You're standing by the door. Maybe you're checking your tracking number for the tenth time today, wondering if that package—the one you actually need before Tuesday—is going to show up. It’s Columbus Day, or Indigenous Peoples' Day, depending on where you live and what your calendar says. Federal offices are closed. The bank is locked up tight. Even the trash guy might not be coming by. Naturally, you’re asking: is UPS open Columbus Day? The short answer is yes. Mostly.
UPS is one of those logistics giants that doesn't really take the "minor" holidays off. While the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) shuts down entirely because they follow the federal holiday schedule to a tee, UPS operates on a different rhythm. They're a private company. They care about volume and keeping the supply chain moving. If they stopped for every federal holiday, the backlog would be a nightmare. Honestly, they usually treat the second Monday in October like any other Monday.
But there are a few wrinkles you should know about. Just because a brown truck is driving down your street doesn't mean every single UPS service is running at 100% capacity.
Understanding the UPS Holiday Schedule
When you ask if is UPS open Columbus Day, you have to look at their official holiday operations. UPS typically only observes a handful of "full stop" holidays. We’re talking New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. On those days, the warehouses are quiet. Columbus Day? Not even close to being on that list.
Typically, UPS pickup and delivery services are fully operational. If you have a Ground package scheduled for Monday delivery, it’s coming. If you have an Air shipment, it’s moving.
What about The UPS Store?
This is where people get tripped up. The UPS Store locations are actually franchises. They are individually owned and operated. While the vast majority of them stay open on Columbus Day to catch the overflow of people who realize the Post Office is closed, they aren't required to by the corporate office.
It’s a good idea to call your local shop. Some owners in smaller towns might decide to take a long weekend. Most, however, realize that being the only shipping option in town on a federal holiday is good for business. You'll likely find them open, though maybe with slightly "holiday-adjacent" hours like closing at 5:00 PM instead of 7:00 PM.
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Why UPS Stays Open While Others Close
It basically comes down to money and competition. FedEx also stays open on Columbus Day. If UPS closed, they would lose millions of shipments to their biggest rival in a single 24-hour window.
The federal government observes Columbus Day because of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. That’s why your mail carrier is staying home. But for a global logistics firm, a Monday is a "surge" day. It’s the day they process everything that piled up over the weekend. Stopping that momentum for a holiday that many states don't even formally recognize anymore doesn't make sense for their bottom line.
There's also the Amazon factor. Amazon doesn't stop. Since UPS handles a massive chunk of Amazon's "last mile" or overflow deliveries, they have to keep the engines running. If you ordered something with Prime on Saturday, there's a very high chance it’s landing on your porch on Monday, thanks to UPS being open.
Delivery Times and Potential Delays
Is it going to be slower? Probably not.
In fact, sometimes deliveries are actually faster on Columbus Day. Think about it. There are fewer cars on the road because government workers and bankers are off. Traffic is lighter. Parking is easier for the drivers.
However, if you are shipping something to a government office or a bank, that’s a different story. UPS will try to deliver, see the "Closed" sign on the door, and then your package goes back on the truck for a Tuesday attempt. That’s not a UPS failure; that’s just a recipient issue.
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Tracking is your best friend
If you're anxious, use the UPS My Choice app. It’s actually pretty decent for a corporate app. It’ll give you a four-hour window for when the driver will be at your house. On Columbus Day, those windows are usually pretty accurate because the drivers aren't fighting the usual Monday morning rush-hour mess as much.
Critical Differences Between Carriers
It helps to see the landscape. If you're trying to get a gift out or a business contract signed, you need to know who is playing ball.
- USPS: Totally closed. No mail delivery. Post offices are locked.
- FedEx: Open. All services (Ground, Express, Freight) are running.
- UPS: Open. Business as usual for pickups and deliveries.
- DHL: Open. They follow international schedules mostly anyway.
Essentially, the "private" guys stay working while the "public" guys take the day off.
