Colorado Holidays 2026
Colorado has 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026
11 federal holidays, 3 state holidays and 1 commonly given in 2026.
11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays in 2026.
Trusted by 200,000+ people at companies you know
All 2026 holidays in Colorado
16 days listed| Month | Date | Holiday | Type | Paid by law? | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1Thu | New Year's Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 19Mon | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| February | 16Mon | Washington's Birthday | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| April | 5Sun | Easter Sunday | Observance | Not a day off | |
| May | 25Mon | Memorial Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| June | 19Fri | Juneteenth | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| July | 4Sat | Independence DayFalls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3 | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| September | 7Mon | Labor Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| October | 5Mon | Frances Xavier Cabrini Day | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 12Mon | Columbus DayNot a Colorado state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| November | 11Wed | Veterans Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 26Thu | Thanksgiving Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 27Fri | Day after ThanksgivingGovernor's Holiday: state offices closed (not a legal holiday under C.R.S. 24-11-101) | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| December | 24Thu | Christmas EveGovernor's Holiday: state offices closed (not a legal holiday under C.R.S. 24-11-101) | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 25Fri | Christmas Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 31Thu | New Year's Eve | Commonly given | Not required |
Colorado 2026 is already addedImport Colorado's 2026 holidays into Vacation Tracker automatically, in one click
Your team sees them in Microsoft Teams, Slack or Google Workspace. Free for 14 days, no credit card.
What employers need to know
Paid holidays
Colorado wage law neither requires nor prohibits paid holidays. Private employers in Colorado decide whether to give them.
Working on a holiday
Colorado wage law neither requires nor prohibits extra pay for working on a holiday.
Holidays and overtime
Colorado requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek, 12 hours in a workday, or 12 consecutive hours. Pay for holiday hours not worked may be left out of the regular rate, but holiday incentive pay for hours worked must be included (Colorado Supreme Court, Hamilton v. Amazon, 2024).
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday.
Unused vacation when someone leaves
Colorado requires employers to pay out earned, unused vacation when an employee leaves, and a policy or agreement that prevents this payment can't be enforced. Accrual caps are allowed.
From our Colorado leave laws guideSick leave
Colorado's paid sick leave law (HFWA) covers all employers, regardless of the number of employees, at 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Paid sick leave can be capped at 48 hours.
From our Colorado leave laws guideMaximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Colorado. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Colorado state offices close for: Frances Xavier Cabrini Day, Day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get 51 days off across 12 breaks, including 9 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar.
- Federal
- State
- Commonly given
- Suggested PTO day
- Weekend
- Today
January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
May 2026
June 2026
July 2026
August 2026
September 2026
October 2026
November 2026
December 2026
When Colorado teams take time off
The 5 weeks when the most Colorado employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week.
- Jun 1 – 7Week 23 2.7× a normal week2.7×
- Dec 21 – 27Week 52 2.3× a normal week2.3×
- Sep 7 – 13Week 37 2.2× a normal week2.2×
- May 25 – 31Week 22 2.0× a normal week2.0×
- Jun 29 – Jul 5Week 27 2.0× a normal week2.0×
How Colorado holidays differ
State holidays
Colorado has 3 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 14 have more and 31 have fewer.
Only in Colorado
Only Colorado has Frances Xavier Cabrini Day as a holiday in 2026.
Federal holidays
Not a paid day off for Colorado state employees: Columbus Day.
Neighboring states in 2026
- Arizonano holidays of its own
- Kansas2 holidays of its own
- Nebraska2 holidays of its own
- New Mexico1 holiday of its own
- Oklahoma2 holidays of its own
- Utah1 holiday of its own
- Wyomingno holidays of its own
Sources
- FY 2026-27 State of Colorado Holiday Schedule (DHR, per C.R.S. 24-11-101)
- Colorado DHR – Time Off & Leave
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays
- Holiday, Severance, and Sick Pay | Colorado Department of Labor & Employment
- Colorado COMPS Order #38 (7 CCR 1103-1)
- Colorado Supreme Court, Hamilton v. Amazon.com Services (2024)
Holiday calendar data includes date-holidays (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against the official sources above.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. Holiday dates come from public sources. Check your employment contract and the official sources above before you rely on them.
Frequently asked questions
No. Colorado wage law neither requires nor prohibits paid holidays, so private employers decide whether to give them.
In 2026, Colorado has the 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays: Frances Xavier Cabrini Day (October 5), Day after Thanksgiving (November 27) and Christmas Eve (December 24). Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but not a Colorado state holiday.
Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Colorado state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19.
No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Colorado state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12.
Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Colorado state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it.
No. Colorado wage law neither requires nor prohibits extra pay for holiday work.
No, not when the employee doesn't work that day. Colorado lets employers leave holiday pay for hours not worked out of the regular rate, but holiday incentive pay for hours actually worked must be included when calculating overtime (Hamilton v. Amazon, 2024).
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. In 2026, Independence Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3.