The federal government of the United States has officially shut down for the first time since 2018 effective as of 12:01 in the morning earlier today, Wednesday, October 1, 2025 as a result of the failure to pass a resolution to fund operations of the country — but what exactly does that mean in terms of travel?
The United States Government Shuts Down. 2025 Edition. What Does That Mean For Travel?
What a shut down of the federal government of the United States does not mean is that the country has completely closed; but approximately 800,000 employees were furloughed for greater than two weeks during the government shutdown of October of 2013 — which means that you may experience some inconveniences if you are traveling to, from, or within the United States.
An extended shutdown in 2025 could result in approximately 750,000 employees being furloughed at a cost of $400 million per day in lost compensation. The total cost of the shutdown could be as much as one billion dollars per week.
Essential services will still be available — although they could be stretched to the limit; and services could potentially be slower than normal. This means that essential personnel — such as agents of the Transportation Security Administration at security checkpoints at airports — will still continue working. Air traffic controllers will still be directing airplane traffic at airports…
…and agents who secure borders and immigration enforcement officials will still be performing their jobs. All of them will be working without pay until further notice. Expect the possible delays of flights — especially during busy travel times — as some employees of the federal government will be furloughed.
The processing of passports will continue; but applicants may experience delays. Visitors to the United States will find offices which issue foreign travel visas closed, which may result in potential delays in processing visa applications — but consular operations both inside and outside of the United States will continue operate as long as enough money is available to support them. According to this official notice from the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Department of State of the United States — using its travel advisory system:
At this time, scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at our posts overseas will continue during the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits. This website will not be regularly updated until full operations resume, with the exception of emergency safety and security information.
Visiting national parks would typically be a different story during a shutdown of the federal government — but plans are reportedly in place to keep national parks open with rangers and security guards on duty. When the national parks were closed in 2013, a loss of 750,000 daily visitors was the result, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, which is a nonprofit organization. The National Park Service estimated that the shutdown resulted in approximately $500 million in lost visitor spending in areas around the parks and the Smithsonian museums.
The District of Columbia has the highest concentration of entities of the federal government — which means that many popular tourist attractions are expected to remain closed.
Expect places such as the National Archives, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Library of Congress to be closed; but although the National Zoo and the Smithsonian Institution will remain open to visitors today and tomorrow, they could close on Monday.
According to this letter from Geoff Freeman, who is the current president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Travel Association:
On behalf of the U.S. Travel Association, which represents all components of the $1.3 trillion U.S. travel industry, I write to urge Congress to act swiftly to keep the federal government open and avoid a shutdown. A shutdown is a wholly preventable blow to America’s travel economy — costing $1 billion every week—and affecting millions of travelers and businesses while placing unnecessary strain on an already overextended federal travel workforce.
The consequences of inaction are immediate and severe. A shutdown exacerbates staffing shortages among Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers, threatening longer airport security lines, flight delays, and cancellations. It halts hiring and training of new air traffic controllers when we are already short more than 2,800 controllers nationwide, and restarting the process adds further delays even after funding is restored. While Congress recently provided a $12.5 billion down payment to modernize our nation’s air travel system and improve safety and efficiency, this urgently needed modernization will stop in the event of a shutdown.
Travelers and communities also bear the brunt of closed or neglected National Parks and federally owned museums and attractions, diminished visitor experiences, and the erosion of vital infrastructure that sustains local economies across the country. According to a recent Ipsos survey, 60% of Americans say they would cancel or avoid trips by air in the event of a government shutdown. These harms ripple far beyond airports and parks, threatening jobs, small businesses, and economic growth in every state.
Nearly nine in ten Americans across both political parties agree that Congress should work together to prevent a shutdown. The travel industry is proud to support millions of jobs and play an essential role in the U.S. economy. We urge you to meet this moment of responsibility and keep our government funded.
U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $2.3 trillion in economic output and supports 15.3 million jobs. The mission of U.S. Travel Association is to increase travel to and within the United States.
Final Boarding Call
The last shutdown of the federal government of the United States lasted 34 days. Let us hope that this current shutdown does not last nearly as long and can be resolved expeditiously.
I traveled to the state of Washington and southwestern British Columbia during the government shutdown in October of 2013; and places such as Ballard Locks were closed. Although I had visited there before, I did not visit Mount Rainier during that trip…
…and waiting in line to travel across the border back into the United States consumed at least two hours of my time.
If you plan on traveling to, from or within the United States, disruptions should be minimal — but please be patient and expect delays; and give yourself extra time.
As to when the shutdown of the federal government will end, no one knows at this time…
All photographs ©2013 by Brian Cohen.
