The 4th of July falls on a Saturday in 2020. Some post offices are open on Saturdays. Therefore, it’s natural that you might ask, “is the post office open on 4th of July this year?” This gets especially confusing in 2020 because some places observe the day on the 3rd this year, since that is the closest weekday to the holiday.
Is the Post Office Open on 4th of July?
The short answer is no. The post office is not open on the 4th of July, in 2020 or any other year. This holiday, also called Independence Day, is one of the federal holidays. Government institutions, including the post office, are not open on this holidays.
Is the Post Office Open on July 3rd, 2020?
4th of July falls on a Saturday which makes things extra confusing this year. Because it falls on a weekend, some organizations will observe Independence Day on July 3rd this year. For example, government offices and libraries will be closed on Friday, July 3rd. Those that are typically open on July 4th, such as some libraries, will also close on July 4th.
That said, post offices have opted to observe the federal holiday only on the actual day this year. They will be closed on 4th of July. However, they will be open regular hours on July 3rd, 2020.
As we explained in our Memorial Day post, it’s atypical for the post office holiday schedule to differ from that of the federal holiday calendar. However, the fact that the post office typically operates on Saturdays, while the other government offices do not, means that it differs this year. Instead of closing on the 3rd like those business, the post office opted to remain open and observe only the official date.
Is the Post Office Open on July 5th, 2020?
Sometimes people wonder if the post office will be open the day after a major holiday. The Post Office usually does open the following day. For example, when 4th of July fell on a Thursday, the post office was closed on that day but reopened for business as usual on Friday, July 5th.
However, that’s different this year only because 4th of July 2020 falls on a Saturday. Therefore, July 5th is obviously a Sunday. The post office is not open on Sundays. Therefore, due to the natural calendar year, the post office will be closed both July 4th and July 5th, 2020.
Will the Post Office Deliver My Mail on 4th of July?
The post office and all of its services are closed on 4th of July 2020 to observe the federal holiday. This includes closing mail delivery. So, no, your mail person will not deliver mail to you on 4th of July. Mail that would have been delivered on 4th of July will be delivered on Monday, July 6th, 2020.
Are Other Mail Delivery Services Open on 4th of July?
Neither FedEx nor UPS will be open for 4th of July. These alternatives to the post office also recognize the federal holiday.
Most FedEx services will be closed July 4th and 5th, although they have modified hours for their FedEx Office service and they are open for their CustomCritical services. You can see details here. That said, unless you utilize special services, you can assume that FedEx is closed to your needs for the entire Independence Day weekend.
UPS will be open on July 3rd and closed on July 4th. The only exception is their UPS Freight service, which will also be closed on July 3rd in observance of Independence Day.
Post Office Normal Business Hours
Each post office location has its own hours, so you have to check with yours to find out what those typically are. However, many of them follow a common weekday schedule.
Post offices usually open at 8 or 8:30 am on weekdays. They usually close between 5 and 6 pm on weekdays.
Some post offices are open those same hours on Saturdays. Other post offices are completely closed on Saturdays. Still others are open only half days. Therefore, particularly on Saturdays, you would need to check with the location nearest you to find out whether or not they are open.
Of course, you don’t have to concern yourself with that on 4th of July weekend since you already know that the post office is going to be closed in observance of the holiday.
2020 Post Office Holidays
Here is the full holiday schedule for the rest of 2020 so that you can see when the post office is closed:
- 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
If you’re wondering what other holidays cause the post office to close down, here are the closures that already happened so far this year:
- New Year’s Day – Wednesday, January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Monday, January 20
- President’s Day (Washington’s Birthday) – Monday, February 17
- Memorial Day – Monday, May 25
As you can see, we are about halfway through the year. There are another five post office holiday days left in 2020 after 4th of July is observed.
What Else is Open / Closed on 4th of July 2020?
As aforementioned, government offices and libraries are closed for 4th of July and will also close on July 3rd this year. Other things that you can expect to be closed on 4th of July include:
- Banks and credit unions
- Garbage service
- Schools
- Stock market
In other words, functional government services close in observance of this holiday. Public transit often uses a Sunday schedule or holiday schedule on 4th of July. Check with your local transit’s website for updates about their service.
That said, private businesses tend to stay open. Retailers and restaurants are often open on 4th of July. For example, Walmart is open on 4th of July. Many retailers even have big Independence Day sales.
Does COVID-19 Affect Post Office Hours?
Anytime that people want to know if a store is open for the holidays, they also have to take into consideration that these are not normal times. Just because a place is usually open, doesn’t mean that it necessarily will be during the COVID-19 pandemic. This doesn’t affect the post office on the holiday, since it is closed regardless.
It doesn’t affect the post office anyway, though. This is considered an essential business. Therefore, mail delivery has proceeded as normal through COVID-19. Most post offices have remained open their regular hours.
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Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.
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