Federal Holiday PTO Planner, 2026
2026's calendar is unusually generous: Independence Day lands Saturday (day off Friday Jul 3) and Christmas lands Friday. One well-placed PTO day buys four consecutive days off, twice this year.
Federal holidays 2026 (observed): Thu Jan 1 · Mon Jan 19 MLK · Mon Feb 16 Presidents · Mon May 25 Memorial · Fri Jun 19 Juneteenth · Fri Jul 3 (July 4 is Sat) · Mon Sep 7 Labor · Mon Oct 12 Columbus · Wed Nov 11 Veterans · Thu Nov 26 Thanksgiving · Fri Dec 25 Christmas.
Every 2026 holiday, priced
| Holiday | Date 2026 | PTO day | Days off |
|---|
How the math works
- Free 3-day weekends are every holiday on a Monday or Friday, 2026 gives you 8 of them (MLK, Presidents, Memorial, Juneteenth, Jul 3 observed, Labor, Columbus, Christmas).
- 1 PTO day → 4 days off: Tuesday Nov 27 after Thanksgiving, Fri Jan 16 before MLK, Tue Feb 17 after Presidents, Tue Sep 8 after Labor, Tue Oct 13 after Columbus, Mon Dec 28 (bridging Christmas week).
- 2 PTO days → 5+ days: Wed–Thu Dec 24–24 + Dec 28–31 = the 9-day Christmas block with 4 days of PTO, Thanksgiving with Tue–Wed Nov 24–25 = 5 days for 2.
- Bank logic: the planner fills expiring PTO first, then spends from the best-value holidays down (longest break per PTO day), which is the greedy-optimal order when every day off is equally worth it.
- Federal only: private employers pick their own holiday list, Juneteenth and Columbus Day are the most commonly skipped. Match this list to your handbook.
How many federal holidays are there in 2026?
Eleven: New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day (observed Fri Jul 3), Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Eight fall on a Monday or Friday, so eight 3-day weekends are free.
Which PTO day gives the longest weekend in 2026?
Tuesday Nov 27 after Thanksgiving (5 days off for 1 PTO day when Nov 26 is paid), and Mon Dec 28 which bridges Christmas Friday into a 4-day break with Dec 26–28. New Year's Eve Thu Dec 31 + Fri Jan 1, 2027 buys 4 with 1.
Is July 4 a holiday on Friday in 2026?
Yes, July 4, 2026 is a Saturday, so federal offices observe Friday July 3, the day off, giving a 3-day weekend with no PTO at all.