Yes, Columbus Day is a federal holiday. It is one of the eleven legal public holidays listed in Title 5 of the United States Code, observed on the second Monday of October. In 2026, that falls on October 12.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays
How Columbus Day Became a Federal Holiday
Congress added Columbus Day to the federal holiday list in 1968 through Public Law 90-363, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The change took effect on January 1, 1971.2GovInfo. Public Law 90-363 The Act moved Columbus Day and several other holidays off fixed calendar dates and onto designated Mondays, which is why the holiday now always creates a three-day weekend instead of landing midweek.
The full federal list is New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays
What Closes on Columbus Day
Federal offices handling non-emergency work shut down. The U.S. Postal Service treats Columbus Day as one of its eleven observed holidays and suspends regular mail delivery.3United States Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual 518 Holiday Leave – Section: 518.1 Observed Holidays Federal courts close as well.
Federal Reserve Banks also close, and that ripples into the payment system. FedACH processing, which moves direct deposits and electronic transfers between banks, stops before the holiday and does not resume until the evening of the second Monday.4Federal Reserve Bank Services. Holiday Schedules If you are expecting a wire or ACH payment near that date, plan on at least one extra business day.
What Stays Open
The stock markets are the notable exception. Neither the New York Stock Exchange nor Nasdaq lists Columbus Day as a market holiday, so both operate on a normal schedule.5NYSE. Holidays and Trading Hours6Nasdaq. Nasdaq Trading Schedule – Section: U.S. Stock Market Holiday Schedule That makes Columbus Day one of the few federal holidays where trading continues.
Most private businesses stay open too. Retailers, grocery chains, and restaurants generally operate on regular hours. No federal law requires a private employer to give you the day off or pay extra for working it. The Department of Labor is direct on this: the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked on holidays, and holiday pay is a matter of agreement between employer and employee.7U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay If your contract or union agreement does not mention Columbus Day, your employer can treat it as a regular Monday.
Federal Court Deadlines
If a federal court filing deadline falls on Columbus Day, it rolls forward automatically. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure define Columbus Day as a legal holiday, and any deadline landing on that day moves to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday.8Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers The same rule covers deadlines counted in hours.
State Governments Are Not Required to Close
Federal law only sets holidays for federal employees. It does not require state governments, county offices, or school districts to close on Columbus Day.9U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays Some states observe it as a paid holiday for state workers and shut their courts and administrative offices. Others treat it as a regular workday. Public schools follow local board decisions, and municipal services like trash collection and parking enforcement vary by locality. Before visiting a state agency or local courthouse on the second Monday of October, check that office directly rather than assuming it follows the federal schedule.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the Same Date
The second Monday of October now carries a second identity in many places. Beginning in 2021, presidential proclamations formally recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the same date, honoring the history, cultures, and contributions of Native American communities.10The American Presidency Project. Proclamation 10839 – Indigenous Peoples Day, 2024 Those proclamations did not change the text of 5 U.S.C. § 6103, so Columbus Day remains the official federal statutory name.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays In 2024, the presidential Columbus Day proclamation was issued without a companion Indigenous Peoples’ Day proclamation.
At the state and local level, the change has stuck. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia now have holidays honoring Native Americans on the second Monday of October. Some replaced Columbus Day outright; others added Indigenous Peoples’ Day alongside it. Because those changes were made by state legislation, they persist across changes in presidential administration. The name printed on your calendar mostly depends on where you live and which calendar app you use.