Updated October 1, 2025 at 5:35 PM EDT
The federal government has shut down after lawmakers in Congress failed to reach an agreement on how to extend funding.
While it's not clear how long this government shutdown might last, we're beginning to see the impacts across the country.
Reporters from the NPR Network are digging into the ways the government shutdown is playing out in their region.
Here's what they found so far.
Jump to state-specific impacts.
If you're flying soon …
Air traffic controllers and most Transportation Security Administration employees are considered "essential workers" and have to stay on the job, even if that means working without pay while the rest of the federal government shuts down.
If this drags on, travelers could see more "sick-outs" of key personnel. That happened during the 2018-2019 government shutdown as workers showed their anger over missing paychecks.
Lastly, if you're planning on any international travel in the new year, you may need to build in even more time for passport renewals. U.S. passport agencies will remain open, but it could take longer to process applications with some employees furloughed.
What about the mail?
The U.S. Postal Service will keep the mail moving as usual. USPS is primarily self-funded and doesn't depend on the appropriations process to continue running as usual.
Social Security, SNAP, WIC and safety net programs
Social Security, VA and other benefits will continue. There could still be some delay in services, such as processing applications.
During a shutdown, the first to feel the pinch could be the mothers and young children who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food program.
"The timing of this shutdown threat at the start of the fiscal year puts WIC at risk of rapidly running out of funds. A prolonged federal government shutdown of more than one week puts WIC families at risk," says Georgia Machell, president and CEO of the National WIC Association.
Whether WIC can continue under a prolonged shutdown varies depending on whether states can access other contingency funds.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) will last longer but could also run out if the shutdown drags on.
There could be missed paychecks and lost jobs
Perhaps the biggest impacts will be felt by federal workers and active-duty military service members who will not receive a paycheck during the government shutdown.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this week that roughly 750,000 federal employees would be furloughed each day of the shutdown.
In addition, during the lead up to the shutdown, the White House also threatened mass layoffs (a reduction in force, or RIF) of federal employees should the government shut down.
Because the government shut down close to the end of a pay period, federal employees will see their first full missed paycheck on Oct. 24, while for the military it will be Oct. 15.
Under the Constitution, the federal government is only obligated to pay salaries to members of Congress and the president during the shutdown. However, elected officials can request that their paychecks be deferred while a shutdown is ongoing. Some have already done so.
Federal employees and military members will get back pay once the shutdown is over.
Elizabeth Riley, is a USDA employee who went to Capitol Hill Wednesday to show her support for Democrats holding firm in a budget showdown that sparked the shutdown.
"We've been under attack for nine months as federal workers, and this is just another day at work although we aren't working," Riley told WAMU's Jenny Abamu. "A lot of my colleagues are going to struggle missing a paycheck; but a lot us also feel that they need to hold the line."
For more on the what the shutdown means for federal workers and contractors, head to WAMU.
ICE will mostly continue uninterrupted
Immigration cases and enforcement are proceeding as usual during the government shutdown, with a few small exceptions.
Customs inspection and immigration law enforcement are considered "essential" functions that will continue during any lapse in appropriations, though workers may not get paid until the shutdown is over.
In particular, all immigration cases are continuing as usual, including for people not currently in immigration detention; that marks a change from some prior shutdowns, which prioritized cases of people who were in immigration detention.
Most visa programs are also funded by fees and therefore not affected by appropriations.
But the government may not be able to verify workers' employment status as quickly as it normally does: E-Verify, a website for employers to check whether workers are eligible to work in the U.S., relies on appropriated funds.
— Anna Yukhananov and Ximena Bustillo, NPR
Federal Courts will keep going, for now
According to their website, federal courts will remains open and will continue paid operations through Oct. 17, by using court fee balances and other funds not dependent on appropriation.
National parks are a mixed bag
According to an internal NPS memo by email seen by KQED, a last-minute contingency plan provided to employees late Tuesday would keep many parks open without full regular staffing.
As KQED's Sarah Wright and Carly Severn report, "national park sites that can be made physically inaccessible to the public will be closed off. But all other NPS sites, including those with roads and trails that are accessible to the public, will remain open according to the memo."
