FedEx Holidays 2026: Closures and Delivery Changes

FedEx closes on seven holidays in 2026, with the next closure on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, 2026: FedEx and FedEx Office both close that day. Christmas Day and New Year’s Day 2027 follow. Christmas shipping deadlines: Ground Economy Dec 15, Ground/Home Delivery Dec 17–23 by transit days, Express Saver Dec 21, 2Day Dec 22, Overnight Dec 23, SameDay Dec 24.

TrackingAdvice is independent and not affiliated with FedEx; the dates come from FedEx’s published 2026 schedules, and FedEx says they can change.

FedEx Holiday Closures in 2026

FedEx shuts down its normal delivery network for seven full holiday closures in 2026. On these seven dates, FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, and FedEx Home Delivery suspend all pickup and delivery operations.

Source: FedEx 2026 Holiday Operations Schedule. Verified Oct 10, 2026.

FedEx Office locations close completely on only three holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. On Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, FedEx Office locations run modified hours, though individual stores can still close locally. FedEx Custom Critical is listed as open on every date in the 2026 schedule. For FedEx Logistics closures, customs clearance at U.S.–Canada land-border crossings remains available 24 hours a day via FedEx Logistics, subject to U.S. Customs and Border Protection availability.

FedEx Modified Service Days in 2026

FedEx schedules modified service on ten specific dates during 2026, shifting regular pickup windows and counter hours without shutting down the entire delivery network. Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, is the next modified service date.

Source: FedEx 2026 Holiday Operations Schedule. Verified Oct 10, 2026.

FedEx defines modified service as early on-call pickups and early drop box pickups, along with drop box closures in some areas. On Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year’s Eve (December 31), FedEx also runs modified Ground pickups. FedEx Office locations run modified hours the day before certain holidays, with some locations closing early on July 3, November 25, December 24, and December 31. Regular operations run normally across all networks on Valentine’s Day (February 14), April 4, Mother’s Day (May 10), Juneteenth (June 19), and Father’s Day (June 21).

FedEx Christmas 2026 Shipping Deadlines

FedEx Christmas shipping deadlines set the final cutoff dates to drop off domestic and international packages for delivery by Thursday, December 24, 2026. For delivery by Christmas Eve, FedEx’s last days to ship run from December 15 to December 24, depending on the service.

Source: FedEx 2026 Shipping Deadlines. Verified Oct 10, 2026.

Cutoff dates for commercial FedEx Ground and residential FedEx Home Delivery depend on scheduled transit days:

Source: FedEx 2026 Shipping Deadlines. Verified Oct 10, 2026.

Read that ladder carefully. If your box needs five transit days, December 23 is not your date. December 17 is.

To find your exact Ground transit days:

1. Open the FedEx Ground transit map or the online rate and transit calculator.
2. Enter your origin ZIP code and your destination ZIP code to calculate standard business transit days (typically 1–5 business days within the contiguous United States, or 3–7 business days to and from Alaska and Hawaii).
3. Match your transit days to the Ground ladder table above to confirm the cutoff date.
4. Hand over the parcel during a regular scheduled pickup or drop it off at a staffed FedEx location before local daily cutoff times.

FedEx publishes separate last days to ship for Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico:

Source: FedEx 2026 Shipping Deadlines. Verified Oct 10, 2026.

Published international deadlines do not account for time spent in customs clearance. All published dates remain subject to operational changes. For transit rates and dates to other international destinations, check FedEx online rating or call FedEx:

Source: FedEx 2026 Shipping Deadlines. Verified Oct 15, 2026.

For broader holiday scheduling across competing carriers, consult the complete guide to holiday shipping deadlines across all major carriers.

FedEx Peak Surcharges for the 2026 Holidays

FedEx charges demand surcharges across residential package volumes and non-standard packages during the holiday season. FedEx adds a per-package demand surcharge to U.S. Express services, residential Ground and Home Delivery packages, and Ground Economy from October 26, 2026, to January 17, 2027, and the charge is highest from November 23 to December 27.

Source: FedEx Demand Surcharges. Verified Oct 10, 2026.

Side note: the list includes everyday FedEx Ground and Home Delivery residential packages, at 80 cents each during the peak. Non-standard packages face additional Demand charges across three periods (Sept 28–Nov 22 / Nov 23–Dec 27 / Dec 28, 2026–Jan 17, 2027): Demand Additional Handling Surcharge is $8.80 / $11.85 / $8.80; Demand Oversize Charge is $95.75 / $117.25 / $95.75; and Demand Unauthorized Charge is $535 / $595 / $535 per package. FedEx Ground Economy is a contract-only tier; review our FedEx Ground Economy guide for contract requirements. A separate weekly Demand Residential Delivery Charge applies exclusively to enterprise shippers that send more than 20,000 residential and FedEx Ground Economy packages in a single week.

FedEx Guarantees and Delivery Times During Peak

FedEx modifies its published delivery commitment windows and Money-Back Guarantee terms during the winter shipping rush. From November 23, 2026, through January 4, 2027, FedEx extends published delivery commitment times by 90 minutes on select time-definite express services.

