What's Open, What's Closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Urbandale

The second of the official holidays of 2013 is today as the nation pauses to observe the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a clergyman and activist best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience.

King’s actual birthday is Tuesday, Jan. 15 – he would have been 84 this year – but the official holiday is always celebrated on the third Monday of January. This year, that falls on Jan. 21.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday. That means all federal offices will be closed, banks will be closed and the stock market will be closed.

Post offices nationwide are closed.

State of Iowa employees have the day off. The Legislature will not be in session.

Students in the Urbandale Community School District will have the day off.

The Urbandale Public Library will be open regular hours. The library is partnering with the Urbandale Food Pantry for Food for Fines as part of National Day of Service.

For most retail, hospitality and service businesses, hours remain mostly unchanged. If in doubt, call ahead.

A recent Bloomberg News survey found that 30 years after the holiday was enacted, only 32 percent of U.S. businesses close for MLK Day. Patch.com is among them.