In a response to a request for comment, NPS told KQED, "The National Park Service will continue to keep parks as accessible as possible during the lapse in appropriations ... Critical functions that protect life, property, and public health will remain in place, including visitor access in many locations, law enforcement, and emergency response."
During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the Trump administration kept national parks accessible to the public, even as many National Park Service employees had to stay home.
At the time, there were reports of damage and trash in the unattended parks. And a Government Accountability Office opinion in September 2019 found that the Trump administration violated federal law when it used entrance fees to keep the parks accessible.
The shutdown could also disrupt seasonal camping in places like New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest, right as fall foliage approaches its peak.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said earlier Tuesday she would not spend state funds to keep Grand Canyon National Park open should the government shutdown. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also said her state will not provide funding to keep the Statue of Liberty open.
Union leaders representing NPS employees in the Northeast told WHYY the shutdown and ongoing staffing shortages could jeopardize preparations for the nation's 250th anniversary next year.
The weather forecasts will keep coming
Ahead of past possible shutdowns, the National Weather Service said it would continue to provide routine forecasts, as well as extreme weather watch and warning information.
Many other day-to-day weather operations will also continue uninterrupted, including urgent repairs to radar and other key equipment.
But the shutdown could delay routine maintenance, upgrades and long-term projects for less critical services, according to the National Weather Service.
Previous government shutdowns have delayed the processing of long-term weather and climate data at other federal agencies.
FEMA will keep working, but funding is running low
Most employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are considered exempt and will be available for any emergency or disasters.
But the main funding source for FEMA, the Disaster Relief Fund, is running dangerously low and needs congressional approval for additional funds.
During the shutdown, FEMA would implement immediate needs funding, and this could mean delays in reimbursements to states and local governments.
Additionally, FEMA administers the National Flood Insurance Program. With Congress unable to pass a spending bill, that's expected to lapse.
State-specific impacts
Some states across the country are uniquely positioned to feel the impact of the government shutdown. Here's what we know so far about how the shutdown is affecting specific areas:
Alaska
Alaska has one of the highest percentages of federal employees in its workforce, given its relatively small overall population compared with other states.
About 15,000 federal employees live in Alaska.
President Trump's threat that federal employees could receive termination notices increases the uncertainty around how this crucial workforce to Alaska's economy could be affected.
For more on the impact in Alaska, head to Alaska Public Media.
— Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media
California
Just hours before the federal government shutdown, KQED learned that the National Park Service intends to keep parks already accessible to the public open during the shutdown, while closing those that are not.
According to an internal NPS memo by email seen by KQED, parks with roads, trails and open air memorials will mostly remain accessible. Any area that can be shut with a gate or lock will be closed.
With NPS staffing already down by an estimated 24% at parks, the likelihood of poaching and vandalism could rise even further in the event of an unstaffed shutdown, said Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers. He points to the destruction of trees at Joshua Tree National Park during the 2019 shutdown. Wade said he's also worried that park staff won't just get furloughed but are also at risk of being fired outright, after Trump directed agencies to prepare for mass firings should the shutdown occur.
The shutdown could also prevent military participation in San Francisco's Fleet Week celebration, schedule for this weekend.
For more on how the government shutdown could impact the Bay Area, head to KQED.
— Adhiti Bandlamudi, Sarah Wright and Katie DeBenedetti, KQED
Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park was the fifth-most visited national park last year. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement earlier this week that Colorado is evaluating its options and would be a "willing partner if needed to use limited State funds to keep our biggest park fully operational if necessary."
"We would certainly ask the Federal government to keep the parks open and staffed, or create avenues for the state to assist in keeping parks open and protected," Polis said in a statement. "If Congress does not fund the federal government, I urge the Administration to prioritize the operations of the national parks that so many people love and are a huge economic driver for our rural communities, especially during leaf peeping season."
The National Weather Service confirmed it will continue to provide forecasts through its forecasting offices in Boulder, Grand Junction and Pueblo.
For more on the impact in Colorado, head to CPR.
— Caitlyn Kim and Megan Verlee, Colorado Public Radio
Connecticut
Connecticut is home to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a Coast Guard station. The Coast Guard is the only branch of the military that's under the Department of Homeland Security instead of the Department of Defense.
