Looking for the full list of US federal holidays in 2026? The United States observes eleven federal holidays each year, and 2026 delivers a familiar rhythm: Monday observances through winter and spring, a Friday observed Independence Day in July, and the year’s biggest travel peaks at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Below is every federal holiday with its exact 2026 date, plus how observed dates and long weekends work.
All US federal holidays in 2026
- Thursday, 1 January — New Year’s Day
- Monday, 19 January — Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Monday, 16 February — Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day)
- Monday, 25 May — Memorial Day
- Friday, 19 June — Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Friday, 3 July — Independence Day (observed; the 4th falls on a Saturday)
- Saturday, 4 July — Independence Day
- Monday, 7 September — Labor Day
- Monday, 12 October — Columbus Day
- Wednesday, 11 November — Veterans Day
- Thursday, 26 November — Thanksgiving Day
- Friday, 25 December — Christmas Day
How observed dates work
Federal offices follow a simple rule: when a holiday falls on a Saturday, it is observed on the preceding Friday; when it falls on a Sunday, it moves to the following Monday. In 2026, Independence Day lands on a Saturday, so federal employees get Friday 3 July off as the observed holiday — effectively a three-day weekend. Christmas Day falls on a Friday, so no shift is needed. Private employers are not legally required to follow the federal schedule, but the vast majority do for the major holidays, and many add the day after Thanksgiving as well.
What closes on federal holidays
Federal government offices, post offices, most banks and the stock markets close on all eleven holidays. Public schools and state offices generally follow, though the details vary by state — Columbus Day, for instance, is not observed as a day off everywhere, and some states add their own holidays like Patriots’ Day or Cesar Chavez Day. Retail stores, restaurants and tourist attractions usually stay open, with the big exceptions of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when much of the country genuinely pauses and even many grocery chains shut their doors.
State holidays beyond the federal list
States add their own flavour on top of the federal eleven. Massachusetts and Maine observe Patriots’ Day in April; Texas marks its own independence day in March; California observes Cesar Chavez Day; several Southern states have Confederate-related observances. If you work for a state government or live in one of these states, your actual days off exceed the federal list. Visitors rarely need to worry — but it is worth knowing why a state office might be closed on a day that looks ordinary federally.
Long weekends and travel peaks in 2026
Five federal holidays create three-day weekends by design: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day all fall on Mondays, with the observed Independence Day on Friday 3 July adding a sixth. Thanksgiving delivers a four-day stretch for most workers (Thursday plus the widely-granted Friday). Expect the heaviest travel of the year around Thanksgiving (25–29 November) and Christmas (23–27 December) — book flights early, travel on the holiday morning itself for calmer airports, and remember that the Friday after Thanksgiving, while not federal, is a de facto holiday for much of the workforce.