2024 National holidays in the United States: Dates and complete list
Welcome to 2024! Here is a list of all public holidays and when they will be celebrated in the United States.
The United States celebrates 11 federal holidays over the course of the year. Before 2020, the US had only ten national holidays spread throughout the year from January to December. However, in 2021, Congress approved the newest one, Juneteenth Day, and President Joe Biden signed into law creating the 11th federal holiday on the calendar.
Complete list of holidays in the United States in 2024
Of the 11 holidays recognized by the US government, some are celebrated on specific dates, while others change each year. The observance of these days can also change if they fall on a weekend.
Holidays may be observed a day earlier or later if they fall on a weekend. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, it will be observed on the preceding Friday. On the other hand, if a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be treated as a holiday for pay and day-off purposes. In 2024, this phenomenon will not happen.
This is the calendar of official federal holidays for next year, according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM):
- New Year's Day - January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday (Third Monday of January) - January 15, 2024
- Washington's Birthday or Presidents' Day (third Monday of February) - February 19
- Memorial Day (last Monday of May) - May 27
- Juneteenth Day - June 19
- Independence Day - July 4
- Labor Day (first Monday of September) - September 2
- Columbus Day (Second Monday of October) - October 14
- Veterans Day or Veterans Day - November 11
- Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday of November): November 28
- Christmas Day - December 25
People who work in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area have one additional holiday- Inauguration Day. This holiday is celebrated once every four years, on January 20, after the presidential election. The next presidential inauguration is scheduled for January 20, 2025.
According to the OPM, the “Inauguration Day Zone” includes:
- District of Columbia
- Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties in Maryland
- Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia
- Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax in Virginia
Do you work during federal holidays in the USA?
Most federal employees are entitled to paid time off during the 11 government-recognized holidays. Although only federal government institutions are required by law to close during these holidays, other institutions such as private companies, banks, schools, the stock market, post offices, and some supermarkets or stores may also offer paid days off to their workers on some or all of these holidays.