Is the Post Office Open on Columbus Day 2026?

Monday, October 12 is a federal holiday. Here's what stops, what keeps moving, and the rest of the 2026 closure dates, so a long weekend doesn't swallow your mail.

No. The Post Office is closed on Columbus Day, Monday, October 12, 2026. The U.S. Postal Service says all Post Office locations will be closed that day, and regular mail delivery and retail service resume Tuesday, October 13 (USPS national release, Oct 5, 2026). Private carriers keep going on their own schedules: FedEx lists Columbus Day as Modified Service (FedEx 2026 holiday schedule), and UPS says its pickup and delivery services are available, with Ground Saver and Mail Innovations needing one extra business day because USPS is closed (UPS holiday schedule).

It happens after almost every Monday holiday. Someone pulls up a tracking page that says "delivered Tuesday" and wonders why the bill they mailed Friday seemed to vanish for a day. Nothing vanished. The Postal Service took Monday off, and the whole calendar slid one day to the right.

That one-day slide is the whole story for most people in Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, and Snohomish. It only hurts when you didn't see it coming. So here's the plain version, plus what we'd actually do if something has to move that week.

The short answer, day by day

• Saturday, Oct 10: the USPS notice only covers Monday, so Saturday isn't part of the closure.
• Monday, Oct 12: Post Offices closed. No regular USPS mail delivery.
• Tuesday, Oct 13: regular delivery and retail come back.
• FedEx on Monday: Modified Service. FedEx's footnote says that can mean early on-call pickups and early drop box pickups, including drop box closures, in some areas.
• UPS on Monday: pickup and delivery run. Ground Saver and Mail Innovations add a business day.

If you only remember one thing: anything you drop in a blue USPS collection box over the weekend or on Monday, plan as if it starts moving Tuesday.

Why "I'll just mail it Monday" falls short

Most of the trouble we see around federal holidays isn't about the closed lobby. It's about assumptions.

The blue box looks open. Collection boxes don't lock on holidays, so it feels like the mail is going out. But with regular delivery and retail stopped until Tuesday, your envelope is going to sit. If the thing inside has a "postmarked by" deadline, don't count Monday as a mailing day. We wrote up the postmark side of this in Need a Same-Day Postmark?, and it's worth a read before any deadline week.

"I shipped UPS, so I'm fine." Usually, yes. Regular UPS service runs on Columbus Day. The catch is that some UPS products, like Ground Saver and Mail Innovations, hand your package to a USPS carrier for the last part of the trip. Those are the ones UPS says need an extra business day. A lot of online-store orders ship that way, so if your tracking says Ground Saver, expect Tuesday or later.

"FedEx is open, so my drop box pickup is normal." Not always. FedEx calls Columbus Day "Modified Service," and its own footnote warns about early pickups and some drop box closures. If you're counting on a drop box Monday, check the posted pickup time at that box or on fedex.com before you rely on it.

Waiting until Monday to deal with a USPS problem. The lobby is closed, so there's no one at the counter to fix an address, buy a special service, or answer a question. USPS points people to usps.com for stamps, free boxes, Hold Mail, Change of Address, PO Box rental or renewal, and Click-N-Ship labels on days the Post Office is closed. Some lobbies also have self-service kiosks for Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and international postage, stamps, and weighing packages, but that's "select lobbies," so don't assume yours has one.

What still moves on Columbus Day

Here's the whole picture in one place, straight from each carrier's own schedule.

One more honest note: carriers can change these schedules. FedEx says outright that its dates are subject to change. If a shipment really matters, check the carrier's page the week of the holiday, not a screenshot from August.

The rest of the 2026 federal holiday closures

Columbus Day is the first of four USPS closures left this year. The Postal Service's 2026 holidays list shows these dates, and we've lined them up with FedEx and UPS so you can plan once.

The FedEx and UPS columns come from the FedEx 2026 holiday schedule and the UPS 2026 holiday operations schedule. FedEx also lists modified service the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve, and it's closed New Year's Day, Jan 1, 2027.

Veterans Day lands on a Wednesday this year, which catches people off guard. A mid-week closure breaks the "Monday holiday" habit, so put it on the calendar now.

For December, the holiday closures are only half of it. The other half is the mail-by dates, which we covered in USPS Last Day to Ship for Christmas 2026. And if you ship a lot in the fall, Peak Season Surcharges 2026 has the fee calendar.

What we'd actually do the week of Oct 12

This is the practical part. It's what we'd tell a neighbor at the counter.

