail Express Sunday and holiday delivery is available in many major markets for an additional fee.4
What about packages?
- Priority Mail, Ground Advantage, and other regular USPS packages are not delivered on federal holidays.7
- Priority Mail Express may be delivered when Sunday or holiday delivery was purchased and the destination is eligible.
- For a non-USPS package, check the schedule published by the carrier handling it.
How to avoid holiday mail delays
Pretty much every year, I end up telling at least one relative, "Your Christmas present is on the way. It might just get there in the new year." If you want your gifts, holiday cards, or important letters to arrive on time, don't be like me. Give yourself some room and follow a few of these steps.
Best practices
- Give it five to seven days. In my experience, that is the buffer I use when I want something to arrive before a holiday. It is my personal rule of thumb, not a USPS guarantee.
- Use Certified Mail with tracking to monitor progress.
- Check the calendar before mailing time-sensitive documents.
- Prepare labels and documents early so the mailing is ready before the final collection.
Faster options
- Check the final collection time at your local Post Office.
- Use Priority Mail for faster transit, while accounting for holidays.
- Consider Priority Mail Express for critical items.
- Use online Certified Mail when you need automatic tracking.
Mistakes to avoid
- Mailing Certified Mail immediately before a holiday weekend and relying on the best-case estimate.
- Assuming every Saturday follows the same schedule without checking whether the holiday falls on Saturday.
- Failing to monitor tracking during a high-volume holiday period.
- Treating the day after Thanksgiving as a USPS holiday. Regular service normally resumes that Friday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the USPS holidays in 2026?
USPS observes 11 federal holidays in 2026: New Year's Day (Jan 1, Thu), MLK Day (Jan 19, Mon), Presidents Day (Feb 16, Mon), Memorial Day (May 25, Mon), Juneteenth (Jun 19, Fri), Independence Day (Jul 4, Sat), Labor Day (Sep 7, Mon), Columbus Day (Oct 12, Mon), Veterans Day (Nov 11, Wed), Thanksgiving (Nov 26, Thu), and Christmas (Dec 25, Fri). No regular mail delivery occurs on these days.5 USPS specifically confirmed normal service on Friday, July 3 and closure on Saturday, July 4.6
Is mail delivered on USPS holidays?
No, regular mail is not delivered on USPS holidays. Post offices are closed and carriers don't deliver First-Class Mail, Certified Mail, or Priority Mail.7 Priority Mail Express Sunday and holiday delivery is available in many major markets for an additional fee.4
How do USPS holidays affect delivery times?
A USPS holiday is excluded from service measurement for mail accepted on the day before the closure.3 Actual delivery timing also depends on origin, destination, acceptance time, service class, weather, and local holiday volume, so send time-sensitive mail early.
Does USPS deliver on Sundays?
USPS does not deliver regular mail, Certified Mail, or standard First-Class Mail on Sundays. Priority Mail Express Sunday delivery is available in many major markets for an additional fee.4 See our USPS Saturday delivery guide.
Is the post office open on Saturday?
Saturday counter hours vary widely by location. Check the USPS Location Finder before visiting. Regular mail is normally delivered on Saturdays unless the date is a federal holiday.
How can I avoid holiday mail delays?
My personal rule of thumb is to allow five to seven days when I want something to arrive before a holiday. That is my own buffer, not a USPS guarantee. I also use tracking and check the final collection time before sending anything time-sensitive.
Sources
- USPS Reports On-Time Delivery Gains, Higher Customer Satisfaction for Holiday Surge, January 15, 2026.
- The Postal Service Is Ready for the Busiest Week of 2025, December 10, 2025.
- USPS Changes in Service Standards FAQs, 2026.
- USPS Priority Mail Express, Sunday and holiday delivery availability.
- USPS Holidays and Events, 2026 holiday closure calendar.
- USPS Will Be Closed in Observance of Independence Day, July 4, June 26, 2026.
- USPS Holiday Operating Schedule, regular delivery and blue collection box service on federal holidays.
More USPS delivery guides
USPS guide
Is There Mail Today? USPS Delivery Checker
Check whether USPS is delivering today, including Sundays, federal holidays, and local service alerts. Use this 2026 guide for same-day mail status.
Read guide
USPS guide
Does USPS Deliver on Saturday? Yes, Delivery Rules
Yes, USPS delivers letters and packages on Saturday. See guarantees, Post Office hours, collection times, and common exceptions.
Read guide
USPS guide
How Long Does USPS Mail Take? First-Class Delivery Times by Class
USPS First-Class Mail has an estimated delivery window of 1 to 5 business days. Learn what affects the service standard and compare USPS mail classes.
Read guide
USPS guide
USPS Hold Mail: Pause Delivery While You're Away
USPS Hold Mail pauses delivery for 3 to 30 days at your local Post Office. Learn how scheduling, identity verification, pickup, and redelivery work.
Read guide
USPS guide
How Many Stamps Do I Need? USPS Stamp Calculator by Weight and Envelope Type
Use the USPS stamp calculator to figure out how many Forever or additional-ounce stamps to use by weight and envelope type. Need dollar postage rates instead? See 2026 USPS postage prices.
Read guide