You're standing there with a package in your hand, a deadline Looming, and a calendar that says it's the last Monday in May. The question "is fedex open on memorial day" usually hits right about the time you realize you forgot to ship that contract or birthday gift on Friday.
Honestly, the answer isn't a simple yes or no. It's a "mostly no, but technically maybe."
If you're looking for a courier to ring your doorbell or a truck to stop by your office, you're probably out of luck. FedEx, like most major American institutions, takes Memorial Day seriously. They basically shut down the vast majority of their network to give their drivers and sorters a breather. But there are these weird little loopholes—emergency services that never sleep—that most people completely overlook until they’re in a genuine panic.
The Reality of FedEx Open on Memorial Day
Most of the time, when we talk about FedEx, we mean the stuff that gets us through the week: Ground and Express. For 2026, Memorial Day falls on May 25th. Mark that date. If you're expecting a delivery or trying to drop something off at a standard hub, you're going to see a lot of "Closed" signs.
FedEx Express and FedEx Ground are fully closed.
This means no home deliveries for that new pair of shoes you ordered. No office pickups for the documents that absolutely had to be there by Tuesday morning. Even FedEx Home Delivery—the branch that usually works weekends—takes the day off.
It's a total ghost town for the standard fleet.
What about FedEx Office locations?
This is where it gets kinda tricky. You’d think they’d all be closed, right? Not necessarily. While most FedEx Office (formerly Kinko's) locations will either be closed or operating on "holiday hours," some of the 24-hour spots in major cities or those inside airports might still have the lights on.
Don't bet your life on it, though.
I’ve made the mistake of driving across town to a "24-hour" location only to find a printed sign taped to the glass. If you need to print something or buy a box, call ahead. Use the local store locator on their site because what happens in a suburb in Ohio is totally different from what’s happening in Midtown Manhattan.
The "In Case of Emergency" Exceptions
Let's say you're in a situation where the world might end if a package doesn't move. You've got options, but they're going to cost you.
FedEx Custom Critical is the elite squad.
They are the only part of the company that is truly, 100% open 365 days a year. They handle the high-stakes stuff—organs for transplant, sensitive tech components, or emergency legal docs. If you call them on Memorial Day, they will answer. Just be prepared for the bill; it's not "standard shipping" pricing.
Then there's FedEx SameDay.
This service typically stays operational even when the rest of the fleet is parked. It's designed for those "I need it there in three hours" moments. In most major metro areas, they can still facilitate a cross-town or even a cross-country delivery (via flight) on the holiday.
- FedEx Custom Critical: Open (24/7/365).
- FedEx SameDay: Generally available in select markets.
- FedEx Trade Networks: Usually open, but check specific international customs requirements.
Why Your Tracking Might Look Weird
If you check your tracking number on Memorial Day, don't freak out if it doesn't move. It’s not lost. It’s just sitting in a sorting facility or a trailer.
Since the network is stagnant, that "Estimated Delivery Date" might jump around. Usually, if a package was supposed to arrive on Monday, it’ll be pushed to Tuesday, May 26th.
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Keep an eye on the "Scheduled Delivery" date in the app. FedEx usually updates these at least 48 hours before the holiday hits so you aren't left guessing.
Strategies for the Long Weekend
Planning is basically the only way to beat the holiday lag. If you know you have something that needs to be delivered before the break, you have to work backward from Friday.
If you ship something via FedEx 2-Day on Thursday, May 21st, it's not going to arrive on Monday. It will likely land on Tuesday. Why? Because Sunday isn't a business day for Express, and Monday is the holiday. That "2-Day" service suddenly turns into a 5-day wait.
- Ship by Wednesday: If it's going via Ground, get it out the door by Wednesday, May 20th, to have any hope of it arriving before the long weekend starts.
- Use Drop Boxes: You can still drop a package in a FedEx Express Drop Box on Memorial Day. It won't be picked up until Tuesday evening, but at least it's out of your hands and ready for the first wave of post-holiday processing.
- Verify the Address: Holiday weekends are notorious for "Delivery Attempted" notices because businesses are closed. If you're shipping to a commercial address, make sure someone is actually going to be there on Tuesday, or the package might just head back to the station.
The bottom line is that while the idea of fedex open on memorial day is mostly a myth for the average person, the infrastructure doesn't completely die. It just goes into a very expensive, very specific "survival mode" for emergencies.
If you can wait until Tuesday, wait. Your wallet will thank you, and honestly, the drivers deserve the day off anyway.
Your Next Steps:
Check the specific hours for your nearest FedEx Office using the FedEx Desktop or Mobile Locator before you leave the house. If your shipment is a life-or-death emergency, skip the standard retail counter and call the FedEx Custom Critical line directly at 1.800.762.3787 to get a specialized quote.