The Logistics Behind the Scenes
Most people don't realize that UPS pilots and sort facility workers are working through the night on Sunday leading into Columbus Day. The planes are landing at Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky, just like any other night. Thousands of packages are being scanned every minute.
By the time you wake up and wonder is UPS open Columbus Day, your package has likely already been sorted, put on a feeder truck, and arrived at your local distribution center. The "holiday" status of the day doesn't even register in their automated systems. To the robots sorting your boxes, it's just Monday, October 13th (or whatever the date falls on).
Impact on Business Shipping
If you run an e-commerce store, Columbus Day is actually a great day to get ahead. Since the Post Office is closed, your competitors might not be shipping. If you use UPS, you can get your orders out the door and into the system while everyone else is waiting for Tuesday.
One thing to keep in mind: UPS Freight might have slightly modified schedules. If you are shipping literal pallets of goods, check with your account rep. Usually, they are still moving, but sometimes line-haul schedules can be tweaked if certain receivers are known to be closed. For 99% of us shipping boxes, this doesn't matter.
What to Do if Your Package Doesn't Show Up
If it's Columbus Day and your tracking says "Out for Delivery" but it’s 6:00 PM and no truck has appeared, don't panic. It’s likely not because of the holiday.
Drivers have "DOT hours" (Department of Transportation) limits. Sometimes they just run out of time. Or maybe a new driver is on your route and they're moving slow. Because it’s a federal holiday, some people assume UPS is "half-closed," but that’s not really how they operate. If they’re open, they’re open. If your package is late, it's just a normal service delay.
Specific Services on Columbus Day
Let's get granular for a second. UPS has a lot of different tiers.
- UPS Ground: Full service.
- UPS 2nd Day Air & Next Day Air: Full service.
- UPS SurePost: This is the tricky one. SurePost is a partnership where UPS handles the long-distance haul and the USPS handles the "final mile" to your mailbox. Since the USPS is closed on Columbus Day, your SurePost package will likely sit at the local Post Office until Tuesday. If you want it on Monday, you better hope UPS decides to deliver it themselves (which they sometimes do if the volume is right).
- UPS Mail Innovations: Similar to SurePost. Expect a one-day delay because of the USPS handoff.
Actionable Steps for Your Shipments
Stop wondering and start doing. If you have something urgent, here is exactly how you handle Columbus Day.
Check the UPS Website Directly
Every year, UPS publishes a "Holiday Operations" PDF. It’s dry. It’s boring. But it’s the bible for shipping. Search "UPS Holiday Schedule 2026" (or whatever the current year is) and look for the Columbus Day row. It will almost always have a green checkmark next to "Pickup and Delivery."
Call the Local UPS Store First
Don't drive 20 minutes across town just to find a "Closed for the Holiday" sign on the door of a franchise. A quick 30-second phone call saves you the gas and the headache.
Upgrade from SurePost if it's Urgent
If you're buying something online the week before Columbus Day, try to avoid the "Free Shipping" options that use SurePost. Pay the extra five bucks for standard Ground. That ensures a UPS driver brings it to your door on Monday instead of it getting stuck in a silent Post Office.
Drop Off Early
Even though they are open, the "end of day" pickup times at drop boxes and stores might be slightly earlier if the driver finishes their route fast due to low traffic. Aim to have your outgoing packages dropped off by noon.
Prepare for Tuesday Congestion
Because the USPS is closed on Monday, Tuesday becomes a massive "dump" day for the entire shipping industry. If your UPS package is supposed to arrive Tuesday, it might be a little later in the day than usual because the roads will be packed with every mail truck in the country trying to make up for lost time.
Essentially, you can breathe easy. Your Amazon haul, your new shoes, or that replacement laptop charger is almost certainly still on its way. UPS treats Columbus Day as just another day at the office. They keep the trucks moving so you don't have to wait an extra 24 hours for your stuff. Just keep an eye on that tracking number and make sure you aren't relying on a hand-off to the Post Office, and you'll be fine.