Is Columbus Day a federal holiday? What's open and closed on Indigenous Peoples Day/Columbus Day

WASHINGTON — Monday is the federal holiday of Columbus Day, which is celebrated in some places as Indigenous Peoples Day. 

Because of the federal holiday designation, government offices (even those not currently affected by the ongoing government shutdown) will be closed. 

And while post offices and most banks will mostly be closed for business, retail and grocery stores tend to be open. 

Here’s what will be open and closed on Monday, Oct. 13: 

All United States Post Offices will be closed and mail will not be delivered Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.

UPS and FedEx locations will be open on Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day and pickup and delivery services will be available. Some shipping services will require extra time in transit because of the holiday. 

As a Federal Reserve bank holiday, most banks will be closed Monday. Banks rely on the backing of the Federal Reserve, which will be closed Monday, so most financial institutions will follow suit. 

Bank of America and Wells Fargo will close in-person branches for the day. 

However, Chase Bank branches will be open but it’ll be treated as a holiday for purposes on online transactions – meaning those related services will be processed after the holiday. 

You can still utilize online banking and ATM services for all banks closing in-person offices Monday, Oct. 13. As always, be sure to check with local branches for hours on specific locations. 

Stock markets will remain open Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. 

U.S. bond markets will close Monday.

All federal offices will be closed, including federal courts. This includes government offices that have remained open as essential offices during the ongoing federal government shutdown. Offices whose services are considered essential to the government’s operations will return to normal hours Tuesday, Oct. 14. 

Columbus Day is considered a state holiday as well, meaning state offices will also be closed. That includes things like DMVs.

Some local municipalities may remain open, or may have some offices open in a limited capacity. Check with your local government offices first to make sure they’re open.

Columbus Day is officially celebrated on the second Monday of October, giving a three-day weekend to many workers on one of the last warm days before cooler weather hits the northern hemisphere for winter. 

The federal holiday itself is Columbus Day, named after the explorer who had a key part in Europe’s discovery of North and South America. 

But as attention has shifted to Columbus’ life and the alleged cruel behavior toward native people who lived in the land that would later become the United States, several states have backtracked on celebrating Columbus Day. Instead, they created a new holiday on the same day that honors those native people. 

President Donald Trump made clear earlier this year that he would not follow his predecessor’s practice of recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day in October, accusing Democrats of denigrating the explorer’s legacy as he pressed his campaign to restore what he argues are traditional American icons.

Democrat Joe Biden was the first president to mark Indigenous Peoples Day, issuing a proclamation in 2021 that celebrated “the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples” and recognize “their inherent sovereignty.”

The proclamation noted that America “was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people” but that promise “we have never fully lived up to. That is especially true when it comes to upholding the rights and dignity of the Indigenous people who were here long before colonization of the Americas began.”

Major retailers, including national stores such as Target and Walmart, will be open Monday when communities mark Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day. 

Grocery stores and pharmacies, like Safeway, Kroger, Walgreens and CVS, will also be open. 

Be sure to check with your local store’s hours. 

Costco and Sam’s Club warehouses will be open Monday, Oct. 13.