The 2026 federal holidays calendar has eleven dates, and only one of them shifts: Independence Day falls on Saturday, July 4, so federal offices close the preceding Friday, July 3. Every other 2026 holiday is observed on its actual calendar date.
2026 Federal Holiday Dates
- New Year’s Day — Thursday, January 1
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. — Monday, January 19
- Washington’s Birthday — Monday, February 16
- Memorial Day — Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence Day — Friday, June 19
- Independence Day — Saturday, July 4 (observed Friday, July 3)
- Labor Day — Monday, September 7
- Columbus Day — Monday, October 12
- Veterans Day — Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day — Thursday, November 26
- Christmas Day — Friday, December 25
Six holidays sit on a Monday by statute, and Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday. The other four move around the week each year because they’re pinned to fixed calendar dates.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 6103 – Holidays
Why Independence Day Is Observed on Friday, July 3
For federal employees on a standard Monday-through-Friday schedule, a holiday that lands on a Saturday is observed on the preceding Friday, and a Sunday holiday shifts to the following Monday.2U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays July 4, 2026 is a Saturday, so the observed federal closure is Friday, July 3. That “in lieu of” date is what governs closures at banks, post offices, and government agencies.3U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Fact Sheet: Federal Holidays – In Lieu Of Determination Every other 2026 holiday falls on a weekday, so no other shifts apply.
What Closes on These Dates
Government Offices and Federal Courts
Most federal offices close on all eleven holidays. That takes in the Social Security Administration, IRS walk-in offices, passport offices, and federal courthouses. Federal courts don’t accept filings on those dates, though electronic filing systems may accept uploads that get docketed the next business day. State and local offices set their own schedules and often overlap, but not always.
U.S. Postal Service
The Postal Service suspends regular mail delivery and closes on all eleven federal holidays.2U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays Nothing standard moves on those days. For anything time-sensitive around July 3–4, expect a three-day gap.
Banks and the Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve System closes on all eleven federal holidays, so interbank transfers don’t settle.4Federal Reserve Financial Services. FedCash Holiday Schedule Most commercial banks follow the same schedule. One 2026 wrinkle: because Independence Day is a Saturday, Federal Reserve Banks and Branches stay open on Friday, July 3, even though the Board of Governors is closed that day.5Federal Reserve. Holidays Observed – K.8 Whether your local branch opens on July 3 is up to the bank, so check ahead.
Stock Markets Follow a Different Schedule
The NYSE and Nasdaq don’t match the federal holiday list. In 2026, U.S. equity markets close on:
- New Year’s Day — January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — January 19
- Washington’s Birthday — February 16
- Good Friday — April 3 (not a federal holiday)
- Memorial Day — May 25
- Juneteenth — June 19
- Independence Day (observed) — July 3
- Labor Day — September 7
- Thanksgiving Day — November 26
- Christmas Day — December 25
Columbus Day and Veterans Day are federal holidays, but the exchanges trade normally on both. Good Friday isn’t a federal holiday, yet the markets close every year. November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving) and December 24 (Christmas Eve) are early-close days, with trading ending at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.6NYSE. Holidays and Trading Hours
How the 2026 Holidays Affect Deadlines and Payments
Tax Filing Deadlines
When an IRS deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, it moves to the next business day. April 15, 2026 is a Wednesday, so the annual filing deadline doesn’t shift.7Internal Revenue Service. When to File The same weekend-and-holiday rule applies to quarterly estimated payments, extension deadlines, and IRA contribution cutoffs.
Court Filing Deadlines
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6, if a filing period ends on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline runs to the end of the next day that isn’t one of those.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC App Fed R Civ P Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time Watch Veterans Day, which lands mid-week on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and can quietly shorten a filing window.
ACH Transfers and Direct Deposits
ACH transfers run through the Federal Reserve and don’t process on federal holidays or weekends. A payment initiated the day before a holiday won’t start moving until the next business day, so a transfer sent late Thursday, June 18, 2026 (before Juneteenth on Friday) may not land until Monday, June 22.
Social Security Payments
Retirement and disability benefits scheduled for Wednesday delivery pay out on the last preceding non-holiday day when that Wednesday is a federal holiday. Supplemental Security Income, normally paid on the first of the month, shifts to the preceding Friday when the first falls on a weekend.9Social Security Administration. Paying Monthly Benefits
Inauguration Day Is Not a 2026 Holiday
January 20 is a federal holiday only every four years, and only for federal employees in Washington, D.C. and nearby counties in Maryland and Virginia. The statute doesn’t extend it to federal workers elsewhere.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays The most recent one was January 20, 2025; the next is January 20, 2029. Nothing about it applies in 2026.
Presidents can also close federal offices for a day by executive order, typically for a national day of mourning or an ad hoc addition to a holiday weekend. Those orders apply the same pay and leave rules as regular federal holidays, and agency heads keep authority to run essential operations.11The White House. Providing for the Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government Any such addition for 2026 would come by proclamation and isn’t on the statutory calendar above.