When is Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day?
Observed on the second Monday of October. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12, 2026, and in 2027 it's on Monday, October 11, 2027. When this page was last updated, on October 12, 2026, there were 0 days to go, which is about 0 weeks and 0 days. The counter at the top keeps ticking down in real time on your device, so it's always current.
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | October 12 | Monday |
| 2027 | October 11 | Monday |
A little history
Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937, celebrating Christopher Columbus's 1492 arrival in the Americas and Italian-American heritage. Since the 1990s a growing number of states and cities have renamed or added Indigenous Peoples' Day to honor Native American history, and the White House has issued proclamations for both.
How people celebrate
Depending on where you live, you'll see Italian heritage parades (New York's is the biggest), powwows and Indigenous cultural events, or not much at all. Lots of people simply enjoy a long autumn weekend.
Closures and practical notes
It's a federal holiday, so federal offices and banks close and there's no mail. The stock market stays open, and many schools and private businesses operate as usual.
Planning tips
It's an official US federal holiday, so plan around closures: banks, post offices and government offices shut, and mail doesn't go out. If you need to send a package or sort out paperwork, do it a couple of days before.
Long weekends mean busy roads. If you're driving, leaving early in the morning or late at night beats sitting in holiday traffic, and booking hotels two or three weeks out usually gets better prices.
How the countdown works
We count full calendar days from today's date to the holiday, using the clock on your own phone or computer, so it matches your local time zone. On the day itself the counter switches to the next year's date. Want to count to a birthday or deadline instead? Our days until any date page does that in one tap.
Frequently asked questions
When is Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day 2026?
Monday, October 12, 2026.
What day of the week is Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2027?
It's a Monday (October 11, 2027).
Is the stock market open on Columbus Day?
Yes. NYSE and Nasdaq stay open, though the bond market closes.