District of Columbia Holidays 2026
The District of Columbia has 11 federal holidays and 2 District of Columbia holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026
11 federal holidays, 2 state holidays and 2 commonly given in 2026.
11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays in 2026.
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All 2026 holidays in the District of Columbia
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 | |
| 16Thu | Emancipation Day | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| 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 | 12Mon | Columbus DayNot a District of Columbia holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 12Mon | Indigenous Peoples' Day | State | 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 Thanksgiving | Commonly given | Not required | ||
| December | 25Fri | Christmas Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 31Thu | New Year's Eve | Commonly given | Not required |
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What employers need to know
Paid holidays
DC employers don't have to observe any legal holidays, according to the DC Department of Employment Services. Whether holidays are given, and whether they're paid, is the employer's decision.
Working on a holiday
DC employers don't have to pay time and a half for work on a holiday or a weekend. If your own policy promises premium pay, you have to follow it.
Emancipation Day leave
DC law entitles employees to a day of leave on April 16, DC Emancipation Day. You can deny it only if it would disrupt the business and make production or service delivery unusually difficult, and the leave can be unpaid unless the employee chooses to use paid leave you provide.
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday.
Unused vacation when someone leaves
In the District of Columbia, PTO payout depends on the employer's written policy or agreement. If an employer grants or promises paid vacation, a departing employee is entitled to pay for unused leave unless they agreed otherwise.
From our District of Columbia leave laws guideSick leave
D.C. requires all employers, regardless of size, to provide paid sick leave. Accrual runs from 1 hour per 87 hours worked (0-24 employees) to 1 hour per 37 hours worked (100+ employees).
From our District of Columbia leave laws guideMaximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in the District of Columbia. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days District of Columbia government offices close for: Emancipation Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get 49 days off across 12 breaks, including 11 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 US teams take time off
The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough District of Columbia data for a state view yet.
How District of Columbia holidays differ
State holidays
The District of Columbia has 2 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 20 have more and 16 have fewer.
Only in the District of Columbia
Only the District of Columbia has Emancipation Day as a holiday in 2026.
Shared with a few states
Indigenous Peoples' Day is also a state holiday in Maine, New Mexico and Vermont.
Federal holidays
Not a paid day off for District of Columbia government employees: Columbus Day.
Neighboring states in 2026
Compare all 50 states and DCSources
- D.C. Code § 1-612.02 Legal public holidays
- E-DPM Issuance I-2026-1 Legal Public Holidays 2026
- DCHR 2026 Holiday Schedule
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays
- Office of Wage-Hour (OWH) Frequently Asked Questions | DC Department of Employment Services
- D.C. Code § 32-521.02. Amount of leave; denial; form; notice | D.C. Law Library (DC Council)
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. The DC Department of Employment Services says there are no legal holidays a DC employer has to observe. The one exception is that DC law entitles employees to a day of leave on April 16, Emancipation Day, which can be unpaid.
In 2026, the District of Columbia has the 11 federal holidays and 2 District of Columbia holidays: Emancipation Day (April 16) and Indigenous Peoples' Day (October 12). Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but not a District of Columbia holiday.
Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a District of Columbia holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19.
No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a District of Columbia holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. The District of Columbia marks October 12 as Indigenous Peoples' Day, a District of Columbia holiday.
No. It isn't a District of Columbia holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27.
No. DC employers don't have to pay time and a half for holiday or weekend work, unless their own policy promises it.
DC overtime is based on hours actually worked: time and a half is owed after 40 hours of actual work in a seven-day workweek. Under federal law (the FLSA), paid holiday time off isn't hours worked and doesn't have to be counted toward overtime.
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.