Late Night Store Hours

It is 10 PM and you just realized you are out of something you need. Which stores can you still get to? The answer depends a lot on what category of store you are looking for. Pharmacies and convenience stores are your best bets for true late-night access. Grocery stores usually go until 11 PM or midnight. Most other retailers wrap up by 9 or 10 PM. This guide breaks it down by store type so you know exactly what your options are.

One important note: this site tracks whether stores are open on a given day, not the specific hours. The times listed in this guide are typical hours from each chain's current policies, but individual store locations can vary significantly. Always verify your nearest location using the chain's app or website before making the trip.

Stores Open 24 Hours

True 24-hour stores are rarer than they used to be - several chains that once ran around the clock have scaled back. But there are still solid options if you need something in the middle of the night.

Convenience Stores - The Most Reliable 24/7 Option

7-Eleven built its entire brand around extended hours - the name literally came from their original 7 AM to 11 PM schedule, which was revolutionary in 1946. Today, most 7-Eleven locations run 24 hours a day. The same is true of most independently operated gas station convenience stores. If you need a quick snack, over-the-counter medicine, toiletries, or a bottle of water at 3 AM, a convenience store is your go-to.

The tradeoff is selection and price. Convenience stores carry a limited inventory at a premium markup. You will find the basics, but not the wide selection you would get at a grocery store or pharmacy. For urgent, low-quantity needs at odd hours, they work well. For a full shopping trip, you need a better option.

Meijer - The Midwest's 24-Hour Grocery Alternative

Meijer is a regional chain concentrated in the Midwest - Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin - that operates most of its stores 24 hours a day. Unlike Walmart, which pulled back from 24-hour operations, Meijer has maintained its overnight schedule. If you are in Meijer's footprint and need groceries, pharmacy items, or household goods at midnight, Meijer is often your best option. It is a full-service supercenter with a complete grocery section, pharmacy, electronics, clothing, and general merchandise.

Some Pharmacy Locations - Walgreens and CVS

Walgreens and CVS both operate select locations as 24-hour stores with 24-hour pharmacies. Not every location does this - it depends on local demand and staffing. In most cities, there is at least one Walgreens or CVS with a 24-hour pharmacy, which means you can pick up a prescription, buy cold medicine, or grab first-aid supplies at any hour.

To find a 24-hour location, use the Walgreens or CVS store locator and filter by "24-hour pharmacy" or "24 hours." The in-store pharmacy being open overnight is particularly useful for urgent prescriptions - urgent care facilities can call in a prescription, and a 24-hour pharmacy can fill it that night rather than making you wait until morning.

Grocery Stores - Usually Open Until 11 PM or Midnight

The typical grocery chain is not 24 hours, but most stay open late enough to cover evening shopping. Here is how the major chains generally break down:

For late-night grocery runs, your best bet is Kroger, Safeway, Meijer, or a 24-hour Walmart Supercenter if one is near you. Chains like Aldi, Publix, and Trader Joe's close early relative to the category - plan your shopping accordingly.

Walmart - No Longer 24 Hours at Most Locations

Walmart Supercenters used to be the default answer for late-night shopping. From the early 2000s through 2020, thousands of locations ran 24 hours a day, making them an easy fallback when everything else was closed. That changed in March 2020 when Walmart temporarily reduced hours across all stores for cleaning and restocking during the pandemic. The 24-hour policy never fully returned.

Today, most Walmart Supercenters operate from around 6 AM to midnight. That is still later than most competitors, which makes Walmart a strong option for shopping between 10 PM and midnight when many other stores have already closed. But if you are shopping after midnight, Walmart is no longer a reliable option at most locations. A handful of stores in high-traffic urban markets still run 24 hours, but you need to check your specific location rather than assuming.

The easiest way to check is the Walmart store locator on their website or app, which shows current hours for your nearest location.

Pharmacies - Check for the 24-Hour Designation

The pharmacy category splits into two very different situations depending on the store.

Walgreens and CVS are national chains with enough volume to staff select locations overnight. Both run 24-hour stores in most major cities - typically one or two per metro area in high-traffic locations near hospitals or major intersections. The pharmacy window stays open inside these locations so you can pick up prescriptions around the clock. For everything outside of prescription pickup - cold medicine, vitamins, first aid, cosmetics, snacks - 24-hour Walgreens and CVS stores carry a full selection.

Rite Aid and smaller pharmacy chains like Good Neighbor Pharmacy and Health Mart generally do not offer 24-hour locations. Most Rite Aid stores close between 9 PM and 10 PM. For after-hours pharmacy needs at these chains, you would need to wait until the next business day or seek out a Walgreens or CVS 24-hour location.

See our Pharmacy Hours Guide for a full breakdown of how pharmacy chains handle hours, including holiday schedules and the difference between store hours and pharmacy counter hours (these are not always the same).

Fast Food - Drive-Throughs Stay Open Latest

The fast food category has some of the most varied late-night hours because individual franchise owners set their own schedules within ranges permitted by their franchise agreements. That said, the general pattern is clear: drive-throughs stay open much later than dining rooms.

