SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Colorado State Holidays 2027: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/colorado/2027/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 1 Colorado state holiday for 2027, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Colorado Holidays 2027 Colorado has 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday in 2027. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2027 holidays in Colorado | 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 | | 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 | | Frances Xavier Cabrini Day | 2027-10-04 | Monday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2027-10-11 | Monday | Not a Colorado state holiday | Federal | 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 **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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/colorado/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick 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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/colorado/#sick-leave-in-colorado) Full rules: Colorado leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/colorado/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2027 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. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get **52 days off across 13 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, 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 1 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 1 to 4 (Frances Xavier Cabrini Day). - Take Friday, October 8 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 8 to 11 (Columbus 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 Colorado teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most Colorado employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Jun 7 – 13 (Week 23): 2.7× a normal week - Dec 27 – Jan 2 (Week 52): 2.3× a normal week - Sep 13 – 19 (Week 37): 2.2× a normal week - May 31 – Jun 6 (Week 22): 2.0× a normal week - Jul 5 – 11 (Week 27): 2.0× a normal week ## How Colorado holidays differ **State holidays.** Colorado has 1 holiday of its own in 2027 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 29 have more and 5 have fewer. **Only in Colorado.** Only Colorado has Frances Xavier Cabrini Day as a holiday in 2027. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Colorado state employees: Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2027: - [Arizona](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/arizona/2027/): no holidays of its own - [Kansas](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/kansas/2027/): 1 holiday of its own - [Nebraska](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/nebraska/2027/): 2 holidays of its own - [New Mexico](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-mexico/2027/): 2 holidays of its own - [Oklahoma](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/oklahoma/2027/): 2 holidays of its own - [Utah](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/utah/2027/): 2 holidays of its own - [Wyoming](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/wyoming/2027/): no holidays of its own Compare all 50 states and DC: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/2027/#compare ## Frequently asked questions Q: Do private employers in Colorado have to give paid holidays? No. Colorado wage law neither requires nor prohibits paid holidays, so private employers decide whether to give them. Q: What are the Colorado state holidays in 2027? In 2027, Colorado has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Frances Xavier Cabrini Day (October 4). Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but not a Colorado state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth a Colorado state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Colorado state holiday. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, June 19, and federal offices observe it on Friday, June 18. Q: Is Columbus Day a Colorado state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Colorado state holiday. In 2027 it falls on Monday, October 11. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Colorado? No. It isn't a Colorado state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2027 it falls on Friday, November 26. Q: Do employers in Colorado have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No. Colorado wage law neither requires nor prohibits extra pay for holiday work. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Colorado? 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). Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Colorado? 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 - FY 2026-27 State of Colorado Holiday Schedule (DHR, per C.R.S. 24-11-101): https://dhr.colorado.gov/sites/dhr/files/documents/FY%202026-27%20Holiday%20Schedule.pdf - Colorado DHR – Time Off & Leave: https://dhr.colorado.gov/state-employees/time-off-leave - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Holiday, Severance, and Sick Pay | Colorado Department of Labor & Employment: https://cdle.colorado.gov/dlss-home-page/wage-and-hour-law/holiday-severance-and-sick-pay - Colorado COMPS Order #38 (7 CCR 1103-1): https://cdle.colorado.gov/sites/cdle/files/7%20CCR%201103-1%20COMPS%20Order%20%2338%20%5Baccessible%5D.pdf - Colorado Supreme Court, Hamilton v. Amazon.com Services (2024): https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/sites/default/files/2024-09/24SA12.pdf 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/colorado-holidays-2027.csv