This 90-minute extension covers domestic FedEx First Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight, FedEx 2Day AM, First Overnight Extra Hours, and Priority Overnight Extra Hours. Inbound international shipments also receive the 90-minute window extension on International First, International Priority, International Priority DirectDistribution, and International Priority Express. FedEx air freight commitment windows remain unchanged.

Under the FedEx Money-Back Guarantee policy, delivery refunds apply only to domestic First Overnight, Priority Overnight, Standard Overnight, 2Day AM, Extra Hours contract services, International First, International Priority, International Priority Express, and select international freight shipments. The Money-Back Guarantee for all other services—including FedEx Ground, FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx 2Day, and FedEx Express Saver—remains suspended until further notice. (Translation: if your FedEx Ground box shows up late in December, there is no money-back refund for the late delivery.)

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Weeks, Day by Day

FedEx does not run on a normal schedule during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s weeks. While full closures occur on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day, FedEx says Saturday residential delivery reaches the vast majority of U.S. addresses, and it lists Saturday, December 26 and Saturday, January 2 as open.

Source: FedEx 2026 Winter Holiday Operations Schedule. Verified Oct 10, 2026.

The closure is one day. The early pickups around it run for most of the week.

Because retail counter hours and driver dispatches vary during the week, check local FedEx shipping hours before dropping off packages on dates with early closures.

How to Ship Around a FedEx Holiday

Shipping around a FedEx holiday closure means planning around early driver pickups and tight network cutoff dates. Planning shipments at least one business day ahead of published deadlines lowers the risk of missed cutoff times and modified service disruptions.

1. Check this page’s closure and modified-service tables for your ship date.
2. Determine your route transit time using the online rate tool and Ground transit map.
3. Drop off packages at least one business day before the final published shipping deadline.
4. Schedule carrier collections ahead of early sweeps by reviewing how to schedule a FedEx pickup.
5. Contact your local FedEx Office directly to confirm counter hours and drop box collection cutoffs.
6. Upgrade critical shipments to an express tier covered by the active Money-Back Guarantee, such as FedEx Priority Overnight or FedEx 2Day AM.

For schedule comparisons with other parcel carriers, see our guides for USPS holidays and UPS holidays. For FedEx tracking and contact details, use the FedEx carrier hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

What days is FedEx closed for holidays in 2026?

FedEx parcel operations are fully closed on seven holidays in 2026: Easter Sunday (April 5), Memorial Day (May 25), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (September 7), Thanksgiving Day (November 26), Christmas Day (December 25), and New Year’s Day (January 1, 2027). FedEx Express, Ground, and Home Delivery services do not operate on these dates. FedEx Office locations close completely on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day, while operating modified hours on the other four holidays.

Does FedEx deliver on Christmas Eve?

Yes. FedEx runs on Thursday, December 24, 2026, under modified service. FedEx Ground pickup schedules are modified, and on-call pickups and drop box collections close early in some areas. FedEx Office locations operate on modified hours, with some locations closing early.

Does FedEx deliver on New Year’s Eve?

Yes. FedEx runs on Thursday, December 31, 2026, under modified service. FedEx Ground pickups are modified, and on-call or drop box pickup cutoffs happen earlier in certain service areas. FedEx Office locations have modified hours, and some close early.

Is FedEx open on Columbus Day?

FedEx is open on Columbus Day under modified service, and in 2026 Columbus Day was Monday, October 12. FedEx parcel networks run with early on-call pickups and early drop box pickups in select locations, while FedEx Office locations remain open for standard business.

What does FedEx “modified service” mean?

On a modified service day, FedEx makes early on-call pickups and early drop box pickups, and some areas have drop box closures. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, modified service also includes adjusted FedEx Ground pickup windows. If you need direct assistance verifying pickup cutoffs in your area, contact FedEx at 1.800.463.3339 or see how to speak to a human at FedEx.

Does the schedule cover FedEx Freight?

No, this operations schedule covers only FedEx parcel, express, and logistics networks, excluding less-than-truckload (LTL) services. FedEx Freight publishes its own holiday schedule. Shippers moving palletized freight must consult the official FedEx Freight holiday schedule for LTL service availability.

Does FedEx deliver the Saturday after Christmas?

Yes, FedEx provides Saturday residential delivery on December 26, 2026, to the vast majority of U.S. destinations. Operations on this date include early on-call pickups and drop box pickups in certain areas. FedEx Office locations are open with standard retail services.

What is the last day to ship FedEx for Christmas 2026?

The final ship date depends on the chosen delivery tier for arrival by Thursday, December 24, 2026. Ship by December 15 for FedEx Ground Economy, between December 17 and December 23 for FedEx Ground and Home Delivery, December 21 for FedEx Express Saver, December 22 for FedEx 2Day, December 23 for Overnight services, and December 24 for FedEx SameDay. FedEx says these dates can change.