Columbus Day 2026: What’s Open and Closed on Oct. 12

Monday, Oct. 12, 2026 is a federal holiday, but it is not the same holiday everywhere. It is Columbus Day, and in many cities and states it is also Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which creates practical questions about mail, banks, schools and public services. This guide explains the reported schedules for Oct. 12 and suggests a few ways to use the long weekend for homework catch-up and short game breaks.

What the holiday means, and how states and schools observe it

Columbus Day has been a federal holiday on the second Monday of October since 1892. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not a federal holiday, but President Joe Biden became the first president to formally recognize it with a 2021 proclamation. Many communities observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day, sometimes alongside Columbus Day and sometimes in its place. In Chicago, the Board of Education voted in 2020 to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the Chicago Public Schools calendar, and CPS has no classes on Oct. 12. Many other school districts are also closed. City offices in Chicago are closed because Columbus Day is a city holiday. In Massachusetts, government offices, schools and financial markets are closed, while retail stores, supermarkets and liquor stores remain open. Wisconsin marks its eighth consecutive Indigenous Peoples’ Day under Gov. Tony Evers, who signed Executive Order #50 in 2019 to designate the second Monday in October. Illinois as a state recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the last Monday of September. Events in the Chicago area include celebrations at the Field Museum and the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum in Evanston, and the Columbus Day Parade steps off around 11:30 a.m. at Dearborn Street and Wacker Drive.

USPS, banks, stock market, and stores on Oct. 12

The U.S. Postal Service observes Columbus Day as a federal holiday, so post offices are closed and there is no regular residential or business mail delivery. Priority Mail Express remains available 365 days a year. Most banks are closed because it is a Federal Reserve holiday; Bank of America, Wells Fargo, PNC and Capital One branches are closed, while some Chase and TD Bank branches may remain open depending on location. ATMs, mobile banking and online banking remain available. The stock market is open: neither the New York Stock Exchange nor Nasdaq observes the holiday, and regular trading runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Most retailers, restaurants and other private businesses are open, including Costco and Walmart. UPS pickup and delivery are available, and UPS Store locations are open, but UPS Ground Saver and UPS Mail Innovations deliveries require one additional business day because of the USPS holiday. FedEx operates with modified service, with FedEx Freight, FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical and FedEx Logistics open. In Columbus, Ohio, there is no trash collection on Oct. 12 because the city observes Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and the color-coded pickup schedule rotates forward one day for the rest of the week.

Homework catch-up with a linear algebra tool

If schools are closed and you are using the day to catch up on math homework, reduced row echelon form problems can take time to solve and check. A step-by-step RREF calculator shows each row operation with exact fractions, which can help you see where a matrix changes from row to row. It works in your browser and handles integers, decimals, and fractions.

A quick push-your-luck game between tasks

After a study block or between errands, a short game can be a low-commitment break. Pig Dice is a two-player game where you roll pigs, score the way they land, and choose whether to bank points or risk another roll. You can play Pig Dice online free against a CPU opponent and race to 100.

A lowball card game for a relaxed afternoon

If you prefer cards and want a quiet challenge, Razz is a lowball poker game where the lowest five-card hand wins. It does not use flushes or straights, and the rules and hand rankings are explained in plain language. Free online Razz poker lets you practice without registration and includes strategy guides for beginners.

Before you head out: check local schedules

Because Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day are not observed uniformly, the safest move is to confirm hours with your local post office, bank branch, school district or city government before you go. Most federal and many state offices are closed, but the stock market and much of retail remain open. The day can therefore be a mix of closed services and available stores, so a quick check saves a wasted trip.