Every state sets its own legal holidays. Most adopt the bulk of the 11 federal holidays and then add or drop a few: Louisiana closes for Mardi Gras on Tuesday, February 9, 2027, Massachusetts for Patriots’ Day on Monday, April 19, 2027, and Alaska for Seward’s Day on Monday, March 29, 2027. A state holiday closes state offices, courts and usually the DMV; it does not close federal offices, post offices or banks.
The 12 most populous states
| State | State holidays in 2027 beyond the federal list | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California | Farmworkers Day, Wed, March 31; Day after Thanksgiving, Fri, November 26 | March 31 was César Chávez Day until Assembly Bill 2156 renamed it in March 2026. Columbus Day is not a state holiday. |
| Texas | Confederate Heroes Day, Tue, January 19; Texas Independence Day, Tue, March 2; San Jacinto Day, Wed, April 21; Emancipation Day in Texas, Sat, June 19; Lyndon Baines Johnson Day, Fri, August 27; Friday after Thanksgiving; December 24 and 26 | Several are “partial staffing” holidays: offices stay open with reduced staff. Good Friday and César Chávez Day are optional. |
| Florida | Friday after Thanksgiving, November 26 | Florida’s nine paid state holidays leave out Washington’s Birthday, Juneteenth and Columbus Day (Fla. Stat. 110.117). |
| New York | Lincoln’s Birthday, Fri, February 12; Election Day, Tue, November 2 | |
| Pennsylvania | Day after Thanksgiving, Fri, November 26 | |
| Illinois | Lincoln’s Birthday, Fri, February 12; Day after Thanksgiving, Fri, November 26 | General Election Day is added in even-numbered years. Casimir Pulaski Day is a commemorative day: state offices stay open. |
| Ohio | None | The February holiday is named Washington-Lincoln Day. |
| Georgia | Two days designated each year by the governor | Recently placed on Good Friday and the Friday after Thanksgiving; Washington’s Birthday is observed near Christmas instead of in February. |
| North Carolina | Good Friday, March 26; Day after Thanksgiving, November 26; a three-day Christmas holiday | Columbus Day is not observed. |
| Michigan | Day after Thanksgiving, November 26; Christmas Eve; New Year’s Eve | Election Day is added in even-numbered years. |
| New Jersey | Good Friday, March 26; Election Day, Tue, November 2 | New Jersey holds a general election every November. |
| Virginia | Election Day, Tue, November 2 | February holiday is George Washington Day. |
Dates are computed from each state’s holiday rules. The rows for California, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey were checked against state sources in November 2026; the others come from the open-source python-holidays data set. Governors and legislatures change these lists, so the state’s own personnel calendar is the final word.
Notable state holidays in 2027, in date order
- Mardi Gras — Tuesday, February 9, 2027. Louisiana. A legal holiday statewide; the biggest closures are in the New Orleans area.
- Casimir Pulaski Day — Monday, March 1, 2027. Illinois, first Monday in March. A commemorative day: it is not on the state employee holiday list, and state offices stay open.
- Town Meeting Day — Tuesday, March 2, 2027. Vermont, first Tuesday in March. It shares the date with Texas Independence Day this year.
- Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day — Friday, March 26, 2027. Hawaii.
- Seward’s Day — Monday, March 29, 2027. Alaska, last Monday in March, marking the 1867 treaty to purchase Alaska from Russia.
- Emancipation Day — Friday, April 16, 2027. District of Columbia.
- Patriots’ Day — Monday, April 19, 2027. Massachusetts and Maine, third Monday in April; the day of the Boston Marathon.
- San Jacinto Day — Wednesday, April 21, 2027. Texas.
- Confederate Memorial Day — Monday, April 26, 2027. Alabama and Mississippi, fourth or last Monday in April.
- Arbor Day — Friday, April 30, 2027. Nebraska, last Friday in April.
- Truman Day — Saturday, May 8, 2027, observed Friday, May 7. Missouri.
- King Kamehameha I Day — Friday, June 11, 2027. Hawaii.
- West Virginia Day — Sunday, June 20, 2027, observed Monday, June 21.
- Pioneer Day — Saturday, July 24, 2027, observed Friday, July 23. Utah.
- Victory Day — Monday, August 9, 2027. Rhode Island, second Monday in August.
- Bennington Battle Day — Monday, August 16, 2027. Vermont.
- Statehood Day — Friday, August 20, 2027. Hawaii, third Friday in August.
- Frances Xavier Cabrini Day — Monday, October 4, 2027. Colorado, first Monday in October, in place of Columbus Day.
- Alaska Day — Monday, October 18, 2027. Alaska.
- Nevada Day — Friday, October 29, 2027. Nevada, last Friday in October.
Where states depart from the federal list
Columbus Day is the federal holiday states most often skip or rename; the breakdown is on the Columbus Day page. The day after Thanksgiving is the most common addition, covered under Thanksgiving. Good Friday is a full or partial state holiday in about ten states, listed on the Good Friday page.
Election Day is a state holiday in a group of states that includes Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire and West Virginia, generally in even-numbered general-election years. New Jersey, New York and Virginia observe it every November, including Tuesday, November 2, 2027. The next presidential Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 2028.
When state and federal observed dates differ
States write their own weekend rules. Most copy the federal pattern of Friday for a Saturday holiday and Monday for a Sunday holiday, but some move a Saturday holiday to Monday, and a few give no substitute day at all. That matters in 2027 for Juneteenth and Christmas. A state office could be open on Friday, June 18 while the federal building across the street is closed.
Does a state holiday apply to private employers?
Generally not. A state legal holiday governs state offices and may affect court deadlines and school calendars. Private businesses in the state are not required to close. Banks located in a state may choose to close for a state holiday, but the Federal Reserve’s payment systems keep operating.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the most state holidays?
Counts depend on how partial and optional days are treated. Texas lists the largest number of named state holidays, though several require offices to stay open with reduced staff.
Is Mardi Gras a federal holiday?
No. It is a state holiday in Louisiana only. Federal offices in New Orleans may adjust operations locally, but mail and federal services are not on holiday.
Is Patriots’ Day the same as Patriot Day?
No. Patriots’ Day is the April state holiday in Massachusetts and Maine. Patriot Day is the September 11 day of remembrance, which is not a day off anywhere.
Is the DMV open on federal holidays?
DMVs are state agencies. They close on the holidays their state observes, which usually covers the major federal holidays but not always Columbus Day or Veterans Day.
Last checked: 13 November 2026 — federal dates verified against OPM; state rows as noted above.