Veterans Day is a federal holiday meant to honor those who have served in the military.
Since it’s a federal holiday, post offices are closed, and most banks will also be closed.
You can also expect closings at local schools, local government offices and some parking and transit changes.
Roads
Because it is a federal holiday, roads with reversible lanes like Rock Creek Parkway, Canal Road and Connecticut Avenue will remain in weekend mode all day with no extra lanes for the rush hour.
The regular HOV restrictions will be lifted on all roads across the region, except for Interstate 270 and U.S. 50 in Maryland. Toll lanes like the 95 Express Lanes always require three or more people and an E-ZPass Flex in HOV mode in order to qualify for a free ride, holiday or not.
Metro and other transit changes
The Metro system will open at 5 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. Wednesday. Trains will operate on a Saturday schedule, meaning most trains operate every 12 minutes during daytime hours. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day. In addition, parking will be free at all Metro parking facilities.
Metrobus will run on a Saturday schedule as well. You can see timetables on the Metro website.
MetroAccess subscription trips are canceled, so you’ll need to make a separate reservation online if you need to travel Wednesday.
The MARC train will run on a reduced “R” schedule on all three lines.
There is no VRE service Wednesday.
In Montgomery County, Maryland, Ride On, Ride On extRa and Flash Service, operate on a weekday schedule.
TheBus in Prince George’s County, Maryland, will run on a regular weekday schedule. TheBus route 51X operations resume on Thursday. Call-A-Bus operations resume on Thursday.
In Arlington, Virginia, there is reduced ART bus service. The only routes operating are 41, 42, 45, 51, 55, 77 and 87, and they are running on a Saturday schedule. Find timetables on the ART website.
In Alexandria, the DASH bus will run on a regular weekday schedule.
In Fairfax County, the Fairfax Connector will operate on a special holiday weekday service schedule, which means several routes will not be running. See the full list of routes on the Fairfax County website.
PRTC OmniRide Express buses in Prince William County, Virginia, and the surrounding areas will not run Wednesday but all other OmniRide buses — including OmniRide Metro Express, OmniRide Local and OmniRide East-West Express — will operate on a regular schedule.
DC
Wednesday is a holiday for students and teachers at D.C. Public Schools.
There will be no trash or recycling pickup in D.C. Wednesday and collections will slide to the next day for the rest of the week.
All Department of Motor Vehicles locations are closed.
Public libraries will be closed.
Parking meter fees will not be enforced on Wednesday.
Maryland
Veterans Day is a state holiday in Maryland. All Motor Vehicle Administration facilities are closed.
Montgomery County
County offices are closed.
Public schools are in session.
Montgomery County Public Libraries are closed.
Aquatic centers are open, however community centers and senior centers are closed.
All county-provided trash and recycling collection is canceled. Collections slide to the next day. The transfer station is open for you to drop off trash and recyclables but the recycling center is closed.
Parking at public garages, lots and at curbside meters is free.
Prince George’s County
In Prince George’s County, county offices are closed for the holiday.
Schools are in session.
There is no change in trash pickup day.
The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System is closed.
In Laurel, city and passport offices are closed. The department of public works will pick up trash on an altered schedule. Trash, recycling and composting collections on Wednesday will be on Thursday instead. And there will be no residential special pickup, yard debris collections or leave vacuuming on Wednesday.
Howard County
Howard County government offices, courts and the animal shelter are all closed.
There will be regular trash and recycling pickups and the Alpha Ridge Landfill will be open.
County parks and community centers are open.
Parking regulations and fees remain in effect on Veterans Day.
The Howard County Public Library remain closed.
Virginia
Veterans is a state holiday in Virginia. Department of Motor Vehicles offices are closed.
Alexandria
City government offices are open.
Trash and recycling pickup will operate as usual; there will be no “holiday slide.”
All recreation and art centers will operate on a regular schedule.
Alexandria City Public Schools are open. Elementary parent-teacher conferences will begin at 8 a.m. Students will be expected to log in for virtual learning. Food distribution will continue as usual.
Parking restrictions at metered spaces and residential parking districts are suspended for the holiday.
The Alexandria Law Library on King Street and the Duncan Library on Commonwealth Avenue will be closed. All other libraries are open with limited hours.
You can see more details about city services on Veterans Day on the Alexandria City government website.
City-operated museums and historic sites are closed.
Arlington County
Parking meters will not be enforced.
Arlington County Public Schools are closed.
The Arlington Public Library is also closed.
Outdoor parks and amenities are open with restrictions. Administrative offices and centers are closed.
Trash pickup and recycling will operated on a regular schedule.
Fairfax County
Fairfax County government offices are closed Wednesday.
The Fairfax County Public Library is closed.
Fairfax County Public Schools on 2-hour early release.
Trash and recycling pickup run by the county will operate as normal. If a private company picks up your trash, contact your hauler to learn of any service disruptions.
The Recycling and Disposal Centers at the Interstate 66 Transfer Station and the Interstate 95 Landfill Complex are both open.
Prince William County
Veterans Day is observed in the county.
Veterans Day is a holiday in Prince William County Public Schools.
Stafford County
Stafford County offices, departments, facilities, and all courts will be closed.
The regional landfill is open.
All parks will be open for the regular winter operating hours of 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
