Presidents Day 2026 In Ellicott City: What’s Open, Closed

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Presidents Day on Monday is a federal holiday, but that doesn’t mean every government office in Howard County will automatically be closed.

President's Day is legally known as Washington’s Birthday, which was celebrated on Feb. 22 until it was moved to the third Monday in February under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which took effect in 1971.

Although the name of the holiday was never officially changed, it became known in the 1980s as Presidents Day, a celebration not just of a single president but of the office of the presidency. Many people also regard it as a holiday honoring both Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22 and President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12.

Howard County and city government offices will be closed Monday in observance of President's Day, as will banks, the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and bond markets along with the U.S. Postal Service.

The court system, 50+ centers and the animal shelter will be closed.

There will be regular Monday trash, recycling and food scrap/yard trim services collected and the Alpha Ridge Landfill will be open.

County parks, the Gary J. Arthur, North Laurel and Roger Carter Community Centers, Cedar Lane and Schooley Mill Park Activity Rooms, Meadowbrook Athletic Complex and Kiwanis-Wallas Hall will be open Monday.

However, the Robinson Nature Center, Belmont Manor & Historic Park, Firehouse Museum, Patapsco Female Institute and the Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum will be closed.

The Regional Transportation Agency will operate on a regular weekday schedule. All parking regulations and fees will be in effect.

The 9-1-1 Center, police and fire departments remain staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For emergencies, call 9-1-1; for non-emergencies, call 410-313-2200.

The Howard County Library System will be closed Monday for President's Day.

Many public schools are closed on Presidents Day. Howard County Public School System buildings and schools will be closed Monday, too.

If you need to run to the DMV or take care of any other government business, you may find the doors locked and lights off. Most states, including Maryland, make Presidents Day a holiday for workers, with exceptions including those who perform essential services. Even in states that recognize Presidents Day as a holiday, not all counties and cities give workers a day off.

Banks, the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, and bond markets will be closed. So will the U.S. Postal Service. Unless they’re typically closed on Mondays, most retail stores will be open as usual. The same goes for restaurants and bars. Some non-retail businesses will be closed, including Patch Media.

Presidents Day is the first free-admission day for national parks of 2026. The day kicks off a revised, more “patriotic” schedule of free entrance days for the year, with notable exceptions of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. Flag Day on June 14, which is also President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, was added to the schedule of fee-free admission days. Under another change this year, only U.S. citizens and residents.

The National Park Service manages more than 430 designated sites, including national parks, monuments, battlefields, historic sites, lakeshores and recreation areas.