There are 11 federal holidays in 2027. The first is New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1, 2027 and the last is Christmas Day, which falls on a Saturday and is observed by the federal government on Friday, December 24, 2027.
Three of the eleven land on a weekend in 2027, so the day federal offices close is not always the date printed on the calendar. The table gives both.
List of federal holidays 2027
| Holiday | 2027 date | Day | Federal day off (observed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1 | Friday | Same day |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 18 | Monday | Same day |
| Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day) | February 15 | Monday | Same day |
| Memorial Day | May 31 | Monday | Same day |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | Saturday | Friday, June 18 |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Sunday | Monday, July 5 |
| Labor Day | September 6 | Monday | Same day |
| Columbus Day | October 11 | Monday | Same day |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Thursday | Same day |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 25 | Thursday | Same day |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Saturday | Friday, December 24 |
| New Year’s Day 2028 | January 1, 2028 | Saturday | Friday, December 31, 2027 |
Source: US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) federal holiday schedule, cross-checked against the rules in 5 U.S.C. 6103. OPM files the December 31, 2027 day off under its 2028 list, because it stands in for New Year’s Day 2028.
Observed dates: the four shifts in 2027
Most federal employees work Monday through Friday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the Friday before is treated as the holiday for pay and leave; when it falls on a Sunday, the Monday after is. In 2027 that rule applies four times:
- Juneteenth — Saturday, June 19 is a Saturday. Federal day off: Friday, June 18.
- Independence Day — Sunday, July 4 is a Sunday. Federal day off: Monday, July 5.
- Christmas Day — Saturday, December 25 is a Saturday. Federal day off: Friday, December 24.
- New Year’s Day 2028 — January 1, 2028 is a Saturday. Federal day off: Friday, December 31, 2027.
The result is unusual: a Monday-to-Friday federal employee is off on 12 weekdays inside calendar year 2027, and on only 10 inside calendar year 2028. The number of holidays per year in the statute does not change; only the calendar year in which the New Year’s observance lands does.
Long weekends in 2027
Ten of the twelve federal days off in 2027 touch a weekend and produce three days in a row. The two exceptions are Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, both on a Thursday.
| Federal day off | Holiday | Days off in a row | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, January 1 | New Year’s Day | 3 | January 1 – 3 |
| Monday, January 18 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 3 | January 16 – 18 |
| Monday, February 15 | Washington’s Birthday | 3 | February 13 – 15 |
| Monday, May 31 | Memorial Day | 3 | May 29 – 31 |
| Friday, June 18 | Juneteenth (observed) | 3 | June 18 – 20 |
| Monday, July 5 | Independence Day (observed) | 3 | July 3 – 5 |
| Monday, September 6 | Labor Day | 3 | September 4 – 6 |
| Monday, October 11 | Columbus Day | 3 | October 9 – 11 |
| Thursday, November 11 | Veterans Day | 1 (4 with Friday leave) | November 11 – 14 |
| Thursday, November 25 | Thanksgiving Day | 1 (4 with Friday leave) | November 25 – 28 |
| Friday, December 24 | Christmas Day (observed) | 3 | December 24 – 26 |
| Friday, December 31 | New Year’s Day 2028 (observed) | 3 | December 31 – January 2, 2028 |
Leave-planning ideas, including the nine-day stretch around Thanksgiving, are on the long weekends 2027 page.
Who gets the day off
A federal holiday legally binds only the federal government. Everyone else follows by choice, by contract, or by state law, and in a year with Saturday holidays the differences show.
| Holiday (2027) | Federal offices | USPS | Federal Reserve Banks | NYSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day, Fri Jan 1 | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| MLK Day, Mon Jan 18 | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Washington’s Birthday, Mon Feb 15 | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Memorial Day, Mon May 31 | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Juneteenth, Sat Jun 19 | Closed Fri Jun 18 | Open Fri Jun 18; holiday Sat Jun 19 | Open Fri Jun 18 | Closed Fri Jun 18 |
| Independence Day, Sun Jul 4 | Closed Mon Jul 5 | Closed Mon Jul 5 | Closed Mon Jul 5 | Closed Mon Jul 5 |
| Labor Day, Mon Sep 6 | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Columbus Day, Mon Oct 11 | Closed | Closed | Closed | Open |
| Veterans Day, Thu Nov 11 | Closed | Closed | Closed | Open |
| Thanksgiving, Thu Nov 25 | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed; 1:00 p.m. close Fri Nov 26 |
| Christmas Day, Sat Dec 25 | Closed Fri Dec 24 | Open Fri Dec 24; holiday Sat Dec 25 | Open Fri Dec 24 | Closed Fri Dec 24 |
| New Year’s Day 2028, Sat Jan 1 | Closed Fri Dec 31, 2027 | 2028 schedule not yet published | Open Fri Dec 31, 2027 | Open Fri Dec 31, 2027 |
Sources: OPM, the USPS 2027 holiday list, the Federal Reserve Board’s K.8 holiday schedule, and the NYSE hours and holidays calendar.
Federal employees and federal offices
Non-essential federal offices close on all 11 holidays, and full-time employees are paid for the day. That covers agencies such as the Social Security Administration and the IRS as well as federal courts. Staff whose work cannot stop (air traffic control, VA hospitals, border and security posts) work the holiday and are paid a premium for it.
Banks
The Federal Reserve observes the same 11 holidays but handles Saturdays differently: Reserve Banks stay open on the Friday before a Saturday holiday. In 2027 that means banks can operate normally on June 18, December 24 and December 31 even though federal offices are shut. See bank holidays for the 2027 Federal Reserve schedule.
