Yes, UPS delivers on Columbus Day. On Monday, October 12, 2026, also observed as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, UPS runs its normal pickup and delivery schedule for Ground, Air and international services, because Columbus Day isn’t one of UPS’s holiday closures.
The holiday does close post offices, banks and many government offices. That’s where Columbus Day can still affect a UPS shipment: a recipient may be closed, and services that use the Postal Service for the last mile can slip a day.
Is UPS Open on Columbus Day 2026?
UPS is open on Columbus Day. Drivers run their regular residential and commercial routes, daily and on-call pickups happen as usual, and the day counts as a business day for UPS transit times. A UPS 2nd Day Air package shipped on Friday, October 9, 2026 is still due Tuesday, October 13, exactly as it would be in any other week.
Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but UPS is a private company and sets its own calendar. It closes on only seven days in 2026, and Columbus Day isn’t one of them. UPS’s 2026 holiday schedule lists October 12 as a regular operating day.
Which UPS Services Run on Columbus Day?
Every standard UPS service runs on Columbus Day. The only practical exceptions come from businesses or partners that close for the holiday, not from UPS itself.
| Service or location | Columbus Day 2026 (Mon, Oct 12) | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| UPS Ground | Normal pickup and delivery | Business recipients that close for the holiday |
| UPS Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, 3 Day Select | Normal pickup and delivery | None |
| UPS Ground Saver | Normal UPS handling | Packages handed to USPS for final delivery can add a day |
| UPS international services | Normal pickup in the U.S. | Customs and holidays in the destination country |
| The UPS Store locations | Most open, hours set by each store | Independently owned, so check the local store |
| UPS Access Point locations | Follow the host retailer’s hours | Check the retailer’s holiday hours |
Our guide to the UPS delivery schedule covers normal delivery days and hours. Because Columbus Day is a regular business day, those standard hours apply.
What Is Closed on Columbus Day?
The United States Postal Service is closed on Columbus Day. Post offices don’t open, and USPS doesn’t deliver regular mail or packages, so a USPS package due Monday usually arrives Tuesday, October 13.
Federal offices, many state and local government offices, and banks that follow the Federal Reserve calendar also close. UPS will still attempt delivery to those addresses, but a closed office can’t sign for a package, so it’s often re-attempted the next business day.
FedEx sets its own holiday calendar separately from UPS and USPS. If you also ship with FedEx, check its holiday list directly; our FedEx shipping guide covers its main services.
Which Holidays Does UPS Close For?
UPS has seven full closures in 2026, with no pickup or delivery except UPS Express Critical. Columbus Day isn’t among them, and neither are Presidents Day, Juneteenth or Veterans Day.
| Holiday | 2026 date | UPS pickup and delivery |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday, January 1 | Closed |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, January 19 | Closed |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 25 | Closed |
| Independence Day | Saturday, July 4 | Closed |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 7 | Closed |
| Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day | Monday, October 12 | Open, normal service |
| Veterans Day | Wednesday, November 11 | Open, normal service |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 26 | Closed |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25 | Closed |
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve run on modified schedules, which our full UPS holiday schedule explains date by date. For the closest Monday closure, see our guide on whether UPS delivers on Labor Day, which shows how a closed Monday shifts transit times.
How Should You Plan UPS Shipments Around Columbus Day?
For most shippers, Columbus Day needs no planning at all: ship on your usual schedule. The adjustments below only matter if your recipients or your services depend on organizations that close.
- Check business recipients. If you ship to government offices, schools or banks, ask whether they’re open on October 12, or ship so the package arrives Tuesday instead.
- Add a day for USPS-delivered services. Packages that USPS delivers for the final mile won’t move on Monday, so a Monday arrival becomes Tuesday.
- Watch tracking for a closed-business exception. If a driver finds a recipient closed, UPS tracking and delivery updates show the attempt and the next delivery day.
- Know who to contact. If a delivery goes wrong, our guide to carrier customer support explains how to reach help quickly.
Mid-October is also a good time to lock in shipping costs before peak season volume builds. Compare UPS and USPS prices for your package in the ParcelPath rate calculator; ParcelPath is free to use and gives you up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS through its ecommerce shipping tools.
If a package seems stuck after the holiday, our explainer on why UPS is so slow covers the usual causes, and these package tracking services help you follow shipments across carriers. Our comparison of the best shipping services and solutions covers options beyond UPS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does UPS deliver on Columbus Day 2026?
Yes. UPS delivers on Columbus Day, Monday, October 12, 2026, with normal pickup and delivery for UPS Ground, Air and international services. Columbus Day isn’t one of the seven days UPS closes in 2026, so it also counts as a business day for transit times. Only recipients that close for the holiday, such as government offices, might miss a delivery.
Is the UPS Store open on Columbus Day?
Most UPS Store locations open on Columbus Day, and UPS picks up from them as usual because it’s a regular UPS business day. Each store is independently owned, though, so the owner sets the hours. Check the store’s listing on The UPS Store locator or call ahead if you plan to drop off a package late in the day.
Does UPS pick up packages on Columbus Day?
Yes. Daily scheduled pickups and on-call pickups run normally on Columbus Day because UPS treats October 12, 2026 as a standard business day. UPS drop boxes are also emptied on their usual schedule. Packages picked up on Columbus Day move through the network the same night and keep their normal delivery dates.
Does UPS Ground count Columbus Day as a transit day?
Yes. UPS Ground transit times count business days, and Columbus Day is a UPS business day, so it isn’t skipped. A 3-day Ground package shipped Thursday, October 8, 2026 is due Tuesday, October 13. The exception is UPS Ground Saver packages that USPS delivers for the final mile, which can arrive a day later.
Sources
Part of our UPS Delivery Schedule guide. Related: How Long It Takes UPS to Deliver, How to Ship for Less, UPS Shipping Guide.
