If you are planning a warehouse run this year, knowing the Costco holiday closures schedule can save you a wasted trip and a lot of frustration. Unlike many big-box retailers that stay open nearly every day of the year, Costco takes a firm stance on giving its employees time off for major holidays, closing every U.S. warehouse on the same select dates. Understanding exactly when those closures fall, along with the shortened hours that surround other holidays, makes it much easier to plan bulk grocery runs, pharmacy pickups, and gas fill-ups without arriving to a locked parking lot.
Which Holidays Is Costco Closed In 2026
Costco has long followed a consistent policy of closing all U.S. warehouses on seven specific holidays each year, regardless of which day of the week they fall on. This year, those closure dates are:
- New Year’s Day – Thursday, January 1
- Easter Sunday – Sunday, April 5
- Memorial Day – Monday, May 25
- Independence Day – Saturday, July 4
- Labor Day – Monday, September 7
- Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 26
- Christmas Day – Friday, December 25
On each of these seven dates, every Costco location nationwide shuts down completely. That includes not just the main warehouse floor, but also the gas station, pharmacy, optical center, tire center, food court, and any other in-store service department. There are no regional exceptions and no early-morning or late-evening workarounds. If a holiday falls on a weekend, such as Independence Day landing on a Saturday this year, Costco still closes rather than shifting the observance to a nearby weekday, which is different from how some retailers and government offices handle weekend holidays.
Shortened and Shifted Hours Around Other Holidays
Not every holiday results in a full closure. Costco frequently adjusts its hours around several other notable dates, either opening later, closing earlier, or simply following its standard weekend schedule instead of weekday hours. Shoppers should be aware of the following patterns for 2026:
Christmas Eve, which falls on a Thursday, typically sees an earlier opening around 8:30 a.m. to help with last-minute gift buying, but the warehouse closes by 5:00 p.m. New Year’s Eve follows a similar pattern, with an early open and a 5:00 p.m. closing time so employees can start their evening celebrations on time. Good Friday and Juneteenth are both treated as open business days, but many locations shift to weekend-style hours with an earlier 6:00 p.m. closing rather than the standard weekday closing time. Halloween, which lands on a Saturday this year, simply follows the regular Saturday schedule rather than any special holiday hours. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, remains a normal operating day for Costco; the company is notably conservative compared to competitors and rarely opens earlier than its usual 10:00 a.m. start time, even during the busiest shopping weekend of the year.
Because these adjusted hours can vary slightly by location, it is always a good idea to confirm with your local warehouse before heading out, especially during the days immediately surrounding a major holiday when hours are most likely to shift.
Why Costco Closes on These Specific Days
Costco has built much of its brand reputation around treating employees well, and its holiday closure policy is frequently cited as one of the clearest examples of that philosophy. By shutting down entirely on New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, the company ensures that hourly workers and management alike get a guaranteed day off during some of the most significant holidays on the calendar. This stands in contrast to many other large retailers, which often stay open on Thanksgiving or Easter to capture holiday shopping traffic. Costco has consistently chosen not to follow that model, and the policy has remained stable for years, giving shoppers a predictable pattern to plan around each holiday season.
This approach also reinforces customer expectations. Because the closure list has stayed the same for so long, most loyal Costco members already know to stock up in advance of these seven dates. Retailers that change their holiday hours from year to year tend to create more confusion, while Costco’s consistency makes it easier for shoppers to build shopping trips into their holiday planning without needing to double-check every single year.
Gas Station, Pharmacy, and Business Center Hours
While the main warehouse and its departments follow one unified schedule, it is worth noting that Costco Gas Stations often open earlier than the warehouse itself on regular business days, sometimes as early as 6:00 a.m. This can be useful around holiday weekends like Memorial Day or Labor Day, when gas lines tend to build quickly once the main warehouse opens. However, on the seven official closure dates, the gas station shuts down along with everything else, so members should plan fuel stops accordingly.
Costco Business Centers, which primarily serve restaurant owners, office managers, and other bulk commercial buyers, sometimes operate on a different schedule than standard warehouses. These locations are generally closed on Sundays year-round and may have their own variations around holidays, so anyone relying on a Business Center location should check separately rather than assuming it mirrors the regular warehouse schedule. Pharmacy and optical departments inside standard warehouses typically align with the main store’s hours, but during shortened days like Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, it is worth calling ahead if a same-day prescription pickup is part of the plan.
Standard Costco Hours the Rest of the Year
Outside of holidays, Costco maintains a fairly predictable weekly schedule across most U.S. locations, though hours can vary slightly by region:
- Monday through Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
These hours apply during the vast majority of the year and only shift around the closures and shortened-hour holidays outlined above. Knowing this baseline schedule makes it easier to spot when a particular date is likely to have altered hours, since any deviation from this pattern usually signals a holiday adjustment.
Tips for Shopping Around Costco Holiday Closures
With seven full closure days built into the calendar every year, a little advance planning goes a long way toward avoiding a wasted trip. A few practical strategies can help:
- Shop at least a day or two ahead of any of the seven closure dates, since crowds tend to build significantly the day before a holiday.
- Call your local warehouse or check its posted hours online before visiting on a holiday adjacent to a closure, since shortened hours can vary by location.
- Fill up on gas early in the morning during busy holiday weekends like Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day weekend, since lines often stretch out by mid-morning.
- Confirm pharmacy hours separately if you need a prescription filled around Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, since those departments may close earlier than expected.
- Remember that Costco Business Centers often run on a different schedule than standard warehouses, particularly around Sundays and holidays.
Final Thoughts
Costco’s holiday closure policy has remained one of the more consistent and predictable aspects of the retailer’s operations, with the same seven dates closed year after year: New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Outside of those closures, shoppers can expect a mix of standard hours and modest schedule adjustments around holidays like Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and Juneteenth. By keeping this schedule in mind and planning shopping trips a day or two in advance of major holidays, members can avoid the disappointment of arriving to a closed warehouse and make the most of Costco’s bulk savings throughout the year.
Have thoughts on Costco’s holiday schedule or tips of your own for beating the crowds? Share them in the comments below, and check back for updates as new holiday hours are announced.