The USPS holiday schedule for 2026 has 11 postal holidays, and on each one Post Offices are closed and regular mail isn’t delivered. The dates are New Year’s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19), Presidents Day (February 16), Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (September 7), Columbus Day (October 12), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (November 26) and Christmas Day (December 25).
Because Independence Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, USPS says Post Offices will be open and deliveries will run as normal on Friday, July 3. The only exception to the holiday shutdown is Priority Mail Express, which USPS can deliver on holidays in many major markets for an extra charge.
What Are the 2026 USPS Holidays?
| Holiday | 2026 date | Day | Post Offices | Regular mail delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1 | Thursday | Closed | None |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 19 | Monday | Closed | None |
| Presidents Day (Washington’s Birthday) | February 16 | Monday | Closed | None |
| Memorial Day | May 25 | Monday | Closed | None |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | Friday | Closed | None |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Saturday | Closed (open Friday, July 3) | None (normal on July 3) |
| Labor Day | September 7 | Monday | Closed | None |
| Columbus Day | October 12 | Monday | Closed | None |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Wednesday | Closed | None |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 26 | Thursday | Closed | None |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Friday | Closed | None |
These are the same 11 holidays on the federal calendar. The one difference in 2026 is Independence Day: the federal Office of Personnel Management lists Friday, July 3 as the observed holiday for most federal workers, but USPS has said it will stay open that Friday and close on Saturday, July 4 instead. USPS notes that some of its employees still have the Friday treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes.
What Happens to Mail on a USPS Holiday?
On a postal holiday, all Post Office locations close, carriers don’t run regular delivery routes, and mail service resumes on the next delivery day. After a Monday holiday, for example, USPS says regular delivery and retail service pick up again on Tuesday.
- Mail and packages in transit pause for the day, so add one delivery day to any estimate that spans a holiday.
- Collection boxes stay accessible, but anything you drop in isn’t collected until service resumes.
- Self-service kiosks in select Post Office lobbies stay available for postage printing for Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and international shipping.
- USPS Smart Lockers at participating locations let you drop off and pick up packages.
- Tracking keeps working, but you’ll see fewer new scans until the network restarts.
Your mail forwarding order keeps running through holidays; mail simply resumes moving on the next delivery day, and our guide to USPS package forwarding options explains how forwarding works for parcels. If you’ll be away over a long holiday weekend, a USPS mail hold keeps everything at your Post Office until you return.
Does Priority Mail Express Deliver on Holidays?
Yes, in many places. USPS says Priority Mail Express runs every day of the year with limited exceptions, and Sunday and holiday delivery is available in many major markets for an additional charge. Check availability for the destination ZIP Code when you create the label, and see how the speeds compare in our guide to how long Priority Mail takes.
Is Mail Delivered the Day Before or After a Holiday?
Yes. Days such as Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, the day after Thanksgiving and Easter weekend are not postal holidays, so delivery runs on the normal schedule, although individual Post Offices may change their retail hours. Saturdays next to a holiday are normal delivery days too; our article on whether USPS delivers on Saturday covers weekend service, and the guide to USPS Sunday delivery covers the packages USPS delivers on Sundays.
When Should You Ship for Christmas 2026?
USPS recommends these send-by dates for delivery by December 25, 2026 within the contiguous United States:
| USPS service | Recommended send-by date | Typical delivery |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thursday, December 17 | 2–5 days |
| First-Class Mail | Thursday, December 17 | 1–5 days |
| Priority Mail | Friday, December 18 | 2–3 days |
| Priority Mail Express | Saturday, December 19 | 1–3 days |
Alaska, Hawaii, international and military addresses have earlier deadlines, so check the USPS holiday shipping page for those. Slower services such as USPS Media Mail, which USPS lists at 2–8 days, need even more lead time. December is also when USPS Operation Santa runs, and adopted gifts have their own mid-December ship-by deadline.
How Do You Plan Shipments Around USPS Holidays?
Count only delivery days when you estimate arrival: a Ground Advantage package mailed the Friday before Memorial Day loses both Sunday and the holiday Monday. Drop packages off before your Post Office’s last collection on the day before a holiday, and avoid leaving parcels in a collection box overnight before a closure.
If you’re shipping regularly through the holidays, ParcelPath lets you print discounted USPS and UPS labels for free, with up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS, and you can schedule free USPS pickups for the next delivery day after a holiday. To check what a shipment will cost before a deadline, compare live rates in the ParcelPath rate calculator. The broader USPS shipping guide covers each service in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the post office open on July 3, 2026?
Yes. Independence Day falls on Saturday, July 4 in 2026, and USPS has said Post Offices will be open and deliveries will run as normal on Friday, July 3. All Post Office locations close on Saturday, July 4, and regular delivery and retail service resume on Monday, July 6. That differs from the federal calendar, which lists July 3 as the observed holiday.
Does USPS deliver mail on federal holidays?
No. USPS doesn’t deliver regular mail or open Post Offices on its 11 holidays, and service resumes on the next delivery day. The exception is Priority Mail Express, which USPS can deliver on holidays in many major markets for an extra charge. Self-service kiosks and Smart Lockers in select lobbies stay available.
Does USPS deliver on Election Day?
Yes. Election Day is not one of the 11 USPS holidays, so Post Offices are open and mail is delivered on the normal schedule. If you’re mailing a ballot, USPS generally advises sending it at least a week before your state’s deadline, and you should check your state’s rules for postmark and receipt requirements.
Is the post office open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve?
Yes. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are not postal holidays, so mail is delivered as usual and Post Offices open, though some locations may close early. In 2026 the closures are Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, and New Year’s Day 2027, Friday, January 1. Check your local Post Office hours before a time-sensitive drop-off.
How many holidays does USPS observe?
USPS observes 11 holidays, the same 11 on the federal calendar: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Juneteenth became the newest federal holiday in 2021, and in 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19.
Sources
- USPS Newsroom: Holidays and Events (2026 postal holidays)
- USPS: Postal Service will be closed in observance of Independence Day, July 4 (2026)
- USPS: Postal Service will be closed in observance of Columbus Day, October 12 (2026)
- USPS: 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines
- USPS: Priority Mail Express
- USPS: Mail & Shipping Services
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal Holidays (opm.gov, 2026 calendar)
Part of our USPS Delivery Policy guide. Related: Does Mail Run on Memorial Day, Does the Mail Run on Election Day, Does USPS Deliver on Saturday.
