Juneteenth: What’s open, what’s closed in the DC area
On June 19, 1865, a Union general informed enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas that the Civil War had ended — two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which outlawed slavery.
June 19 — or Juneteenth — was recognized by Congress as the 12th federal holiday in 2021. Most local governments across D.C., Maryland and Virginia observe Juneteenth, which will be celebrated this Wednesday.
Here’s what you need to know about D.C.-area government schedule modifications and closures this Juneteenth.
Major transit services
Metrorail will on a Saturday holiday schedule, with service from 5 a.m. to midnight. Green and Yellow Line trains will run every 10 minutes. Red Line trains will run every six minutes until 9:30 p.m., when they will run every 10 minutes. Orange, Silver and Blue Line trains will run every 12 minutes until 9:30 p.m., when they will run every 15 minutes.
Metrobuses will run on a Saturday Supplemental schedule. Some bus routes do not operate under this schedule.
MARC trains will operate on an “R” schedule across all three lines, as well as Penn Line Trains 455 and 454. Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority connecting bus service to West Virginia stations will be available from Train 875 at Brunswick.
Virginia Railway Express will run on a normal schedule; so will DC Streetcar and DC Circulator.
Shipping services
Since Wednesday is a federal holiday, the U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail. All post office locations will be closed. In select areas, Priority Mail Express will be delivered for an additional fee. Normal business hours and delivery will resume Thursday, June 20.
UPS and FedEx will both run on normal schedules.
Maryland
The state’s office Motor Vehicle Administration offices will be closed Wednesday.
Anne Arundel County
All county offices will be closed Wednesday.
Landfill and recycling centers will be closed, but trash will be collected as usual.
Calvert County
The following county services will be open on Wednesday:
- All recreation parks, including Dunkirk District Park, Ward Farm Recreation & Nature Park, Hallowing Point Park and Cove Point Park
- Appeal Solid Waste Facility
- Solomons Septage Receiving Facility
- The Calvert Marine Museum and Museum Store, with Juneteenth programming to take place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Chesapeake Hills Golf Course
- Flag Ponds Nature Park and Kings Landing Park, with extended holiday hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Breezy Point Beach, with extended holiday hours from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Edward T. Hall Aquatic Center, Cove Point Pool and Kings Landing Pool
The following county services will be closed on Wednesday:
- County offices
- All county-operated senior centers
- Meals on Wheels delivery — will resume on Thursday, June 19
- Community centers
- County bus service
- Calvert Library
- The Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter and Animal Control Division — animal control officers can be reached for emergencies at 410-535-3491
Charles County
The Waldorf Senior and Recreational Center will be open for recreational activities only on Wednesday.
The following county services will be closed on Wednesday:
- Government offices
- The Charles County Animal Care Center
- Indoor and outdoor pools
- The Charles County Public Library
- The Nanjemoy Community Center
- Senior centers and school-based community centers
- Elite Gymnastics
Howard County
All trash, recycling, yard trim and food scrap services will operate normally on Wednesday.
Parking regulations and fees will be in place, too.
The Regional Transportation Agency (RTA) will run its regular weekday schedule.
The following county services will be open on Wednesday:
- Parks
- Gary J. Arthur, North Laurel and Roger Carter Community Centers
- Meadowbrook Athletic Complex
- Robinson Nature Center
- Harriet Tubman Cultural Center
- Alpha Ridge Landfill
The following county services will be closed on Wednesday:
- Government offices
- Courts
- The county’s animal shelter
- County historic sites
- Kiwanis-Wallas Hall
- Belmont Manor and Historic Park
- Ellicott City Colored School Restored
- Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum
- Firehouse Museum
- Patapsco Female Institute
Montgomery County
The following county services will be open on Wednesday:
- Outdoor pools
- Alcohol Beverage Services stores — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- TRIPS Silver Spring commuter store — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The following county services will be modified on Wednesday:
- Trash and recycling collection will “slide” one day for the rest of the week, with the final collections on Saturday, June 22
- Public parking garages, lots and curbside meters will be free
The following county services will be closed on Wednesday:
- County offices
- Libraries
- Recreation, Senior and Indoor Aquatic Centers
- State offices and courts
- MC 311
- Montgomery Parks facilities
- Shady Grove Transfer Station and Recycling Center
- State Motor Vehicle Administration offices and Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program stations
- Department of Permitting Services
- TRIPS mobile commuter store
Prince George’s County
The following county services will be open on Wednesday:
- Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill
- Brown Station Road Public Convenience Center
- Missouri Avenue Solid Waste Acceptance and Recycling Center
- Prince George’s County Organic Composting Facility
- Prince George’s County Materials Recycling Facility
Bulky trash collection will take place by appointment only — scheduled collections will resume Thursday, June 20.
