What’s open on Christmas Day near me?

Looking for what’s open near you on Christmas Day? Most U.S. retail and restaurants close on Christmas Day, but a handful of reliable chains stay open. Here is the verified breakdown of what’s open near me on Christmas Day, what’s closed, and where to go for last-minute groceries, pharmacy needs, or a hot meal.

At a glance: Christmas Day open vs closed

OPEN on Christmas Day:

Waffle House (24/7, every location)
Denny’s (24/7 most locations)
Most Chinese restaurants (independent, varies)
IHOP (most locations, some franchise variation)
AMC, Regal, and Cinemark movie theaters (afternoon and evening)
24-hour pharmacy locations (select CVS and Walgreens)
Convenience stores: 7-Eleven, Wawa, Sheetz, QuikTrip (24/7)
Gas station mini-marts (most)
Truck stops: TA Travel Centers, Pilot/Flying J, Love’s (24/7)

CLOSED on Christmas Day:

All major grocery chains: Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Publix, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, Whole Foods, Giant Eagle, Wegmans, Stop and Shop, ShopRite
All major chain restaurants: Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, KFC, Subway, Chipotle, Starbucks, Dunkin’, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, Cheesecake Factory, Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cracker Barrel
All major shopping malls: Mall of America, Aventura Mall, King of Prussia, Tysons Corner, virtually all enclosed malls
All banks: Wells Fargo, Chase, Bank of America, TD Bank, Regions Bank, Huntington Bank, every other major bank
Federal services: USPS Post Office, Social Security offices, DMV
Big-box retail: Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy, Apple Store, Macy’s, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Old Navy

Restaurants open on Christmas Day near me

Waffle House – virtually every location is open 24/7 every day of the year, including Christmas. The chain is famous for staying open through hurricanes and federal holidays. Christmas is one of the busier days at most Waffle House locations.
Denny’s – most locations stay open 24/7 on Christmas Day. Christmas is one of Denny’s busiest days of the year. Most Denny’s locations near you will be open with a normal Christmas Day menu.
IHOP – many locations open with regular hours; some franchise locations reduce hours or close. Call ahead.
Chinese restaurants – the Christmas Day Chinese-food tradition holds. Most independent Chinese restaurants near you stay open with regular or extended hours. Search for Chinese restaurants near me on Christmas Day for the busiest local listings.
Movie theater snack bars – many multiplex theaters open Christmas afternoon and evening; concession stands run with reduced staff.

Restaurants closed on Christmas Day

Most chain restaurants close on Christmas Day: Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s (most franchises), Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, KFC, Subway, Chipotle, Starbucks (corporate stores), Dunkin’, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, Cheesecake Factory, Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Boston Market, Baskin-Robbins, Cold Stone. A handful of franchise locations may stay open with reduced hours; always confirm before driving out.

Grocery stores: are any open on Christmas Day?

Almost no major U.S. grocery chains stay open Christmas Day. The list of closed Christmas Day grocers includes:

Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club – all closed
Kroger family stores (Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Smith’s, King Soopers), Safeway, Albertsons – closed at most locations
Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Publix, H-E-B – closed
Whole Foods, Wegmans, Stop and Shop, ShopRite, Hy-Vee, Meijer – closed
Giant Eagle – closed Christmas Day; Christmas Eve runs reduced hours (typical close 6 PM). Pharmacy and gas station hours vary independently. (Giant Eagle Christmas Eve hours are a frequent search; the supermarket closes early Christmas Eve and is closed Christmas Day chain-wide.)

Christmas Eve is the better day for last-minute grocery runs near you. Most grocery stores stay open Christmas Eve with reduced hours, typically closing 6 to 7 p.m.

Pharmacies open on Christmas Day near me

Pharmacy chains CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid handle Christmas Day differently:

24-hour pharmacy locations typically stay open Christmas Day. There are 24-hour CVS and 24-hour Walgreens stores in most major metros – check the chain’s locator and filter for 24-hour stores near you.
Standard locations usually close Christmas Day or run very reduced hours.

For an emergency prescription on Christmas Day, your fastest route is calling the chain’s customer service line listed on each chain page on this site. Most insurance carriers also run 24/7 nurse hotlines for Christmas-Day prescription emergencies.

Shopping malls on Christmas Day

Major U.S. shopping malls close Christmas Day. This includes Mall of America, Aventura Mall, King of Prussia, Tysons Corner Center, and virtually every other large enclosed mall in the country. AMC and other multiplex movie theaters that occupy mall space often stay open with separate exterior entrances; check the theater’s specific schedule.

Christmas Eve is the better day for gift-card use or exchanges. Malls close early Christmas Eve (typically 6 p.m.) but most are open until then.

Banks, post office, and government services

All universally closed on Christmas Day:

USPS Post Office (federal holiday – no mail delivery)
Banks: Wells Fargo, Chase, Bank of America, TD Bank, every other major bank
DMV (state holiday in every state)
Social Security offices (federal holiday)

Convenience stores and gas stations

7-Eleven, Wawa, QuikTrip, Sheetz, Casey’s, RaceTrac, and most gas station convenience stores stay open Christmas Day with regular 24/7 or extended hours. They are a reliable backup near you for last-minute snacks, drinks, ice, and basic supplies.

Movies on Christmas Day

AMC, Regal, and Cinemark all open Christmas Day with full afternoon and evening showtimes. Christmas Day is one of the biggest theatrical release days of the year because studios time major releases for the Christmas Day audience. Showtimes typically start around 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. and run through midnight.

How to find what’s open near me on Christmas Day

Check the OPEN list at the top of this page for chains that reliably stay open.
For a specific chain, click through to its page on this site – each chain page on whathours.com has a 16-row holiday table listing Christmas Day status along with surrounding days (Christmas Eve, December 26).
Use the chain’s official app or locator to filter for 24-hour or open-today stores near you.
Call the specific store directly. Posted hours are sometimes wrong on Christmas Day; an actual phone call confirms.

Hours can change without notice. Always confirm with the chain’s official locator before driving out, especially around Christmas. Each chain page on this site lists the chain’s customer service phone number for emergency confirmations.