Leave HackerJoin the betaFederal holidays 2026
There are 11 federal holidays in the United States. The best value is New Year's Day: take 1 day of PTO and get 4 days off in a row. For a real vacation, Christmas is the one: take 4 days, get 10 off.
Federal holidays 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| January 19 | Monday | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| February 16 | Monday | Washington's Birthday |
| May 25 | Monday | Memorial Day |
| June 19 | Friday | Juneteenth National Independence Day |
| July 3 | Friday | Independence Day observed (the date itself is July 4) |
| September 7 | Monday | Labor Day |
| October 12 | Monday | Columbus Day |
| November 11 | Wednesday | Veterans Day |
| November 26 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day |
| December 25 | Friday | Christmas Day |
When a federal holiday falls on a Saturday it's observed on the Friday before, and on a Sunday the Monday after. In 2026: Independence Day (July 4) is observed Friday, July 3. OPM.
These are the holidays federal employees get. Private employers don't have to give any of them: federal law doesn't require paid holidays or paid vacation, so they're up to your employer. Private-sector workers average 8 paid holidays a year. BLS.
The days to take off around each federal holiday
Each break below runs from the first day off to the last, weekends included. Only days of PTO that buy at least two days off each are listed.
New Year's Day: take 1 day, get 4 off
New Year's Day on Thursday, January 1.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri, Jan 2 | Jan 1 to 4 |
| 2 | 5 | Fri, Jan 2 and Mon, Jan 5 | Jan 1 to 5 |
| 3 | 6 | Fri, Jan 2 and Mon, Jan 5 to Tue, Jan 6 | Jan 1 to 6 |
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.: take 1 day, get 4 off
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 19.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri, Jan 16 | Jan 16 to 19 |
| 2 | 5 | Thu, Jan 15 to Fri, Jan 16 | Jan 15 to 19 |
| 3 | 6 | Wed, Jan 14 to Fri, Jan 16 | Jan 14 to 19 |
| 4 | 9 | Tue, Jan 20 to Fri, Jan 23 | Jan 17 to 25 |
| 5 | 10 | Mon, Jan 12 to Fri, Jan 16 | Jan 10 to 19 |
Washington's Birthday: take 1 day, get 4 off
Washington's Birthday on Monday, February 16.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri, Feb 13 | Feb 13 to 16 |
| 2 | 5 | Thu, Feb 12 to Fri, Feb 13 | Feb 12 to 16 |
| 3 | 6 | Wed, Feb 11 to Fri, Feb 13 | Feb 11 to 16 |
| 4 | 9 | Tue, Feb 17 to Fri, Feb 20 | Feb 14 to 22 |
| 5 | 10 | Mon, Feb 9 to Fri, Feb 13 | Feb 7 to 16 |
Memorial Day: take 1 day, get 4 off
Memorial Day on Monday, May 25.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri, May 22 | May 22 to 25 |
| 2 | 5 | Thu, May 21 to Fri, May 22 | May 21 to 25 |
| 3 | 6 | Wed, May 20 to Fri, May 22 | May 20 to 25 |
| 4 | 9 | Tue, May 26 to Fri, May 29 | May 23 to 31 |
| 5 | 10 | Mon, May 18 to Fri, May 22 | May 16 to 25 |
Juneteenth National Independence Day: take 1 day, get 4 off
Juneteenth National Independence Day on Friday, June 19.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Thu, Jun 18 | Jun 18 to 21 |
| 2 | 5 | Wed, Jun 17 to Thu, Jun 18 | Jun 17 to 21 |
| 3 | 6 | Tue, Jun 16 to Thu, Jun 18 | Jun 16 to 21 |
| 4 | 9 | Mon, Jun 15 to Thu, Jun 18 | Jun 13 to 21 |
| 5 | 10 | Fri, Jun 12 and Mon, Jun 15 to Thu, Jun 18 | Jun 12 to 21 |
Independence Day: take 1 day, get 4 off
Independence Day on Friday, July 3.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Thu, Jul 2 | Jul 2 to 5 |
| 2 | 5 | Wed, Jul 1 to Thu, Jul 2 | Jul 1 to 5 |
| 3 | 6 | Tue, Jun 30 to Thu, Jul 2 | Jun 30 to Jul 5 |
| 4 | 9 | Mon, Jun 29 to Thu, Jul 2 | Jun 27 to Jul 5 |
| 5 | 10 | Fri, Jun 26 and Mon, Jun 29 to Thu, Jul 2 | Jun 26 to Jul 5 |
Labor Day: take 1 day, get 4 off
Labor Day on Monday, September 7.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri, Sep 4 | Sep 4 to 7 |
| 2 | 5 | Thu, Sep 3 to Fri, Sep 4 | Sep 3 to 7 |
| 3 | 6 | Wed, Sep 2 to Fri, Sep 4 | Sep 2 to 7 |
| 4 | 9 | Tue, Sep 8 to Fri, Sep 11 | Sep 5 to 13 |
| 5 | 10 | Mon, Aug 31 to Fri, Sep 4 | Aug 29 to Sep 7 |
Columbus Day: take 1 day, get 4 off
Columbus Day on Monday, October 12.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri, Oct 9 | Oct 9 to 12 |
| 2 | 5 | Thu, Oct 8 to Fri, Oct 9 | Oct 8 to 12 |
| 3 | 6 | Wed, Oct 7 to Fri, Oct 9 | Oct 7 to 12 |
| 4 | 9 | Tue, Oct 13 to Fri, Oct 16 | Oct 10 to 18 |
| 5 | 10 | Mon, Oct 5 to Fri, Oct 9 | Oct 3 to 12 |
Veterans Day: take 2 days, get 5 off
Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11.
