The United States has 11 recurring federal holidays set by federal law, and the answer to how many federal holidays there are shifts slightly in presidential inauguration years, when a twelfth day is added for certain federal workers around Washington, D.C. Presidents can also declare one-off holidays, most often as national days of mourning, but those aren’t part of the permanent list.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 6103 – Holidays
The 11 Federal Holidays
Federal law fixes each holiday to a specific date or a designated weekday. The 2026 dates below reflect the calendar published by the Office of Personnel Management.2U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays
- New Year’s Day — January 1 (Thursday)
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. — third Monday in January, January 19
- Washington’s Birthday — third Monday in February, February 16
- Memorial Day — last Monday in May, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence Day — June 19 (Friday)
- Independence Day — July 4 (Saturday), observed Friday, July 3
- Labor Day — first Monday in September, September 7
- Columbus Day — second Monday in October, October 12
- Veterans Day — November 11 (Wednesday)
- Thanksgiving Day — fourth Thursday in November, November 26
- Christmas Day — December 25 (Friday)
Juneteenth is the newest of the eleven. It was signed into law in June 2021.3Congress.gov. S.475 – Juneteenth National Independence Day Act The first four federal holidays date to 1870 and originally covered only federal employees in the District of Columbia.4Congress.gov. H.R. 2224 – An Act Making the First Day of January, the Twenty-Fifth Day of December, the Fourth Day of July, and Thanksgiving Day, Holidays, Within the District of Columbia
Inauguration Day: The Twelfth Holiday, Sometimes
Every four years, January 20 is a legal holiday for a defined group of federal workers: those in the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 6103 – Holidays If January 20 falls on a Sunday, the holiday moves to Monday the 21st. Federal employees outside those jurisdictions do not get the day off. The next Inauguration Day holiday falls in January 2029.
Occasional One-Time Holidays
A sitting president can declare an additional federal holiday by executive order. These are usually national days of mourning after the death of a former president. Federal offices close and federal employees receive paid time off for the designated day. Because they aren’t scheduled, they don’t change the count of 11 recurring holidays; they just add an extra closure whenever they happen.
Weekend Rules and Observed Dates
Standard federal employees don’t lose a day off when a holiday lands on a weekend. A Saturday holiday is observed the preceding Friday under the statute itself.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 6103 – Holidays A Sunday holiday is observed the following Monday under Executive Order 11582.5National Archives. Executive Order 11582 That’s why Independence Day 2026, which falls on Saturday, July 4, appears on federal calendars as observed Friday, July 3.
Employees on compressed or alternative schedules follow separate “in lieu of” rules, and agency heads can shift a substitute day within the same or next biweekly pay period when the normal rule would seriously disrupt operations.6U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Holidays Work Schedules and Pay
What Closes on a Federal Holiday
The count of 11 matters mostly because of what those days shut down. The Federal Reserve observes all 11, so banks generally cannot process wire transfers or ACH payments on those dates.7Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Holiday Schedule The U.S. Postal Service also observes all 11: retail post offices close and residential mail is not delivered.
Stock markets follow a different calendar. The NYSE and Nasdaq close for nine of the eleven in 2026 but stay open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day, and they also close on Good Friday, which isn’t a federal holiday at all.8Nasdaq. Nasdaq Trading Schedule The exchanges observe early closes at 1:00 p.m. on the day after Thanksgiving (November 27) and Christmas Eve (December 24). If you’re planning trades, check the exchange schedule directly rather than assuming it tracks the federal list.
Do Federal Holidays Apply to Private Employers?
No. Federal holiday law governs federal employees. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require private employers to give workers time off, paid or unpaid, on any federal holiday, and it does not require premium pay for working one.9U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay Whether you get the day off, get paid extra, or work a regular shift at a regular rate is set by your employment contract or collective bargaining agreement. Many private employers do offer paid holidays as a benefit, and some track the full federal calendar while others pick only a few, but that’s a choice, not a legal requirement.