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2016 Martin Luther King Day Closings: Walmart, Banks, Post Office Open Or Closed Monday?

By Cheryl Phillips
Published on: 02:31 PST, Jan 16, 2016

What’s open on Martin Luther King Day? Federal holidays always seem to cause some confusion, prompting many people to search online to find out if Walmart is open, if banks are closed, and if there will be mail delivery on Monday, January 18, 2016.

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, there are 10 federal holidays observed this year. MLK Day is the second holiday of the 2016, with Presidents Day (Washington’s Birthday) coming up next month. The majority of federal offices are closed on these holidays, including all U.S. Post Office locations, the IRS, and Social Security.

However, just because it’s a holiday that doesn’t mean everything is closed, including banks, retail stores, and restaurants. Here’s what you can expect to find open — or closed — on Martin Luther King Day.

Banks: The Federal Reserve Banks are closed on Monday and, for the most part, banks and credit unions across the nation will close their doors to observe MLK Day. According to Go Banking Rates there are at least 27 major banks that will not be open on Monday including Chase, CitiBank, Sovereign, Santander, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America.

There is an exception to the list of bank closures above and that’s great news if you do business with T.D. Bank. This bank, with locations throughout the Northeast, stays open on four federal holidays (MLK Day, President’s Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day) and will be open regular business hours on Monday, January 18.

Post Office: There will be no mail delivery on Monday and all U.S. Post Office branches will be closed for business. If you need to ship a package, all UPS and FedEx offices will be open and their trucks will be out making deliveries on Martin Luther King Day.

Stock Market: The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) will be closed on MLK Day and eight other federal holidays.

State and Federal Offices: Most government offices will be closed on Monday including the IRS, Social Security, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and most social service offices. Closures vary by state, so call ahead to be certain.

Retail Stores: According to Saving Advice, most federal employees get Monday off, but it’s a regular work day for retail employees. Shop ’til you drop at Walmart, Target, KMart, Sears, Costco, supermarkets, convenience stores and most mall stores on January 18 — most will be open normal business hours. Many stores are advertising holiday sales so head over to money-saving sites like Retail Me Not or Coupon Sherpa for the latest deals and coupons.

Restaurants: If you are out shopping on Monday, you won’t have any problem finding a restaurant open if you need a bite to eat. Expect to find popular chain restaurants open on Martin Luther King Day including Applebee’s, Denny’s, Boston Market, Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral, and TGI Fridays.

If you are fortunate enough to have the day off on Monday, don’t forget the reason for the holiday is to honor the late civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., who was born January 15, 1929.

Many people across the nation make the holiday more than just a day off by taking part in the annual MLK Day of Service, a day to give back to your community.

A number of events and volunteer activities are planned for not only Monday, but throughout the entire weekend. Find a list of events by state that are happening during “King Weekend” on MLK.gov.

[Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]

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