Take 2 days, get 5 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5 | Mon, Nov 9 to Tue, Nov 10 | Nov 7 to 11 |
| 3 | 6 | Fri, Nov 6 and Mon, Nov 9 to Tue, Nov 10 | Nov 6 to 11 |
| 4 | 9 | Mon, Nov 9 to Tue, Nov 10 and Thu, Nov 12 to Fri, Nov 13 | Nov 7 to 15 |
| 5 | 10 | Fri, Nov 6, Mon, Nov 9 to Tue, Nov 10, and Thu, Nov 12 to Fri, Nov 13 | Nov 6 to 15 |
Thanksgiving Day: take 1 day, get 4 off
Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 26.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri, Nov 27 | Nov 26 to 29 |
| 2 | 5 | Wed, Nov 25 and Fri, Nov 27 | Nov 25 to 29 |
| 3 | 6 | Mon, Nov 23 to Wed, Nov 25 | Nov 21 to 26 |
| 4 | 9 | Mon, Nov 23 to Wed, Nov 25 and Fri, Nov 27 | Nov 21 to 29 |
| 5 | 10 | Fri, Nov 20, Mon, Nov 23 to Wed, Nov 25, and Fri, Nov 27 | Nov 20 to 29 |
Christmas: take 1 day, get 4 off
Christmas Day on Friday, December 25.
Take 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of PTO | Days off | Days to take | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Thu, Dec 24 | Dec 24 to 27 |
| 2 | 5 | Wed, Dec 23 to Thu, Dec 24 | Dec 23 to 27 |
| 3 | 6 | Tue, Dec 22 to Thu, Dec 24 | Dec 22 to 27 |
| 4 | 10 | Mon, Dec 28 to Thu, Dec 31 | Dec 25 to Jan 3 |
| 5 | 11 | Thu, Dec 24 and Mon, Dec 28 to Thu, Dec 31 | Dec 24 to Jan 3 |
| 6 | 12 | Wed, Dec 23 to Thu, Dec 24 and Mon, Dec 28 to Thu, Dec 31 | Dec 23 to Jan 3 |
| 8 | 16 | Mon, Dec 21 to Thu, Dec 24 and Mon, Dec 28 to Thu, Dec 31 | Dec 19 to Jan 3 |
Your whole 2026 with 15 days of PTO
With the usual six holidays, 15 days of PTO make 40 days off across 7 breaks. With all 11 federal holidays, it's 44.
Questions
What are the federal holidays in 2026?
New Year's Day (Thu, Jan 1), Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Mon, Jan 19), Washington's Birthday (Mon, Feb 16), Memorial Day (Mon, May 25), Juneteenth National Independence Day (Fri, Jun 19), Independence Day (Fri, Jul 3), Labor Day (Mon, Sep 7), Columbus Day (Mon, Oct 12), Veterans Day (Wed, Nov 11), Thanksgiving Day (Thu, Nov 26), and Christmas Day (Fri, Dec 25).
Do private employers have to give federal holidays off?
No. Federal law doesn't require paid holidays or paid vacation; they're a matter between you and your employer. Federal holidays are the days federal employees get off. U.S. Department of Labor.
Which holidays do most employers give?
The six private employers give most often are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Far fewer give Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day or Veterans Day. BLS.
How do I get the most days off in 2026?
Take the working days between a holiday and a weekend. The best value is New Year's Day: take Fri, Jan 2 for 4 days off. The best long break is Christmas: take 4 days (Mon, Dec 28 to Thu, Dec 31) for 10 days off.
Where the dates come from
We checked every date by hand against these official pages on October 26, 2026. Holidays are never worked out from rules.