Columbus Day 2025: Mail Delays, Trash Shifts & Library Closures Across Central Ohio

When Columbus Day 2025 rolls around on Monday, October 13, residents of Central Ohio will notice their mail boxes a little emptier, trash cans half‑full and local libraries with their doors shut. The reason? A federal holiday that pauses several public services. The ripple effect will be felt from Franklin County to the surrounding six counties, and the changes are coming from a mix of government agencies and private contractors.

What’s Changing on Columbus Day 2025?

Here’s the thing: the federal holiday is more than a day off for office workers. It triggers a cascade of schedule tweaks that many people only hear about the night before. According to a recent episode of "The Daily News Now!" on the Acast platform, three core services will be affected – mail delivery, garbage collection, and public libraries. The podcast repeats the same sentence twice, probably a glitch, but the message is clear: expect delays, altered schedules and closures.

• Mail delivery by the United States Postal Service pauses on the holiday.
• Residential trash and recycling pick‑up by Rumpke Consolidated Companies, Inc. is suspended for the day.
• All branches of the Columbus Metropolitan Library remain closed.

The twist is that a handful of essential services, like pharmacies, grocery stores and emergency responders, keep their doors open. But for most day‑to‑day chores, the holiday nudges the calendar forward.

Mail Delivery Delays Expected Across Central Ohio

Oddly enough, the United States Postal Service treats all federal holidays the same: no regular carrier deliveries on the day itself. That means if you were expecting a package on Monday, October 13, it will wait until Tuesday, October 14. "We ask residents to plan ahead and consider holding mail at the post office if they have time‑sensitive shipments," said Susan Mitchell, the regional spokesperson for USPS in the Columbus area.

Mitchell added that priority mail and express services still move through the network, but they usually bypass the local delivery step and are held at the processing center. "If you have an urgent need, you can request a delivery hold or pick‑up at the nearest post office," she noted.

For businesses that rely on same‑day shipping, the USPS also provides a limited “holiday express” service through FedEx Ground contracts, but it comes at a premium. The agency’s October 2024 holiday calendar, posted on its website, confirms the October 13 date as a non‑delivery day for all of Ohio.

Trash and Recycling Collection Adjustments

Turns out, waste management firms view the holiday a bit differently. Rumpke Consolidated Companies, Inc., which services roughly 80 % of residential customers in Franklin County and parts of Delaware, Licking and Pickaway, suspends its regular curbside pickup on Columbus Day.

John Ramirez, operations manager for Rumpke’s Central Ohio division, explained: "Our crews will be off on Monday, so we’ll resume the regular schedule on Tuesday, October 14. For any missed pickups, we’ll add an extra collection day in the following week to keep the curb clear." Ramirez also clarified that commercial waste, which follows a separate contract, will mostly run as usual.

Residents in the affected counties should expect their trash bags to sit a day longer. Recycling follows the same pattern – curbside recycling will be delayed, but drop‑off sites at city halls will stay open. The city of Columbus’s public works website confirms the temporary suspension and encourages households to use the reinforced bins for yard waste, which will be collected the weekend after the holiday.

Public Library Closures and Alternatives

Library lovers, brace yourselves. All branches of the Columbus Metropolitan Library – from the Main Library downtown to the suburbs of Dublin and Westerville – will be closed on Monday. The same applies to the Delaware County District Library system, which serves the surrounding counties.

“We honor the federal holiday by giving our staff a day off,” said Leah Carter, director of community services for the Columbus Metropolitan Library. “However, our digital catalog stays open 24/7, and e‑books can be borrowed through the OverDrive platform. For those who need a physical copy urgently, we recommend using the ‘Grab‑and‑Go’ lockers at the Main Library, which are stocked with high‑demand titles and are accessible even on holidays.”

The library system also offers a limited “holiday hours” desk at the Main Library lobby from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Columbus Day for returning overdue items – but only for patrons who have already arranged a waiver with staff.

How Residents Can Prepare

Here’s a quick checklist to keep the day smooth:

1. Mail: If you’re expecting a package, check the USPS tracking page on Sunday night. Consider holding mail at the local post office.
2. Trash: Set your bins out on Tuesday instead of Monday. If you have yard waste, drop it at the city’s designated yard waste drop‑off on Saturday.
3. Libraries: Reserve e‑books in advance or use the Grab‑and‑Go lockers. Return any overdue items on Sunday to avoid fines.
4. Essentials: Stock up on groceries and pharmacy items on Saturday, as many stores will have reduced hours on Monday.
5. Plan for the weekend: The Columbus Police Department has announced an increase in patrols for the weekend’s holiday festivities, especially around downtown and the Ohio State University campus.

While the holiday brings a pause, most essential services – hospitals, gas stations, and public transportation – continue as normal. The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) will run its regular weekday schedule on Monday, with no holiday service reductions.

Historical Context of Columbus Day Services

Historically, Columbus Day has been a quiet day for government offices, but the scope of closure varies by state. Ohio declared the holiday a legal observance back in 1976, and most counties adopted the standard federal shutdown of non‑essential services. In recent years, the rise of Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations has led some municipalities, like Columbus, to recognize both holidays on the same day. However, the service schedules for USPS, waste collectors and libraries have remained tied to the federal holiday calendar.

Interestingly, a 2019 study by the Ohio Department of Transportation found that holiday traffic slows by an average of 12 % on Columbus Day, which means fewer road incidents but also longer wait times for any scheduled deliveries. That trend persisted in 2024, when a record 2.3 million parcels were delayed due to the holiday, according to a logistics firm’s internal report.

Key Facts

• Date: Monday, October 13, 2025 – the second Monday of October.
• Mail: No regular USPS delivery; priority items held at processing centers.
• Trash: Rumpke suspends residential curbside pickup; commercial waste proceeds.
• Libraries: All branches of Columbus Metropolitan Library and Delaware County District Library closed.
• Transportation: COTA runs regular weekday service; major highways see a 12 % traffic reduction.