If a letter or bill has to be postmarked by a date that week, mail it before the weekend. Honestly, if the deadline is Tuesday or Wednesday, don't gamble on Monday's blue box at all. Send it a couple of days early, or use a service with tracking so you can prove when it went out. How to Send USPS Certified Mail walks through the receipt options.

If a package has to arrive early next week, ship it this week and pick the service by its delivery date, not its name. When you ship FedEx or USPS with us, ask what delivery date the carrier shows before you pay. If it truly can't slip, overnight or 2-day is usually the right call. Overnight Shipping in Monroe explains when it's worth it and when it's not.

If you're traveling over the long weekend, set up USPS Hold Mail online at usps.com before you leave. It works on a closed day because it's online. For packages from FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and the rest, a hold request at the post office doesn't cover them, which is where a mailbox address helps. We compared the two in USPS Hold Mail vs Package Holding.

If you're expecting an online order, look at the carrier name on the tracking page, not just the store. "UPS" and "UPS Ground Saver" can land on different days that week.

Where your mailbox fits in

We're not the Post Office, and we won't pretend to be. The Mail Station is a private mailbox and shipping counter on Old Owen Road in Monroe. Here's how a holiday like this plays out if you rent a box with us.

USPS mail for your box follows the USPS calendar. No regular USPS delivery Monday means no USPS mail into your box that day. It picks back up when the Postal Service does.

Packages from private carriers are different. A street address with a mailbox number can receive from FedEx, UPS, DHL, and online retailers, not just USPS. That's the whole reason people move off a P.O. Box: one address that every carrier can deliver to. If you're curious how that works, Package Receiving Service: How It Works lays it out.

Holiday-week plans can change, so if you're planning to stop by around a federal holiday, give us a call first at (360) 805-9250. We'll tell you what to expect before you make the drive.

Holiday-week checklist

Copy this somewhere you'll see it Friday:

• Anything with a postmark deadline next week goes in the mail before the weekend
• I checked whether my online order says Ground Saver or Mail Innovations (add a day)
• I checked the pickup time on any FedEx drop box I plan to use Monday
• Hold Mail is set up on usps.com if I'm out of town
• Rush shipments go out this week with a delivery date I've actually seen
• Veterans Day (Wed, Nov 11) is on my calendar too
• I'll call the store before driving over on a holiday

FAQ

Is mail delivered on Columbus Day 2026?

No regular USPS mail delivery happens on Monday, October 12, 2026. USPS says regular delivery resumes Tuesday, October 13.

Is the post office open on Veterans Day 2026?

No. Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and it's on the USPS list of 2026 holidays. FedEx lists modified service that day and UPS lists itself as open.

Are FedEx and UPS open on Columbus Day?

Yes, with a catch. FedEx runs Modified Service, which can mean early pickups and some drop box closures. UPS pickup and delivery run, but UPS Ground Saver and Mail Innovations need one extra business day because they rely on USPS.

If I drop a letter in a blue box on Columbus Day, what's the postmark date?

Plan on Tuesday or later. With regular delivery and retail stopped Monday, don't count the holiday as a mailing day for any deadline.

Can I still buy stamps or print a label on Columbus Day?

Online, yes. USPS points people to usps.com for stamps, free boxes, and Click-N-Ship labels. Some lobbies have self-service kiosks, but only in select locations.

Need something to move around the holiday?

If a shipment has to beat the long weekend, bring it in this week and we'll help you pick a service with a delivery date you can live with. We ship FedEx, USPS, and DHL, and we receive packages from every carrier for our mailbox holders.

The Mail Station
19916 Old Owen Road, Monroe, WA 98272
(360) 805-9250
First month free for new mailbox customers

Questions about shipping that week? Contact us. Want one address every carrier can deliver to? Get started with a mailbox.

Related Reading

• USPS Last Day to Ship for Christmas 2026? Official Dates
• Need a Same-Day Postmark? What USPS Changed for 2026
• Peak Season Surcharges 2026: Monroe Holiday Fee Calendar
• Military Mail Holiday Deadlines 2026: APO/FPO + International Dates
• USPS Hold Mail vs Package Holding: Which for Vacation?
• Overnight Shipping in Monroe, WA: Get It There Tomorrow
• 2-Day Shipping in Monroe, WA: Skip the Overnight Cost
• Package Stuck in Transit? Here's What Actually Helps
• How to Send USPS Certified Mail in Monroe, WA
• Package Receiving Service: How It Works & Who Needs One

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Written by The Mail Station Team in Monroe, WA. Holiday dates come from the USPS, FedEx, and UPS schedules linked above, checked October 8, 2026. Carriers can change their schedules, so check the carrier's site the week of the holiday.