SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Alaska State Holidays 2027: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/alaska/2027/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 2 Alaska state holidays for 2027, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Alaska Holidays 2027 Alaska has 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays in 2027. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2027 holidays in Alaska | Holiday | Date | Day of week | Notes | Type | Paid by law? | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | New Year's Day | 2027-01-01 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 2027-01-18 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Washington's Birthday | 2027-02-15 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Easter Sunday | 2027-03-28 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Seward's Day | 2027-03-29 | Monday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Memorial Day | 2027-05-31 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Juneteenth | 2027-06-19 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jun 18 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Independence Day | 2027-07-04 | Sunday | Falls on a Sunday. Observed Mon Jul 5 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Labor Day | 2027-09-06 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2027-10-11 | Monday | Not an Alaska state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Indigenous Peoples' Day (Not a paid State of Alaska holiday) | 2027-10-11 | Monday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Alaska Day | 2027-10-18 | Monday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Veterans Day | 2027-11-11 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Thanksgiving Day | 2027-11-25 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Day after Thanksgiving | 2027-11-26 | Friday | | Commonly given | Not required | | Christmas Day | 2027-12-25 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Dec 24 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | New Year's Day (observed) (Observed for New Year's Day on Sat Jan 1, 2028) | 2027-12-31 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | ## What employers need to know **Working on a holiday.** Alaska law doesn't require extra pay for holiday work. Whether a holiday bonus is owed depends on what the employer has promised. **Daily and weekly overtime.** In Alaska, overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate is owed for hours worked over 40 in a week or over 8 in a day, unless an exemption applies. **Paid sick leave.** Alaska employers must provide paid sick leave. Employers with 15 or more employees must let workers accrue and use up to 56 hours a year; smaller employers, up to 40 hours. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Alaska law does not require employers to pay out accrued vacation or PTO when employment ends. Payout depends on the employer's written policy or agreement, and must be made if the contract or policy provides for it. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/alaska/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) Full rules: Alaska leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/alaska/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2027 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Alaska. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Alaska state offices close for: Seward's Day and Alaska Day. Take all 14 suggested PTO days and you get **56 days off across 14 breaks**, all long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Monday, January 4 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 1 to 4 (New Year's Day). - Take Friday, January 15 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 15 to 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). - Take Friday, February 12 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 12 to 15 (Washington's Birthday). - Take Friday, March 26 off to get a 4-day weekend from March 26 to 29 (Seward's Day). - Take Friday, May 28 off to get a 4-day weekend from May 28 to 31 (Memorial Day). - Take Thursday, June 17 off to get a 4-day weekend from June 17 to 20 (Juneteenth). - Take Friday, July 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from July 2 to 5 (Independence Day). - Take Friday, September 3 off to get a 4-day weekend from September 3 to 6 (Labor Day). - Take Friday, October 8 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 8 to 11 (Columbus Day). - Take Friday, October 15 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 15 to 18 (Alaska Day). - Take Friday, November 12 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 11 to 14 (Veterans Day). - Take Friday, November 26 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 25 to 28 (Thanksgiving Day). - Take Thursday, December 23 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 23 to 26 (Christmas Day). - Take Thursday, December 30 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 30 to January 2 (New Year's Day). ## When US teams take time off The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough Alaska data for a state view yet. - Dec 27 – Jan 2 (Week 52): 2.5× a normal week - Jul 5 – 11 (Week 27): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 12 – 18 (Week 28): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 2 – 8 (Week 31): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 9 – 15 (Week 32): 1.5× a normal week ## How Alaska holidays differ **State holidays.** Alaska has 2 holidays of its own in 2027 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 12 have more and 22 have fewer. **Only in Alaska.** Only Alaska has Seward's Day and Alaska Day as holidays in 2027. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Alaska state employees: Columbus Day. Compare all 50 states and DC: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/2027/#compare ## Frequently asked questions Q: Do private employers in Alaska have to give paid holidays? Not by law. Alaska's labor department says holiday pay depends on whether the employer has promised it, so your policy or contract decides. Q: What are the Alaska state holidays in 2027? In 2027, Alaska has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Seward's Day (March 29) and Alaska Day (October 18). Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but not an Alaska state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth an Alaska state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and an Alaska state holiday. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, June 19, and federal offices observe it on Friday, June 18. Q: Is Columbus Day an Alaska state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't an Alaska state holiday. In 2027 it falls on Monday, October 11. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Alaska? No. It isn't an Alaska state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2027 it falls on Friday, November 26. Q: Do employers in Alaska have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No. Alaska law doesn't require a holiday premium. If you promise time and a half for holiday work, you must pay it; if you offer no holiday bonus, holiday hours are paid at straight time. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Alaska? Not under federal law. Under the FLSA, paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked and doesn't have to be counted toward overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Alaska? Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. In 2027, Juneteenth falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, June 18; Independence Day falls on a Sunday and is observed on Monday, July 5; Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, December 24. ## Sources - State of Alaska 2027 State Calendar (Dept. of Administration, Division of Finance, revised 09/29/2025): https://doa.alaska.gov/dof/payroll/resource/calendar2027.pdf - State of Alaska 2026 State Calendar (Dept. of Administration): https://doa.alaska.gov/dof/payroll/resource/calendar2026.pdf - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Wage and Hour FAQ | Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development: https://labor.alaska.gov/lss/whfaq.htm - Minimum Wage Standard and Overtime Hours | Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development: https://labor.alaska.gov/lss/whact.htm - Sick Leave FAQ | Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development: https://www.labor.alaska.gov/lss/sick-leave-faq.html - FLSA Hours Worked Advisor: Holidays, Vacations and Sick Time | U.S. Department of Labor: https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/hoursworked/screenEE14.asp Holiday calendar data includes date-holidays (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against the official sources above. Holiday dates come from public sources. Check your employment contract and the official sources above before you rely on them. CSV: https://vacationtracker.io/static/data/holiday-pages/united-states/alaska-holidays-2027.csv