In 2026, post offices will be closed on all 11 federal holidays and every Sunday, with most branches running shortened Saturday hours. Regular mail delivery stops on those days too. Priority Mail Express is the only class that still moves, and many lobbies stay open for self-service kiosks and PO Box access even when the retail counter is locked.
2026 Federal Holiday Closures
USPS observes the same 11 federal holidays as the rest of the government. Retail windows close and regular mail delivery stops on each one. The 2026 dates:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 19
- Presidents Day: Monday, February 16
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth: Friday, June 19
- Independence Day: Saturday, July 4
- Labor Day: Monday, September 7
- Columbus Day: Monday, October 12
- Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
- Christmas Day: Friday, December 25
Priority Mail Express is the exception to holiday shutdowns. USPS describes it as delivering “7 days a week, 365 days a year (with limited exceptions),” so it can still move when everything else stops.1USPS. Mail and Shipping Services Passport appointments scheduled at post offices are canceled on every federal holiday.2USPS. Schedule An Appointment
The Saturday July 4 Wrinkle
Independence Day 2026 falls on a Saturday. The general federal rule shifts the observed holiday to the preceding Friday when this happens, and to the following Monday when a holiday falls on Sunday.3U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays USPS applies the same pattern for its own workforce scheduling.4United States Postal Service. Holiday Leave
In practice, Friday, July 3, 2026 will likely function as the closure day, with no regular mail delivery. The USPS holiday events page notes that “for some USPS employees, the preceding Friday will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes” when a holiday falls on Saturday.5USPS About. Holidays and Events Check your local branch’s hours as the date gets closer.
Sundays and Saturday Hours
Saturdays are business days for USPS. Carriers deliver First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and packages with no extra fee, and retail post offices open on shortened schedules. Hours vary by location. A typical branch opens between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. and closes somewhere between noon and 4:00 p.m.6USPS. USPS Hold Mail – The Basics
Sundays work differently. Retail counters are closed and regular mail delivery does not run. The exceptions are Priority Mail Express and certain Amazon packages that USPS handles under a separate arrangement.1USPS. Mail and Shipping Services A standard First-Class letter or Priority Mail package sitting in the system on Sunday won’t move until Monday. Blue collection boxes generally aren’t picked up on Sundays or federal holidays either; each box has its schedule printed on the label.
What Still Works When the Counter Is Closed
A locked retail window doesn’t mean the whole building is unusable. Many post office lobbies stay open around the clock, and two things keep functioning inside.
Self-service kiosks, installed in many lobbies, let you buy stamps, weigh packages, print shipping labels, look up ZIP codes, and pay PO Box renewal fees.7USPS. Self-Service Kiosks Not every branch has one. The USPS location finder shows which nearby offices do. During holiday closures, USPS has pointed customers toward these kiosks as the alternative to the retail counter.8About.usps.com. Post Offices Close in Observance of Federal Holiday
PO Box holders can also access their boxes whenever the lobby is open. Branches with 24-hour lobbies let you check your box on Christmas morning if you want to. Restricted lobby hours are posted on the door. Online services through usps.com and the USPS app, including ordering stamps and printing labels, work at any time regardless of building hours.
Tax Day and Election Day Are Not Closure Days
Two dates trip people up every year on the assumption that USPS treats them specially.
Tax Day 2026 is Wednesday, April 15. Post offices are open on their normal hours. If you’re mailing a return and need a specific postmark date, bring it to the retail counter and ask for a manual postmark, which is free.9USPS.com. Mailing Your Tax Return Dropping the envelope in a blue box works, but the postmark will reflect the next collection time, which may not match the date you deposited it. Some post offices in major cities have historically extended hours on April 15, but that isn’t a nationwide USPS policy.
Election Day is not a federal holiday. Post offices stay open, mail is delivered, and blue boxes are collected on their normal schedule.5USPS About. Holidays and Events Some states treat Election Day as a state holiday, which can close other government offices, but USPS runs on the federal calendar and isn’t affected.
Unscheduled Closures From Weather and Emergencies
Hurricanes, wildfires, heavy snow, power outages, and building damage can shut down individual branches or entire regional networks without notice. USPS maintains a service alerts page listing active disruptions by region, including which facilities are closed and which delivery routes are suspended.10United States Postal Service. Service Alerts During severe weather, it updates frequently and is the fastest way to confirm whether your local branch is running.
Mail already in the system doesn’t disappear during a disruption. It gets held and delivered once service resumes, though delays are measured in days rather than hours.
How To Check Your Branch’s Hours
Hours vary by branch as much as by day. A downtown post office in a major city might have longer Saturday hours than a rural branch that closes at noon. The USPS location finder at tools.usps.com/find-location.htm shows each branch’s retail window hours, lobby hours, and last collection times, and flags which locations have self-service kiosks. A quick check there before heading out on a Saturday or near a holiday saves a wasted trip.