The stock market follows a fixed schedule, not a calendar you have to guess

The U.S. stock market — meaning the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ — is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It is closed on weekends and on specific federal holidays. If today is a weekday and it is between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the market is open. If it is outside those hours or a weekend, it is closed.

The market also closes early — at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time — on the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve, but only if those days fall on a weekday. These are the only two partial-day closures in a typical year.

Key Takeaways

  • Regular trading hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
  • The market is closed on all federal holidays, including New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
  • The day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve close at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time if they fall on a weekday.
  • You can check the NYSE or NASDAQ websites directly for the official holiday calendar, which does not change year to year.

The complete list of market closures

The stock market closes on these federal holidays every year: New Year's Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January), Presidents' Day (third Monday in February), Good Friday (varies, typically March or April), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas (December 25).

When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the market is closed on Friday instead. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the market is closed on Monday instead. This shift happens automatically — you do not need to track it yourself. The NYSE publishes its official holiday calendar each year on its website, and NASDAQ does the same.

How to find out right now

The fastest way is to check the time and day. If it is a weekday between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the market is open unless today is a federal holiday. If you are unsure whether today is a holiday, search "is [today's date] a stock market holiday" or visit the NYSE website directly — they list every closure for the current and upcoming years.

Financial websites like Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, and MarketWatch also display the market status at the top of their pages. They show "Market Open" or "Market Closed" in real time, along with the time until the next open or close.

What happens before and after regular hours

Pre-market trading runs from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. After-hours trading runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. These are not the regular market — volume is lower, spreads are wider, and not all stocks trade. Most individual traders do not participate in these sessions, and many brokers restrict or charge extra for access.

On days when the market closes early (the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve), after-hours trading still begins at 1:00 p.m. instead of 4:00 p.m.

Why the market closes on certain days

Federal holidays are days when U.S. government offices close and many businesses shut down. The stock market closes on these days because the volume of trading would be too low to function normally, and because key government and financial institutions are not operating. Good Friday is a religious holiday observed by many financial institutions, though it is not a federal holiday.

The early closures on the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve are traditions that have been in place for decades. They allow traders and staff to observe the holidays with their families while still keeping the market open for most of the trading day.

What to do if you need to trade on a closed day

You cannot place regular market orders on a closed day — your broker will reject them or hold them until the market opens. Some brokers allow you to place orders during pre-market or after-hours trading, but these sessions carry higher risk and wider price swings. Orders placed outside regular hours may not fill at the price you expect, or may not fill at all.

If you know the market will be closed and you want to trade, place your order during regular hours on the last open day before the closure. You can also set a standing order to buy or sell at a specific price, which will execute when the market opens again — though there is no may provide it will fill at that price if the market gaps up or down overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the stock market close early on any day other than the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve?

No. The only early closures are at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, and only if those days fall on a weekday. Every other trading day runs the full 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. schedule.

If a holiday falls on a weekend, is the market closed on Friday or Monday?

If the holiday is on a Saturday, the market closes on Friday. If the holiday is on a Sunday, the market closes on Monday. The NYSE and NASDAQ websites show the observed date for each holiday, so you do not have to calculate it yourself.

Can I trade stocks during pre-market or after-hours?

Many brokers allow it, but it is riskier than regular trading. Volume is lower, prices move more sharply, and bid-ask spreads are wider. Not all stocks trade during these hours, and your order may not fill. Check your broker's rules — some charge extra or require a minimum account balance.

What time does the market close on the day after Thanksgiving?

1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. After-hours trading then runs from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., instead of the usual 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. window.

If I place an order when the market is closed, what happens to it?

Most brokers will hold the order and execute it when the market opens, unless you set it to expire at the end of the day. The price you see when you place it is not may provide — the stock may open at a different price, and your order will fill at that new price or not at all.