Veterans Day falls on a Friday this year, bringing closings and service disruptions to the D.C. region.
Held every Nov. 11 on the anniversary of World War I’s formal end, it was originally called Armistice Day — until a 1954 act rededicated it for veterans of all conflicts. The Department of Veterans Affairs deemed it a moment “to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”
Here’s a rundown of what to expect during this federal holiday.
Stores and businesses
The U.S. Postal Service won’t deliver mail on Friday, but it’s business as usual for many private couriers, including FedEx and UPS. If you’re expecting an Amazon package on Friday that isn’t being shipped through USPS, you’re also in luck. Most UPS Store and FedEx Office locations will be open, but some may operate on modified hours.
Most supermarket and department store chains are open during their regular hours, including Whole Foods, ALDI, Costco, Target, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Harris Teeter, Publix and Giant.
CVS and Walgreens are open. Smaller pharmacies, including those inside supermarkets, might have reduced hours or be closed despite the rest of the store being open — call ahead to be sure.
Public transit
Metrorail will offer normal weekday hours, opening 5 a.m. Friday and closing 1 a.m. Saturday, but scheduled track work will limit arrivals on the Red and Green lines. Metrobus will run on a Saturday supplemental schedule — check your route’s timetable for more information.
Maryland’s MARC commuter trains operate on an enhanced R timetable across all three lines Friday. MTA local buses hold onto their regular weekday schedule; commuter buses are out of service except for Route 201, which will run on a weekend holiday timetable.
There will be no VRE service on Friday.
Read below for more details on area transit services.
DC
Since the District observes Veterans Day, students, teachers and most of the city’s public workers have the day off. All Department of Motor Vehicles locations and most employment offices will be closed for the day, although residents in need of vehicle or unemployment services are encouraged to use online options.
Most D.C. Public Library neighborhood branches are closed, but one library will remain open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday in each of the city’s eight wards. See a list of open library branches.
Trash and recycling collection normally scheduled for Friday will slide to Saturday, but leaf collection will go on as planned. The Benning Road Transfer Station is closed to drop-offs.
Public parking meters do not need to be paid Friday. Tickets for safety violations, like blocking a fire hydrant, will continue. Nonemergency roadwork within the District’s jurisdiction is suspended until the weekend.
The D.C. Circulator will run its normal schedule on all routes.
Maryland
Montgomery County
County offices, public libraries and courtrooms are closed Friday, but Montgomery County Public Schools don’t have the day off.
Montgomery County’s RideOn and Flex bus services will both operate on a modified holiday schedule. The Flash Orange Line route will run on a weekend timetable. The TRiPS store at the Silver Spring Transit Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but the Mobile Commuter Store will be closed.
Parking at public garages and lots will be free Friday, and curbside metering will be suspended.
Trash and recycling will not be collected along county routes. Collection services will slide one day over to Saturday. The Shady Grove Transfer Station and Recycling Center is closed to drop-offs.
Prince George’s County
County administrative offices will be closed Friday, with the exception of public safety agencies. All public libraries are closed. Prince George’s County Public Schools, however, will be in session.
TheBus will run its usual weekday schedule. Route 51X, which serves county government buildings in Upper Marlboro, will continue to operate due to the pedestrian bridge closure. Call-A-Bus, Orange Circulator and PGC Link, including dialysis transportation, will not operate Friday.
County-contracted trash and recycling collection will see no change this week, but residents will not be able to schedule bulk trash pickups on Friday. Most county composting and disposal facilities, including the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill, are available for drop-offs during their usual hours.
Anne Arundel County
Government offices are closed, but Anne Arundel County Public Schools don’t get the day off. All county library branches are open during normal hours, including for curbside service.
Curbside trash and recycling collection will not be affected by the holiday, but landfill and recycling drop-off centers are closed.
Some Anne Arundel County Transit shuttle and connector services are also running on a weekend timetable; find route-specific schedules on the Anne Arundel County Office of Transportation’s website. The South County and North County Call N’Ride, Crofton Connector, Crofton Express and paratransit routes will not operate Friday.
Annapolis Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule.
