Memorial Day Weekend 2015: What’s Open, Closed? Banks, Post Offices, DMVs, Public Transit Plan For Holiday

Memorial Day weekend kicked off on Friday and ends on Monday, which is a federal holiday. People in the U.S. have traditionally honored the fallen American soldiers killed during all wars on Memorial Day. The holiday also is commonly considered the unofficial start to summer. For those who aren’t traveling, sun bathing or lighting a barbecue grill, Monday will not be business as usual. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Postal offices will not be delivering mail on the Monday holiday. Packages shipped through UPS and FedEx services will be delayed and will not arrive if the delivery date falls on the holiday. Amazon.com says the holiday delays its shipping schedule.

Major banks covered by the Federal Reserve will be closed on Memorial Day. It will typically take an additional business day for transactions and deposits made in stores and at ATMs to be reflected on checking-account and credit-card statements. For anyone trying to wire money to friends and family members, Western Union and MoneyGram will process transactions online, but hours at walk-in service locations vary.

Other services, such as state Department of Motor Vehicle locations and federal Social Security offices, are also scheduled to be closed. Hospitals never close, but some of their departments may have limited hours or will be closed. When in doubt, call ahead.

Transportation agencies will operate on a reduced holiday schedule. Those who use buses, trains and light rails to commute to work on Memorial Day should allow extra time for travel. Roadways and airports are typically busy for Memorial Day weekend. A recent survey conducted by AAA, the motoring and leisure travel organization, found that six in 10 Americans were more likely to take road trips in 2015 if gas prices remained where they are at $2.73 per gallon.

Plan accordingly.