USPS Holidays 2011

If you are needing to mail something or pick up materials or check your PO box you may be wondering is the post office open today? Well for PO Box checking the post office is usually always open. However for mailing or purchasing stamps or other services that require a human you’ll need to be sure the post office is open. Here is how you can tell if the post office is open today.
If it’s Sunday they are closed.
If it’s any of the post office holidays listed below they are closed. If it is any other day then the post office is open.

2011 USPS Holiday List

January 1 – New Years Day

January 17 – Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday

February 21 – Presidents Day

May 30 – Memorial Day Holiday

July 4 – Independence Day 4th Of July

September 5 – Labor Day Holiday

October 10 – Columbus Day

November 11 – Veteran’s Day

November 24 – Thanksgiving Day

December 26 – Christmas Day

January 2 2012 – New Years Day

With the budget issues in Washington you may be wondering, is the post office open or closed during a government shutdown? I called the US Post Office Consumer Affairs department today and asked them if mail would be delivered during a government shutdown and if the post office would be closed or open during a government shutdown. They said that since they are separate from the US government (though still run by them) that the US Post Office would be open if the government is shut down. Unlike federal government departments like social security, the US Post Office is self funding so during a budget fight if the government is shut down the mail will still be delivered and the post office will be open.

On the third Monday of February all government offices are closed because Presidents Day is a Federal Holiday. So you might be wondering, if the post office is closed are banks open on Presidents day? Well the answer is generally yes. Banks are closed on Presidents day which is also formally known as Washington’s Birthday. This year Presidents day is Monday February 21 2011 but every third Monday in February you can assume that in addition to the post office and other government offices the bank will be closed in addition to the stock exchange. If you need to perform some banking services you can still use ATM machines and bank online when your bank is closed but the transactions will post the day after Presidents day.

Today is Monday February 21 2011 and you might be wondering is the post office open on Presidents Day? On the third Monday of February the US post office is not open. The post office is closed because Presidents day or Washington’s birthday as it is known is a federal holiday and all government offices and banks are closed. Presidents day is to celebrate both Lincoln and Washington’s birthday. Officially this federal holiday is known as Washington’s birthday but it is commonly referred to as Presidents day. So the post office is closed today and you might also ask will I get mail on Presidents day? Well unfortunately the answer to that is no as well. Tomorrow mail will be delivered and the post office will be open normal hours.

As we exit winter and enter spring April 22 the Earthday Holiday nears. You may in fact be wondering is Earthday a USPS holiday? Will I receive mail on Earthday? Well for now Earthday is not a federal holiday or USPS holiday so mail will be delivered normally and all post office locations will be open for normal business hours. While you are celebrating Earthday by planing conservation activities your mailman will be delivering mail normally and will need to contemplate their carbon footprint while delivering the mail. So for now enjoy your Earthday holiday knowing that is is not a USPS holiday.

As we near the Easter holiday and Good Friday you might be wondering, is Easter a USPS holiday? Well the fact that Easter always falls on Sunday makes the point moot, but no Easter is not a USPS holiday. If Easter fell on a weekday it might be possible that it would be a federal holiday or USPS holiday. However this particular holiday will never change its date so will never be one of the many USPS holidays that prevent mail from being delivered.

So it’s the Friday before Easter and your mail has not arrived. You may be wondering is Good Friday a USPS Holiday? Well you can relax, your mail will be delivered and the post office is open because Good Friday is not a USPS holiday or Federal Holiday. While many in the USA celebrate Good Friday it is not a federal holiday so all federal employees including your mailman and the staff at the post office are working their normal hours. So as we near the Good Friday holiday no need to change your habits or business as the post office and your mailman will be hard at work on Good Friday.

As we near March 17 you may be wondering is St Patrick’s Day A USPS Holiday? Maybe you know you have a shipment due around March 17 and you want to make sure the St Patrick’s Day holiday is not a problem. Well you can relax because St Patricks day is not a USPS holiday or anyother type of federal holiday. So on March 17 you can celebrate St Patrick’s day knowing that you will have mail delivered and that your post office will be open during normal business hours. While your postman is not off for a holiday on St Patrick’s day you may find them relaxing after work enjoying the holiday like everyone else.

Looking for a list of Post Office Holidays for 2011? Below you’ll find a list of federal holidays where the post office will be closed and no mail will be delivered. On post office holidays you may be able to check your PO box but you will not be able to mail items or obtain any services as the post office is closed on postal holidays.

Saturday, January 1 – New Year’s Day
Monday, January 17 – Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday
Monday, February 21 – Washington’s Birthday President’s Day
Monday, May 30 – Memorial Day
Monday, July 4 – Independence Day
Monday, September 5 – Labor Day
Monday, October 10 – Columbus Day
Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day
Thursday, November 24 – Thanksgiving Day
Monday, December 26 – Christmas Day
Monday, January 2, 2012 – New Year’s Day

If you will need to mail anything be sure to do that on the day before these post office holidays or plan to wait for the day afterwards. You should also take these postal holidays into account when calculating delivery times.

When a federal holiday occurs you might be wondering what the USPS holiday hours might be. When can you expect to receive mail or visit a post office on a USPS Holiday? Well sad to say there are no USPS holiday hours because on federal holidays the post office is closed and there is no mail delivery. So while customers might hope for reduced post office hours on holidays there is no such thing. So the key is to plan ahead and perform your mailing on the day before a postal holiday or wait for the day after.