Thebus will operate normally, except for Route 51X which will resume its regular schedule on Thursday, June 20.
Call-A-Bus and PGC Link services, including dialysis transportation, will not run on Wednesday. They will run as usual again on Thursday.
PGC311 will not operate Wednesday, but residents can still submit requests online at PGC311.com.
The county’s Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement will be closed on Wednesday.
The Animal Services Facility on Brown Station Road will also be closed.
Virginia
HOV restrictions will be lifted across Northern Virginia highways on Wednesday.
City of Alexandria
DASH bus services will run normally on Wednesday; so will the King Street Trolley.
Parking enforcement will be suspended at metered spaces and residential permit parking districts.
Between Wednesday and Friday, June 21, scheduled residential refuse and recycling collection will be delayed one day. Curbside food waste collection will run as usual.
The following City services will be open on Wednesday:
- All museums will be open during their standard hours, except for the Alexandria Black History Museum and Freedom House Museum, which will operate from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Charles Houston Recreation Center and Patrick Henry Recreation Center — 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Warwick Pool, Old Town Pool and Memorial Pool — 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
- Torpedo Factory Art Center
- Emergency hotlines
The following City services will be closed on Wednesday:
- Recreation and nature centers, besides the ones specified above
- Libraries
- Public schools
- The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria — residents can call 703-746-4444 with animal emergencies or wildlife concerns
- Courts
- Department of Motor Vehicles locations — customers can check to see if their local DMV Select locations operate outside of the holiday closing schedule
- Alexandria Health Department, Flora Krause Casey Health Center, and the Teen Wellness Center
Arlington County
The county will not enforce metered parking, but permit parking will be in effect unless otherwise specified on the sign.
Curbside trash, recycling and organics collection will run normally; so will special collections, including brush, metal and e-waste.
The ART Bus will run on its regular schedule.
The Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents (STAR) office and call center will be closed, but residents can call in advance to book rides for Wednesday and Thursday, June 20.
The following county services will be open on Wednesday:
- Spraygrounds
- The Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center — with modified hours from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Human services including Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services and Mental Health Emergency Services
The following county services will be closed on Wednesday:
- Libraries
- Administrative offices
- Community centers
- Public schools
- Household Hazardous Materials/Electronics Collection Recycling Center
- Earth Products Yard
- 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive/Theatre on the Run
- LAC Studios
- Scenery Studio
Fairfax County
County trash collection will run on its regular schedule Wednesday. The I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex disposal centers will be open during their normal hours.
The Fairfax Connector will operate on a holiday weekday schedule. FASTRAN will not run on Wednesday.
The following county services will be open on Wednesday:
- Recreation centers
- Lake Accotink, Lake Fairfax and Burke Lake
- Nature centers
- Reston Community Center
- Clemyjontri Park
- Frying Pan Farm Park
- Green Spring Gardens
The following county services will be closed on Wednesday:
- Government offices
- Courts
- Community, teen and senior centers, including McLean Community Center
- Fairfax County Animal Shelter
- Libraries
- Public schools
Loudoun County
County offices will be closed Wednesday.
The Loudoun County Landfill will be open.
Prince William County
County offices will be closed Wednesday, including courts, libraries and community centers.
DC
Trash collection will “slide” to Thursday, June 20, according to the city’s Department of Public Works. For more information, call 311 or (202) 737-4404 or visit www.dpw.dc.gov.
All DC Public Library locations will be closed on Wednesday, June 19. Libraries will only be accessible online with the use of a library card to check out eBooks, watch videos and stream music.
According to the District’s Department of Transportation, all parking meter fees are waived on Wednesday.
All Washington, D.C.–area Smithsonian museums are open.