MLK Day 2027 Is Monday, Jan. 18: What Is Closed, Dates to 2030

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2027 falls on Monday, Jan. 18, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which lists the federal holiday under its official name, “Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.” From Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, the day is 85 days away. Federal offices and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) close, and the page offers a one-page printable planner.

Is MLK Day a federal holiday?

Yes. Title 5 of the U.S. Code, section 6103, names “Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the third Monday in January” among the federal holidays. Congress added the day by Public Law 98-144 in 1983. The National Archives’ Reagan Library says President Ronald Reagan signed the bill, H.R. 3706, into law on Nov. 2, 1983, and that the first official Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was celebrated on Jan. 20, 1986.

What is closed on MLK Day 2027?

Who	Status on Monday, Jan. 18, 2027	Source
Federal government offices	Holiday	OPM 2027 federal holidays
New York Stock Exchange markets	Closed, no early close in January 2027	NYSE holiday calendar
Federal Reserve	Listed as a holiday	Federal Reserve Board
Banks, post offices, schools, employers	Not confirmed here; check with each one	Not applicable

OPM sets the federal schedule, and the NYSE says all of its markets observe the U.S. holidays on its list for 2025, 2026 and 2027. The Federal Reserve Board publishes its own holiday dates. Local services decide their own hours, so confirm them with your bank, the United States Postal Service (USPS), your school and your employer. Our guide to school holidays by district lists which districts give the day off.

Are national parks free on MLK Day?

The National Park Service (NPS) did not list MLK Day as a fee-free day in 2026. Its 2026 list, on a passes page last updated Oct. 9, 2026, is Feb. 16, May 25, June 14, July 3 to 5, Aug. 25, Sept. 17, Oct. 27 and Nov. 11. The 2027 list has not been posted, so 2027 dates are not yet announced. The NPS also says that beginning in 2026, free entrance on those days is for U.S. citizens and residents only. Our story on national parks free days from Oct. 27 tracks the 2026 list.

When is MLK Day from 2026 to 2030?

The holiday is always the third Monday in January, so the date moves between Jan. 15 and Jan. 21. These are the Federal Reserve Board’s dates.

Year	MLK Day
2026	Monday, Jan. 19
2027	Monday, Jan. 18
2028	Monday, Jan. 17
2029	Monday, Jan. 15
2030	Monday, Jan. 21

How to plan for the holiday

• Mark Monday, Jan. 18 on the January 2027 printable calendar, and see the whole year on the printable yearly calendar.
• Check your bank, your local post office, your school and your employer before the holiday.
• Look for a local service project; the planner lists it as a to-do.
• The 2027 federal holidays list has every observed date, and the 2027 stock market holidays story covers the NYSE calendar.

Not confirmed in this story: 2027 hours for the Postal Service and for individual banks, schools and employers.