Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday 2018: Des Moines-Area Closings

DES MOINES, IA — Jan. 15 is a federal holiday in honor of the birth of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The following schedules will be in effect in the Des Moines metro area:

Banks: Although a federal bank holiday, not all banks may be closed. Wells Fargo and Bank of America will be closed. Check websites for smaller banks for holiday schedules.

Buses: DART buses in the metro area will run on the regular schedule.

Driver Licensing: All Iowa Department of Transportation locations will be closed. DOT driver’s service centers normally open Tuesday through Saturday will be closed Jan. 13. Normal business hours will resume at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 16. Online driver’s license business at www.iowadot.gov will not be affected; self-service kiosks operate based on host locations' schedules.

Garbage collection: The normal collection schedule will be in effect in Des Moines and most surrounding communities.

Government offices: City offices in Des Moines and Johnston will be closed. City offices in Ankeny, Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines will be open. All state and federal offices will be closed.

>>Events planned: King Holiday 2018: Prayer, Service, Reflection

Libraries: All six branches of the the Des Moines Public Library will be closed. (Forest Avenue will only be open for a 4 p.m. King holiday program.) The library in Johnston also will be closed. Libraries in Ankeny, Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines will be open.

Mail: Mail will not be delivered and U.S. Postal Service branches will be closed.

Schools: No school in Ankeny, Des Moines, Johnston, Urbandale (including Adventuretime) or Waukee districts. There will be KTC in Johnston and teachers will have a professional development day. Des Moines Christian School will not have classes; teachers will have in-service. There will be school in West Des Moines.

Urbandale officials asked families to watch the Dr. King YouTube video (below) to become familiar with the reason for honoring King.

Main photo: Martin Luther King Jr. in September 1964. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)