Plan ahead
Long weekend planner
Every U.S. federal holiday creates either an automatic three-day weekend or a longer break with one or two PTO days. Here’s the full 2026–2027 breakdown so you can book time off before the good dates go.
2026 long weekends
| Federal holiday | Weekend length | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day Thursday, January 1 | 4 days with 1 PTO day | Take Friday, January 2 off to bridge the weekend. |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, January 19 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Washington’s Birthday Monday, February 16 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Memorial Day Monday, May 25 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day Friday, June 19 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Independence Day Saturday, July 4 · observed Fri, Jul 3 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Labor Day Monday, September 7 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Columbus Day Monday, October 12 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Veterans Day Wednesday, November 11 | 5 days with 2 PTO days | A midweek holiday: take Thursday and Friday off (or the Monday and Tuesday before) for a five-day break. |
| Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 26 | 4-day weekend | Thanksgiving is a Thursday, and many employers also close the Friday after. Confirm yours, but plan for a four-day break. |
| Christmas Day Friday, December 25 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
2027 long weekends
| Federal holiday | Weekend length | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day Friday, January 1 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, January 18 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Washington’s Birthday Monday, February 15 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Memorial Day Monday, May 31 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day Saturday, June 19 · observed Fri, Jun 18 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Independence Day Sunday, July 4 · observed Mon, Jul 5 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Labor Day Monday, September 6 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Columbus Day Monday, October 11 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
| Veterans Day Thursday, November 11 | 4 days with 1 PTO day | Take Friday, November 12 off to bridge the weekend. |
| Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 25 | 4-day weekend | Thanksgiving is a Thursday, and many employers also close the Friday after. Confirm yours, but plan for a four-day break. |
| Christmas Day Saturday, December 25 · observed Fri, Dec 24 | 3-day weekend | Automatic three-day weekend. No extra time off needed. |
How this is calculated
A federal holiday that lands on a Monday or Friday automatically creates a three-day weekend. One that falls on a Tuesday or Thursday can usually become a four-day weekend with a single PTO day. A Wednesday holiday, like Veterans Day in some years, takes two PTO days to build a full break.
Thanksgiving and observed dates
Thanksgiving is always a Thursday, and many employers also close the Friday after, so it’s listed as a built-in four-day weekend; confirm your own employer’s policy. When Independence Day or Christmas falls on a weekend, most employers observe it on the Friday before or the Monday after, and the table already uses that shifted date.
Not every employer follows the federal calendar
Federal employees, banks and much of the public sector get all 11 federal holidays. Private employers set their own schedules and often grant fewer; Columbus Day and Juneteenth are the most commonly skipped. Check your company calendar, or see your state’s holiday list, before booking travel around a bridge day.
How we check dates
Dates come from the rule-based federal calendar used across this site, cross-checked against the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. See our editorial policy.