US federal holidays 2026
There are 11 federal holidays in 2026, and 10 fall on weekdays. One of them falls on a weekend, so the day off moves: Independence Day to Friday, July 3.
| Federal holidays | 11 |
|---|---|
| On weekdays (actual date) | 10 |
| Moved to an observed day | 1 |
| Federal days off in calendar 2026 | 11 |
| Thanksgiving | Thursday, November 26 |
| Juneteenth day off | Friday, June 19 |
| Business days in the year | 250 |
| Three-day weekends | 8 |
All holidays in 2026
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Day off (observed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | Same day | |
| Monday | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Same day | |
| Monday | Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) | Same day | |
| Monday | Memorial Day | Same day | |
| Friday | Juneteenth National Independence Day | Same day | |
| Saturday | Independence Day | ||
| Monday | Labor Day | Same day | |
| Monday | Columbus Day | Same day | |
| Wednesday | Veterans Day | Same day | |
| Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | Same day | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | Same day |
Five holidays are defined as Mondays in 5 U.S.C. 6103, so they always make a three-day weekend: in 2026, Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 19, Washington's Birthday on February 16, Memorial Day on May 25, Labor Day on September 7, and Columbus Day on October 12. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November, November 26.
July 4, 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It falls on a Saturday, so the federal day off is Friday, July 3.
Banks follow the Federal Reserve schedule, which differs on one point: when a holiday falls on a Saturday, Federal Reserve Banks stay open the Friday before. In 2026 that applies to Independence Day. The NYSE closes on Good Friday (April 3), which is not a federal holiday, and stays open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day.
Actual date vs observed date in 2026
The actual date is the legal holiday in 5 U.S.C. 6103(a); the observed date is the day federal employees on a Monday-Friday schedule get off. A Saturday holiday moves to the Friday before (5 U.S.C. 6103(b)), a Sunday holiday to the Monday after (Executive Order 11582, section 3(a)). In 2026 that moves one holiday: Independence Day (Saturday, July 4 to Friday, July 3).
The President can add days off by executive order, as on December 24 and 26, 2025. Any such day for 2026 would be announced by OPM and is not in this table until it exists.
Long weekends in 2026
Every observed Monday or Friday holiday makes a three-day weekend without using leave. A Tuesday or Thursday holiday is a bridge: one day of leave turns it into four days off. 2026 has eight three-day weekends and two bridges; Thanksgiving is the classic one.
Long weekends (no leave needed)
- Saturday, January 17 to Monday, January 19: 3 days · Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Saturday, February 14 to Monday, February 16: 3 days · Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day)
- Saturday, May 23 to Monday, May 25: 3 days · Memorial Day
- Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21: 3 days · Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5: 3 days · Independence Day
- Saturday, September 5 to Monday, September 7: 3 days · Labor Day
- Saturday, October 10 to Monday, October 12: 3 days · Columbus Day
- Friday, December 25 to Sunday, December 27: 3 days · Christmas Day
Bridge days (one day of leave, four days off)
- Thursday, January 1 to Sunday, January 4: 4 days · New Year's Day · take Friday, January 2 off
- Thursday, November 26 to Sunday, November 29: 4 days · Thanksgiving Day · take Friday, November 27 off
Business days per month in 2026
Business days = Monday to Friday minus observed federal holidays that land in 2026. State holidays, the day after Thanksgiving and any executive-order closures are not subtracted. In 2026, the months with the fewest business days are February and November (19 each), and the ones with the most are March, April, July, and December (22 each).
| Month | Mon-Fri | Holidays on weekdays | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 2 (New Year's Day, Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.) | 20 |
| February | 20 | 1 (Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day)) | 19 |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 1 (Memorial Day) | 20 |
| June | 22 | 1 (Juneteenth National Independence Day) | 21 |
| July | 23 | 1 (Independence Day) | 22 |
| August | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 1 (Labor Day) | 21 |
| October | 22 | 1 (Columbus Day) | 21 |
| November | 21 | 2 (Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day) | 19 |
| December | 23 | 1 (Christmas Day) | 22 |
| Total | 261 | 11 | 250 |
2026 calendar with holidays
Observed federal days off in 2026 are highlighted, including any that fall on a different day than the legal date. Weeks start on Sunday. Print with your browser's print command; each month is its own table.
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| : New Year's Day | ||||||
| : Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | ||||||
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| : Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) | ||||||
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| : Memorial Day | ||||||
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| : Juneteenth National Independence Day | ||||||
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| : Independence Day | : Independence Day | |||||
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| : Labor Day | ||||||
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| : Columbus Day | ||||||
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| : Veterans Day | ||||||
| : Thanksgiving Day | ||||||
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| : Christmas Day | ||||||
- Holiday (day off)
- Legal date on a weekend (day off moved)
- Weekend
State holidays and private employers in 2026
5 U.S.C. 6103 sets holidays for federal employees. States set their own lists: most mirror the federal ones, many add the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27 in 2026), and some rename or drop Columbus Day. Private employers are not required by federal law to give paid holidays; it is a matter of company policy or contract.
Christmas Eve 2026 is a Thursday and a regular workday under federal rules.
Frequently asked questions
- How many federal holidays are there in 2026?
- Eleven, set by 5 U.S.C. 6103: New Year's Day (January 1), Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 19), Washington's Birthday (February 16), Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (September 7), Columbus Day (October 12), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day (November 26), and Christmas Day (December 25). One of them is observed on a different weekday.
- When is Juneteenth observed in 2026?
- Juneteenth falls on Friday, June 19, 2026, and that is also the federal day off.
- Is Christmas Eve a federal holiday in 2026?
- No. December 24, 2026 is a Thursday and a regular workday for federal employees, unless the President excuses them by executive order, as happened in 2025.
- When is Thanksgiving 2026?
- Thursday, November 26, 2026, the fourth Thursday of November. The Friday after is not a federal holiday, although many states and employers give it off.
- Which 2026 federal holidays fall on a weekend?
- Independence Day (Saturday, July 4). Saturday holidays are observed the Friday before and Sunday holidays the Monday after.
Last reviewed by Arielton Oberek.