What is open and closed in South Florida on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Howard Cohen
·2 min read

Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday is a federal holiday to honor his life and legacy. The holiday is scheduled for the third Monday of each January and this year falls on the civil rights leader’s birthday. Dr. King would have been 95 on Jan. 15. The next time his holiday falls on his birth date will be Jan. 15, 2029.

Here’s what’s open and what’s closed on MLK Day 2024.

READ MORE: What the weather holds for your MLK weekend outdoor plans and a look into the week ahead

Mass Transit

Miami-Dade: Metrobus, Metrorail and Metromover will operate with regular weekday service.

Administrative offices will be closed. Special Transportation Service customers can still reserve or cancel a trip by calling 305-871-1111.

Metrobus, Metrorail and Metromover will be on a weekday schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Metrobus, Metrorail and Metromover will be on a weekday schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Broward: Broward County Transit will operate on a regular weekday schedule.

Tri-Rail: Tri-Rail will run on a regular weekday schedule.

Garbage pickup

Miami: No garbage or recycling pickup. If you usually get a Monday pickup, it’ll be done on your usual next scheduled day.

Miami-Dade: No garbage pickup. If you usually get a Monday pickup, it’ll be done on your usual next scheduled day, which is Thursday. Curbside recycling will be picked up, however.

Trash and recycling centers will be closed. The North and South Dade Landfills as well as the Resources Recovery Facility will be open.

If Miami-Dade Solid Waste Management picks up your garbage on Mondays, don’t bother putting the bins out on MLK Day.
If Miami-Dade Solid Waste Management picks up your garbage on Mondays, don’t bother putting the bins out on MLK Day.

Fort Lauderdale: Regular pickup service.

Broward County: Regular garbage, recycling and bulk pickup will be collected as regularly scheduled. The Broward County Landfill will be closed on MLK Day.

In other municipalities, check with your waste management provider.

Stores and malls

Tina and Alan Miller head back to their car after working out in the new EOS Fitness center at The Palms Town and Country Mall on a Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 1, 2023. The couple live nearby in a Kendall neighborhood and find the strip mall convenient.
Tina and Alan Miller head back to their car after working out in the new EOS Fitness center at The Palms Town and Country Mall on a Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 1, 2023. The couple live nearby in a Kendall neighborhood and find the strip mall convenient.

Supermarkets including Publix, Winn-Dixie, Sedano’s, big-box stores such as Costco, BJ’s and Target, fitness centers, restaurants and malls — including Aventura, Dadeland, The Falls and Sawgrass Mills — operate regular hours on MLK Day.

U.S. Postal Service, FedEx

Post office branches will be closed and no mail pickup or delivery will occur. UPS also doesn’t deliver on MLK. A limited number of UPS Stores may be open. FedEx shipping and deliveries are operational.

Banks

The Federal Reserve Bank is closed. Most bank branches also will be closed. ATMs, online banking and bank by phone remain open.

Stock markets

The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are closed.

County courts and county offices

Miami-Dade: Closed.

Broward: Closed.

Public Schools

Closed in Miami-Dade and Broward.

Colleges, universities

Your classrooms will look empty, like this study space inside the University Center on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus, on MLK Day on Jan. 15, 2024. That’s because higher education institutions are closed for the holiday.
Your classrooms will look empty, like this study space inside the University Center on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus, on MLK Day on Jan. 15, 2024. That’s because higher education institutions are closed for the holiday.

Schools — including Barry University, Florida International University, Miami Dade College, University of Miami and others are closed, no classes.

Libraries

Miami-Dade: Closed, but books and other media are available online.

Broward: Closed, but books and other media are available online.

Parks and recreation

Most public parks in Miami-Dade and Broward, will be open on Martin Luther King Day. Check the hours. This image is of artist Pavlina Alea’s “Surfacing” mural as part of Art in Public Spaces at the Shenandoah Aquatic Facility at the City of Miami park.
Most public parks in Miami-Dade and Broward, will be open on Martin Luther King Day. Check the hours. This image is of artist Pavlina Alea’s “Surfacing” mural as part of Art in Public Spaces at the Shenandoah Aquatic Facility at the City of Miami park.

Most parks in Miami-Dade and Broward counties will be open but hours may vary.