In the past, deals to keep the military paid during a shutdown haven't included the Coast Guard since they're under DHS.
During the shutdown in 2019, Coast Guard families relied on food pantries and discounts at local restaurants to get through.
Connecticut is also home to the U.S. Naval Submarine Base, which employs 6,500 active duty sailors, and more than 2,000 civilian employees and contractors. Though the Navy has been paid in the past, checks can be delayed.
Essential civilian workers report to work, but aren't paid until after the shutdown ends.
For more on the impact in Connecticut and on Long Island, head to WSHU.
— Molly Ingram, WSHU
Kansas
Kansas farmers face several uncertainties, as payments from some federal programs are in limbo. In addition, nearly half of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's employees will be furloughed, and many offices will be closed.
During the last two shutdowns, the USDA did not publish its monthly crop reports. This comes at an inconvenient time as Midwest farmers are in harvest season.
For more on the impact in Kansas City, head to KCUR.
— Brandon Azim and Noah Taborda, KCUR
Louisiana
The National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, is managed by FEMA and has been temporarily extended by Congress more than 30 times since 2017. NFIP was created in 1968 to provide flood insurance to those who don't have a private option. It has grown in size as most homeowner's insurance policies across the U.S. have dropped flood damage entirely.
It covers nearly half a million Louisianans.
Funding expired at 12:01 a.m., and without action policyholders with expiring contracts could lose coverage and will not have the opportunity to renew.
Funding made available by the U.S. Treasury Department to pay claims would also drop $30 billion overnight, leaving just over $1 billion for the program.
For more on the impact in Louisiana, head to WWNO/WRKF.
— Michael McEwen, WWNO/WRKF
Minnesota
As MPR News reports, Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union, said the shutdown comes at an already precarious time for rural communities.
"The shutdown comes as farmers begin to harvest. They need to know now they can count on not only USDA, but other agencies," Wertish said. "The last thing we need now is more uncertainty. We have enough uncertainty."
He noted that more farmers are filing for farmer-lender mediation, the process to plan how to manage debt rather than moving toward foreclosure, this year than in the past two years combined. Tariffs have prevented Minnesota farmers from accessing markets in China, previously the top buyer of the state's soybeans.
For more on the impact in Minnesota, head to MPR News.
— Dana Ferguson, Anna Haecherl, Dan Kraker and Lukas Levin, MPR
Oregon
There are nearly 30,000 federal workers in Oregon. Each federal agency has its own shutdown plan, but workers can be regarded as fitting into three basic categories:
- About a third are not affected because they work for the U.S. Postal Service, the Bonneville Power Administration or other agencies with their own funding mechanisms.
- Another third will be told to stay on the job because they are essential for public safety. That list includes airport screeners, air traffic controllers, border protection workers, federal law enforcement officers, in-hospital medical workers, members of the military, power grid maintenance staff and Veterans Affairs caregivers. They'll be expected to keep working but won't get paid until after funding starts flowing again.
- The last group — also about a third of the local federal workforce — won't work during the shutdown. This group includes part-time workers for agencies like the Forest Service. In previous shutdowns, Congress has paid furloughed workers afterward.
For more on the impact in Oregon, head to OPB.
— Kristian Foden-Vencil, OPB
Wisconsin
The impact of a shutdown is leaving Badger State federal employees unsure of how they will pay for basic expenses. It's unclear how many of Wisconsin's 18,000 federal workers will be furloughed and how many will be deemed essential.
Furlough designations depend on each agency's contingency plans and can shift over the lifespan of the shutdown. The OMB's threat of mass firings also adds to that uncertainty.
Carl Houtman is president of the National Federation of Federal Employees Local 276, which represents some forestry workers in Wisconsin, and sits on the Forest Service Council, which covers forestry workers nationally. He said sudden firings would go against required processes.
"This current administration … seems to think that we've suddenly become at-will employees, but there are all kinds of protections for federal employees," he said.
But, he added, lawsuits against other actions the Trump White House has taken against federal workers are taking a long time to resolve. During that time, he said, fired workers still need a paycheck.
For more on the impact in Wisconsin, head to Wisconsin Public Radio.
— Anya van Wagtendonk, WPR
NPR's Padma Rama and Emily Alfin Johnson edited this piece.
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