Holiday dates shift year to year. Everything on this page was read from the carrier calendar on 2026-07-28.
The 2026 list, as the Postal Service prints it
Three of these land awkwardly. Independence Day falls on a Saturday, Juneteenth on a Friday and Christmas Day on a Friday, so each of them extends an already non-working weekend rather than interrupting a working week.
| Day | Date | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | 1 January 2026 | New Year's Day |
| Monday | 19 January 2026 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
| Monday | 16 February 2026 | Presidents Day |
| Monday | 25 May 2026 | Memorial Day |
| Friday | 19 June 2026 | Juneteenth |
| Saturday | 4 July 2026 | Independence Day |
| Monday | 7 September 2026 | Labor Day |
| Monday | 12 October 2026 | Columbus Day |
| Wednesday | 11 November 2026 | Veterans Day |
| Thursday | 26 November 2026 | Thanksgiving Day |
| Friday | 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day |
The Postal Service also notes that where a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes for some employees. That is an internal matter rather than a delivery change, and this year it applies to the Independence Day row.
What closes, and what keeps working
The wording the Postal Service uses in its holiday releases is blunt, and it separates two things that people tend to blur: the counter and the route.
All Post Office locations will be closed.USPS national release for Independence Day 2026, checked 2026-07-28
Alongside that, the same release confirms regular mail delivery and retail services resume on the next business day, and points customers to usps.com for the things that never close: ordering stamps and boxes, Hold Mail, Change of Address, PO Box rental or renewal, and printing prepaid labels through Click-N-Ship. Buying postage on a closed day is normal. The parcel simply waits for acceptance.
A holiday inside your window, priced
A closed date does not change the price of a label, only the date it lands. Here is the full rate set the SMKlog calculator returned on 2026-07-28 for a 12 x 10 x 6 in box at 5 lb, Newark, NJ 07102 to Chicago, IL 60601, so you can see the spread of windows you would be adding a closed day to.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Window returned |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $14.02 | 8-9 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $14.02 | none returned |
| UPS | Ground | $14.55 | 2-3 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $19.94 | 2-3 business days |
| UPS | 2nd Day Air | $21.96 | 2-3 business days |
Note that three of these windows are identical at 2-3 business days while the prices run from $14.55 to $21.96 on the same lane. On a week containing a closure, the cheapest of those three is very often the right answer, because a closed day delays all of them equally.
USPS holidays: questions worth asking
How many holidays does USPS observe in 2026?
Eleven. New Year's Day on 1 January, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on 19 January, Presidents Day on 16 February, Memorial Day on 25 May, Juneteenth on 19 June, Independence Day on 4 July, Labor Day on 7 September, Columbus Day on 12 October, Veterans Day on 11 November, Thanksgiving Day on 26 November and Christmas Day on 25 December.
Is there any mail delivery on a postal holiday?
Not on the regular routes. The Postal Service release for Independence Day this year states that all Post Office locations will be closed, and that regular mail delivery and retail services will resume on the following business day. Priority Mail Express is the exception USPS advertises as running every day of the year, in many major markets, for an additional fee.
What can I still do while Post Offices are shut?
Quite a lot online. The same release points customers to usps.com to order stamps and boxes and to use Hold Mail, Change of Address, PO Box rental or renewal, and Click-N-Ship for prepaid labels. Buying a label on a closed day is fine; the parcel simply enters the network on the next operating day.
Are the 2026 Christmas send-by dates published?
Yes, since 22 September 2026. For the lower 48 states USPS recommends sending USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail by Thursday 17 December, Priority Mail by Friday 18 December and Priority Mail Express by Saturday 19 December. To Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories, Ground Advantage moves a day earlier, to Wednesday 16 December. We transcribed these from usps.com on 2026-09-28; the full table is on our Christmas shipping deadlines guide.