McDonald's is the most consistent late-night option. Most locations keep the drive-through open until midnight or 1 AM, and a significant number operate 24-hour drive-throughs. The dining room usually closes earlier, around 11 PM, with some closing at 10 PM.

Burger King and Wendy's follow a similar pattern with drive-through service typically running until midnight to 1 AM. Sonic operates drive-in service at most locations until 11 PM or midnight. Starbucks closes most locations between 9 and 10 PM, though some drive-through locations in busy markets stay open until 11 PM or later.

If you need food after 10 PM, fast food is almost always your most reliable option. Sit-down restaurants and most other food options close well before then, but fast food drive-throughs are built for the late-night crowd.

Home Improvement Stores - Wrapping Up by 10 PM

If you need a hardware item or building supply late in the evening, Home Depot and Lowe's are your main options - but plan around a 10 PM closing time at most locations. Both chains typically operate from 6 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and Saturdays, with shorter hours on Sundays (usually 8 AM to 8 PM).

The 10 PM closing time is later than department stores and specialty retailers, which is intentional. Contractors and serious DIYers often work long hours and need to grab supplies after a job runs late. But if you hit Home Depot at 10:15 PM, you will find the doors locked. These chains do not extend hours past their posted closing time the way a convenience store might - staff are actively working to close up and clear the store out by closing time.

Ace Hardware and True Value are independently owned franchises, so hours vary more. Most close between 6 PM and 8 PM - earlier than the big-box chains. If you need something hardware-related late at night, Home Depot or Lowe's is a much better bet than an independent hardware store.

Department Stores and Big-Box Retail - 9 PM Is Usually the Cutoff

Department stores generally close at 9 PM on weekdays and Saturdays. Target, Kohl's, and Macy's follow this pattern consistently across most locations. Some Target stores in high-traffic areas close at 10 PM, but 9 PM is more common. Malls often dictate closing time for their anchors and tenants, so mall-based stores may close when the mall does - anywhere from 8 PM to 9:30 PM depending on the mall.

Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club close earlier, typically by 8:30 PM on weekdays. Costco's hours are notably shorter than competitors - this is by design, as the company negotiated shorter hours into its lease agreements early in its history and has maintained that model. If you need a warehouse club run, mid-morning or early afternoon is your best window.

Electronics chains follow a similar 9 PM pattern. Best Buy closes at 8 PM on weekdays at most locations, occasionally 9 PM at larger stores. Apple Stores in malls typically close when the mall closes, while standalone Apple Stores often run until 9 PM.

Dollar Stores - Open Until 9 or 10 PM

Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar all typically close between 9 PM and 10 PM. None of these chains offer 24-hour access. Dollar General stores in rural areas occasionally close as early as 8 PM. If you are counting on a dollar store for a late-night run, you need to check your specific location - the difference between an 8 PM, 9 PM, and 10 PM closing time matters a lot if you are heading out at 9:30.

One thing that catches people off guard: dollar stores open earlier than many retailers (often 7 or 8 AM), but close earlier in the evening too. They are not built for late-night traffic.

How to Find Exact Late Night Hours

General patterns are useful for planning, but they do not tell you whether your specific location will be open at 11 PM tonight. For that, you need to check directly:

• The chain's store locator - Every major retailer has a store finder that shows current hours for each location. This is the most reliable source.
• Google Maps - Search the store name near you and click on the result. Google shows hours pulled from the business and often includes a real-time "open now" or "closes in X hours" indicator.
• The chain's app - Many retailers' apps have a branch or store finder that shows live hours. Walmart, Target, Kroger, CVS, and Walgreens all have apps with accurate location data.
• Call ahead - Takes 30 seconds and is 100% reliable. If you are making a special trip late in the evening, a quick call beats showing up to a dark parking lot.

You can also use the Open Now and Quick Check tools on this site to see which stores are open today by day of week. Need the flip side of this question - what time stores open in the morning instead of closing at night? See our What Time Do Stores Open guide.

Late Night Shopping Tips

A few practical things to keep in mind when shopping after 9 PM:

Closing time means stop shopping, not stop browsing. Most retailers stop letting customers enter 15 to 30 minutes before the posted closing time. If you arrive at 9:45 PM at a store that closes at 10 PM, you may not be allowed in even though technically the store is "open." Plan to arrive with at least 20 minutes to spare.

Drive-through vs. dine-in. At fast food restaurants, the drive-through almost always stays open later than the dining room. If you are going after 9 PM, go through the drive-through even if you usually eat inside.

Pharmacy counter vs. store hours. At Walgreens and CVS, the pharmacy counter sometimes keeps different hours than the rest of the store. A 24-hour Walgreens store might have a pharmacy that closes at 10 PM. Always check pharmacy hours specifically if you need a prescription filled - do not assume the pharmacy is open just because the store is.

Holiday adjustments. Store hours shift on holidays and sometimes the day before. Many retailers close early on Christmas Eve and stay closed Christmas Day. Check our Holiday Store Hours Guide before planning a late-night run on or around a major holiday.

Stores Open Late by Category - Quick Reference

Frequently Asked Questions