Costco does holidays differently from almost every other big retailer. Rather than opening late and closing early, it locks the doors for the entire day. That happens seven times a year, every year, at every warehouse in the United States.
Two more dates are regular shopping days but end early, and those are the ones that catch people out. Below is the full picture.
Holidays Costco is closed
These seven closures are company policy rather than a local decision, so they apply nationwide. The pharmacy, the optical counter, the food court and the gas station all shut with the warehouse. There is no gas-only exception.
| Holiday | Typical hours |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Closed all day |
| Easter Sunday | Closed all day |
| Memorial Day | Closed all day |
| Independence Day | Closed all day |
| Labor Day | Closed all day |
| Thanksgiving Day | Closed all day |
| Christmas Day | Closed all day |
If a closure falls on a Monday, expect the Saturday and Sunday before it to be busier than a normal weekend. Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends are the worst two of the year for parking lot lines.
Date-by-date answers
The five closure dates people ask about most, each with the full schedule for the surrounding days:
- Is Costco open on Christmas?
- Is Costco open on Thanksgiving?
- Is Costco open on July 4th?
- Is Costco open on New Year’s Day?
- Is Costco open on Easter?
Holidays with shortened hours
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are the two dates worth double-checking. Most warehouses open at the usual time and then close at around 5:00 PM, three and a half hours earlier than a normal weekday. Some locations pull it forward even further, so if you are relying on a late run for party supplies, go earlier than feels necessary.
| Date | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Christmas Eve | Opens as normal, closes at about 5:00 PM |
| New Year’s Eve | Opens as normal, closes at about 5:00 PM |
| Juneteenth | Open, though some warehouses close at 6:00 PM |
Holidays Costco stays open
Everything not on the closure list is a normal regular shopping day. That includes several holidays people assume are closures:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Presidents’ Day
- Good Friday, and Easter Monday
- Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
- Halloween
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Eve, the Wednesday before
- Black Friday, on completely normal hours
- Christmas Eve Eve, December 23
- The day after Christmas
Black Friday is the one that surprises people most. Costco does not open at 5:00 AM, it does not run doorbusters and it does not extend its hours. The doors open at the usual 10:00 AM and close at 8:30 PM. Its Black Friday deals run online and in warehouse across the whole week instead.
Why Costco closes when other stores do not
It comes down to staffing. Costco has built its reputation on paying better than the retail average and keeping employees for years rather than months, and full-day holiday closures are part of that package. Closing costs the company a day of sales but saves it holiday pay premiums and, more importantly, keeps the staffing model that keeps its turnover low.
The practical effect for shoppers is that you need to plan around Costco in a way you do not need to plan around a supermarket. If Thanksgiving dinner is at your house, the shopping happens on Wednesday.
How to shop around a closure
Three things make holiday weeks much easier:
- Go two days early, not one. The day before a closure is always the busiest day of that week. Two days out is noticeably calmer and the shelves are still full.
- Order online instead. Costco.com keeps taking orders while the warehouses are shut, and same-day grocery delivery runs on some closure days even when the building is dark.
- Fill up the day before. The gas station closes with the warehouse, and the pumps on the day either side of a holiday are the longest lines of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Is Costco open on Christmas Day?
No. Christmas Day is one of the seven full closures. Every warehouse in the United States is shut, including the gas station and pharmacy.
What time does Costco close on Christmas Eve?
Most warehouses close at about 5:00 PM on Christmas Eve, three and a half hours earlier than a normal weekday. A few locations close even sooner.
Is Costco open on Thanksgiving?
No. Thanksgiving is a full-day closure. Do the shopping on Wednesday, or better yet Tuesday, because the eve of a closure is the busiest day of that week.
Is Costco open on Easter Sunday?
No. Easter Sunday is unusual because it is not a federal holiday, yet Costco closes every warehouse for the whole day.
Is Costco open on Black Friday?
Yes, on completely normal hours. There is no early opening and no doorbuster event. The deals run across the whole week instead.