Post office
USPS lists Juneteenth 2027 and Christmas 2027 on their actual Saturday dates and states that post offices will be open, with normal delivery, on Friday, June 18 and Friday, December 24. The full list is under post office holidays.
Stock market
The New York Stock Exchange closes on nine of the federal holidays plus Good Friday. It trades on Columbus Day and Veterans Day, and it shuts at 1:00 p.m. Eastern on Friday, November 26, 2027. Details: stock market holidays.
Schools and state offices
Public schools follow district calendars and state agencies (including the DMV) follow state law. Nearly all close for the major holidays, but Columbus Day and Veterans Day are regular school days in many districts, and some states add their own dates. The state holidays page lists the main ones.
Private-sector employees
No federal law requires a private employer to close on a federal holiday or to pay for the day. The Department of Labor’s reading of the Fair Labor Standards Act is that it “does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations or holidays.” Paid holidays in private companies come from the employer’s policy or a union contract, and extra pay for working one is equally a matter of agreement. Certain federal contractors are covered by separate rules under the Service Contract Act or the Davis-Bacon Act.
Federal employee pay on 2027 holidays
A full-time federal employee on a standard schedule is paid for 8 hours on each holiday without working. An employee who is required to work during those hours earns holiday premium pay: basic pay plus an equal premium, which comes to double pay, with a minimum of two hours of premium pay (5 U.S.C. 5546).
When a holiday falls on an employee’s scheduled day off, the employee receives an “in lieu of” holiday. For the standard workweek that is the Friday or Monday shown in the table above. Employees on compressed schedules and part-time employees have their own rules, covered on the federal pay holidays page.
Federal holidays 2026, 2027 and 2028 compared
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thu, January 1 | Fri, January 1 | Sat, January 1 (off Fri, December 31, 2027) |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Mon, January 19 | Mon, January 18 | Mon, January 17 |
| Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day) | Mon, February 16 | Mon, February 15 | Mon, February 21 |
| Memorial Day | Mon, May 25 | Mon, May 31 | Mon, May 29 |
| Juneteenth | Fri, June 19 | Sat, June 19 (off Fri, June 18) | Mon, June 19 |
| Independence Day | Sat, July 4 (off Fri, July 3) | Sun, July 4 (off Mon, July 5) | Tue, July 4 |
| Labor Day | Mon, September 7 | Mon, September 6 | Mon, September 4 |
| Columbus Day | Mon, October 12 | Mon, October 11 | Mon, October 9 |
| Veterans Day | Wed, November 11 | Thu, November 11 | Sat, November 11 (off Fri, November 10) |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, November 26 | Thu, November 25 | Thu, November 23 |
| Christmas Day | Fri, December 25 | Sat, December 25 (off Fri, December 24) | Mon, December 25 |
2026 has a single weekend shift (Independence Day). 2028 has two: New Year’s Day, already taken on December 31, 2027, and Veterans Day, observed on Friday, November 10. Year pages: 2026, 2028, 2029.
Is it a federal holiday in 2027?
These dates are widely observed but are not on the federal list:
- Good Friday, March 26, 2027 — not federal. The NYSE closes and about a dozen states treat it as a state holiday. See Good Friday.
- Easter Monday, March 29, 2027 — not federal, and no state lists it as a general holiday. Easter itself is always a Sunday.
- Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14, 2027 — not a holiday of any legal kind. The next day happens to be Washington’s Birthday.
- Halloween, Sunday, October 31, 2027 — not a holiday; normal hours everywhere.
- Election Day, Tuesday, November 2, 2027 — not federal. 2027 has no regular federal general election; some states hold their own contests that day.
- Black Friday, November 26, 2027 — not federal, though many states give their own employees the day. See Thanksgiving.
- Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24, 2027 — not a holiday in its own right, but in 2027 it is the observed federal day off for Christmas, so federal offices are closed anyway.
Frequently asked questions
How many federal holidays are there in 2027?
Eleven: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Because New Year’s Day 2028 is observed on December 31, 2027, federal offices are closed on 12 weekdays during the calendar year.
What is the first federal holiday of 2027?
New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1, 2027. The next one is Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 18.
Is Friday, June 18, 2027 a federal holiday?
Yes for federal employees: it is the observed day off for Juneteenth, which falls on Saturday, June 19. Post offices and Federal Reserve Banks are open that Friday; the NYSE is closed.
Is Monday, July 5, 2027 a federal holiday?
Yes. July 4, 2027 is a Sunday, so the federal holiday is observed on Monday, July 5. Federal offices, post offices, Federal Reserve Banks and the NYSE are all closed that Monday.
Is December 24, 2027 a federal holiday?
Yes, as the observed date for Christmas Day (Saturday, December 25). Federal offices and the NYSE close on Friday, December 24. USPS and the Federal Reserve Banks stay open that day.
Is December 31, 2027 a federal holiday?
For federal employees, yes. January 1, 2028 is a Saturday, so the “in lieu of” day is Friday, December 31, 2027. The NYSE does not observe a New Year’s holiday that year and the Federal Reserve Banks are open on December 31.
Which month has no federal holiday in 2027?
March, April and August have none. In 2027 Good Friday and Easter both fall in March, but neither is a federal holiday.
Do private employers have to give federal holidays off?
No. Federal holiday law applies to federal employees. Private employers decide which holidays to observe and whether they are paid, subject to any contract or state rule that applies to them.
Last checked: 12 November 2026 — dates verified against OPM