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Public Holiday Calendar

Public Holidays in United States

🇺🇸 United States · North America

Public Holidays in United States

Statutory public holidays in United States, with the dates that give people the day off, how the calendar is set, and what it means for travel, cities and culture.

Region North America
Capital Washington, D.C.
Currency $ USD - United States Dollar
Time zone UTC-5 (-4 DST) - Eastern Standard Time (EST)Population 340.0M people

Country overview

United States at a glance

The United States has eleven federal holidays, and states add their own, so the calendar varies by location. Many are set on a Monday to create long weekends.

Thanksgiving in late November and the Christmas-to-New-Year stretch are the two biggest travel periods of the year.

2026 dates

United States public holidays 2026

United States has 12 public holidays in 2026 – the statutory days off. The table below lists those public holidays; observances and other non-statutory dates are not part of the total.

Holiday Date Type
New Year's Day Jan 1Thu National
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan 19Mon National
Washington's Birthday Feb 16Mon National
Memorial Day May 25Mon National
Juneteenth National Independence Day Jun 19Fri National
Independence Day (observed) Jul 3Fri Substitute
Independence Day Jul 4Sat National
Labor Day Sep 7Mon National
Columbus Day Oct 12Mon National
Veterans Day Nov 11Wed National
Thanksgiving Day Nov 26Thu National
Christmas Day Dec 25Fri National

Showing 12 of 12 public holidays for 2026.

View all 2026 dates →

Where to go

Major cities in United States

The urban centres that anchor most trips to United States.

Washington DC

A capital of monuments, museums and a National Mall between them.

Known forMonuments

New York

A city of a dense grid, a harbour and an unmatched cultural density.

Known forEverything

Los Angeles

A sprawling city of beaches, hills and the entertainment industry.

Known forFilm & beaches

Chicago

A lakefront city of architecture, deep-dish pizza and a great riverfront.

Known forArchitecture

New Orleans

A city of a French Quarter, jazz funerals and a distinctive cuisine.

Known forMusic & food

San Francisco

A hilly city of a bay, a bridge and a tech economy.

Known forLandmarks

Highlights

Top attractions in United States

The places that draw most visitors to United States.

Grand Canyon

A mile-deep canyon cut by the Colorado across the Colorado Plateau.

RegionArizona

Statue of Liberty

A copper colossus on a harbour island, the symbol of American welcome.

RegionNew York

Yellowstone National Park

The first national park in the world, of geysers and wildlife.

RegionWyoming

Yosemite National Park

A granite valley of waterfalls, domes and giant sequoias.

RegionCalifornia

Great Smoky Mountains

The most visited national park, of mist-covered ridges and forest.

RegionTennessee

Everglades National Park

A vast subtropical wetland of sawgrass, alligators and wading birds.

RegionFlorida

Culture & travel

Festivals, food and getting around United States

What the calendar looks like on the ground, and how to move through the country around it.

Festivals behind the holidays

  • 🎉

    New Year's Day

    Falls on Jan 1

  • 🎉

    World Braille Day

    Falls on Jan 4

  • 🎉

    Epiphany

    Falls on Jan 6

  • 🎉

    Orthodox Christmas Day

    Falls on Jan 7

  • 🎉

    International Programmers' Day

    Falls on Jan 7

  • 🎉

    Estelle Reel Day

    Falls on Jan 7

Food & drink

HamburgerBarbecue ribsApple pieClam chowderHot dogBuffalo wingsMac and cheeseCraft beer

Getting around

63
National parks across the country
11
Federal public holidays each year

Amtrak and the interstates define long-distance travel, but flying is usually the practical choice across such distances.

Practical advice

Travelling around United States’s holidays

What the dates mean once you are there.

📅

Book around the peaks

Transport and hotels in United States tighten around major holidays; reserve early for the busiest weeks.

🏪

Check opening hours

Museums, banks and government offices usually close on statutory holidays, and often on the nearest Monday.

💰

Carry local currency

Small vendors and rural businesses frequently take cash only, especially on holidays when banks are shut.

🚆

Expect crowded transport

Long weekends produce the year's heaviest road, rail and air traffic. Build in extra travel time.

🇬

Confirm the official list

United States's holiday dates are confirmed by government announcement; check the year page for the final arrangement.

📋

Plan the long weekends

Pairing a holiday with adjacent weekends gives the longest breaks of the year — and the busiest.

FAQ

United States public holidays: common questions

How many public holidays does United States have?

United States has 12 public holidays in 2026, counting every date typed National, Substitute or Bank in our calendar. Observances, religious dates and regional holidays are listed separately and left out of the total, because they are not days off across the whole country.

Where can I find the full 2026 list?

The complete 2026 calendar for United States is on the year page, with every recorded date in order.

Are United States's public holidays paid?

Statutory national holidays are generally paid leave for employees. Observances and commemorative days are usually not.

Do holidays move if they fall on a weekend?

Where a holiday falls on a weekend, United States typically observes it on the nearest weekday. Check the year page for the confirmed arrangement.

Are there regional holidays in United States?

Some holidays are observed only in certain regions or by certain communities. The year page lists what applies nationally.

Which years are covered for United States?

Calendars are published for 2026, 2025.

School calendar

School holidays in United States

There is no national calendar - each school district sets its own. Below are three large officially published 2026-2027 calendars: New York City Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District and Houston ISD. Check the individual district site for any other area.

2026

RegionHolidayStartsEndsSource
Houston ISDThanksgiving break23 Nov 202627 Nov 2026official page
New York CityThanksgiving recess26 Nov 202627 Nov 2026official page
Los Angeles UnifiedThanksgiving holiday26 Nov 202627 Nov 2026official page
Los Angeles UnifiedWinter recessStudents return 11 January 2027.21 Dec 20268 Jan 2027official page
Houston ISDWinter break21 Dec 20261 Jan 2027official page
New York CityWinter recess24 Dec 20261 Jan 2027official page

2027

RegionHolidayStartsEndsSource
New York CityMidwinter recess15 Feb 202719 Feb 2027official page
Houston ISDSpring break8 Mar 202712 Mar 2027official page
Los Angeles UnifiedSpring recess22 Mar 202726 Mar 2027official page
New York CitySpring recess22 Apr 202730 Apr 2027official page

Official sources: NYC Public Schools - 2026-27 school year calendar (checked 10 Sep 2026) · Los Angeles Unified School District - instructional calendars (checked 10 Sep 2026) · Houston ISD - 2026-2027 yearly calendar (checked 10 Sep 2026)

School calendar

School term dates in United States

Term dates below are the periods when classes are in session.

2026

RegionTermStartsEndsSource
Houston ISDFirst semester10 Aug 202618 Dec 2026official page
Los Angeles UnifiedFirst semester12 Aug 202610 Jan 2027official page
New York CityFall semester10 Sep 20261 Feb 2027official page

2027

RegionTermStartsEndsSource
Houston ISDSecond semester5 Jan 202728 May 2027official page
Los Angeles UnifiedSecond semester11 Jan 20274 Jun 2027official page
New York CitySpring semester2 Feb 202728 Jun 2027official page

Official sources: NYC Public Schools - 2026-27 school year calendar (checked 10 Sep 2026) · Los Angeles Unified School District - instructional calendars (checked 10 Sep 2026) · Houston ISD - 2026-2027 yearly calendar (checked 10 Sep 2026)

School calendar data last updated 10 Sep 2026. Dates come from education ministries and local education authorities; always re-check with the school before booking travel.

Tags

Holiday observance can vary by region and employer. Confirm critical dates with the relevant authority.