Charles County
All county offices are closed. Charles County Public Schools are open, but the county’s public libraries will be closed Friday.
The Nanjemoy Community Center and all senior centers are closed. The Waldorf Senior and Recreational Center will be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. for recreation activities only.
Charles County’s VanGO buses will see their last buses depart from the Waldorf transfer point between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday, and between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. from the La Plata transfer point. For route-specific timetables, see VanGO’s website.
Virginia
Alexandria
City government offices in Alexandria will be closed on Veterans Day, along with most courts and all motor vehicles locations in Northern Virginia. Some DMV services are still available online.
Public schools and offices are in session Friday after students had Tuesday off for a teacher workday, but public libraries are closed. Most city museums will be closed, but a few, including the Alexandria History Museum, Alexandria Archaeology Museum and Gadsby’s Tavern, will stay open. See Historic Alexandria’s website for more information.
City recreation and arts centers will be closed, except for the Charles Houston, Chinquapin and Patrick Henry centers, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. The Torpedo Factory and Art Center will be open during its normal hours.
Alexandria’s fare-free DASH buses and the King Street Trolley will both run on their regular weekday schedules.
Parking restrictions will be suspended at metered spaces and residential permit parking districts. Temporary no-parking signs will still be enforced.
Residential garbage and recycling services will not be adjusted this week, and the hazardous waste and electronics collection center at 3224 Colvin Street will be operating its normal hours.
Arlington County
Administrative offices, libraries, public schools and county courts are closed.
Arlington’s ART buses will run on a holiday bus pattern, with routes 41, 42, 45, 51, 55, 77 and 87 operating on Saturday schedules; all other ART routes will not operate Friday. The ART and STAR call centers will also be closed.
Metered parking areas will not be enforced on Friday, but permit-only parking is always in effect unless noted otherwise on the sign.
All community centers are closed. The Washington-Liberty Aquatics Center will be open for swimming from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, but the Wakefield, Yorktown and Long Bridge aquatics centers are closed.
The county will run its normal trash, recycling and yard waste curbside routes on Friday, including large metal and e-waste pickup on request. Electronics and earth products drop-off sites will be closed.
Prince William County
Administrative offices in Prince William County, and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, will be closed on Friday. So will municipal courts and public schools. All Prince William Public Library branches are closed for the holiday.
PRTC OmniRide Express buses are suspended on Friday, but Local, Metro Express and East-West Express routes are running their regular weekday service.
Most county-owned park lands and outdoor recreation facilities will be open to the public. The Prince William County Sanitary Landfill is open for drop-off during its regular hours.
Loudoun County
County and local government offices, courts and libraries are closed. Public schools will hold regular classes Friday.
Loudoun County Transit will not operate its commuter bus, Metro connection or courthouse shuttle services on Friday, but local fixed-route buses will run on a normal schedule. See routes and timetables for local fixed-route bus service from Purcellville through Leesburg and eastern Loudoun County.
Since Loudoun County does not offer trash or recycling collection, check with your local government, homeowners association or contractor for holiday services. The Town of Leesburg will have normal Friday collection and the county’s landfill is still open.
Recreation and community centers are open during their regular hours. Pools are open on adjusted hours.
Fairfax County
Government offices, public libraries and local courts in both Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax are closed on Friday. Public schools have Friday off as a staff development day.
The Fairfax Connector will operate on a regular weekday schedule except for routes 231, 232, 335, 393, 394, 395, 396, 432, 461, 494, 495, 556, 585, 599, 624, 634, 697, 698, 699, 715, 722, 724 834, 835 and 985. Route 980 will run every 12 to 15 minutes instead of every 6 to 8 minutes.
Fairfax’s CUE buses will run on a modified weekday schedule with service reduced to one bus on each route.
Trash and recycling will not be collected on Friday. Instead, county customers saw Friday routes run a day early on Thursday, Nov. 10, alongside Thursday service. Curbside yard waste collection delays are possible. Residents with private collection should contact their hauler.
The McLean Community Center is closed on Friday, but the Reston Community Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at its Hunters Woods and Lake Anne locations. The Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center is open during its usual hours.
