SOURCE:    Vacation Tracker
TITLE:     District of Columbia Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules
URL:       https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/district-of-columbia/2026/
LANG:      en
PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31
UPDATED:   2026-11-01
SUMMARY:   All 11 federal and 2 District of Columbia holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads.

# 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.

## All 2026 holidays in the District of Columbia

| Holiday | Date | Day of week | Notes | Type | Paid by law? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 2026-01-01 | Thursday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 2026-01-19 | Monday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Easter Sunday | 2026-04-05 | Sunday |  | Observance | Not a day off |
| Emancipation Day | 2026-04-16 | Thursday |  | State | Not required for private employers |
| Memorial Day | 2026-05-25 | Monday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Juneteenth | 2026-06-19 | Friday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Independence Day | 2026-07-04 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3 | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Labor Day | 2026-09-07 | Monday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Columbus Day | 2026-10-12 | Monday | Not a District of Columbia holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Indigenous Peoples' Day | 2026-10-12 | Monday |  | State | Not required for private employers |
| Veterans Day | 2026-11-11 | Wednesday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Thanksgiving Day | 2026-11-26 | Thursday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| Day after Thanksgiving | 2026-11-27 | Friday |  | Commonly given | Not required |
| Christmas Day | 2026-12-25 | Friday |  | Federal | Not required for private employers |
| New Year's Eve | 2026-12-31 | Thursday |  | Commonly given | Not required |

## 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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/district-of-columbia/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination)

**Sick 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). (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/district-of-columbia/#sick-leave-in-the-district-of-columbia)

Full rules: District of Columbia leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/district-of-columbia/

## Maximize 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.

- Take Friday, January 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 1 to 4 (New Year's Day).
- Take Friday, January 16 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 16 to 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day).
- Take Friday, February 13 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 13 to 16 (Washington's Birthday).
- Take Friday, April 17 off to get a 4-day weekend from April 16 to 19 (Emancipation Day).
- Take Friday, May 22 off to get a 4-day weekend from May 22 to 25 (Memorial Day).
- Take Thursday, June 18 off to get a 4-day weekend from June 18 to 21 (Juneteenth).
- Take Thursday, July 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from July 2 to 5 (Independence Day).
- Take Friday, September 4 off to get a 4-day weekend from September 4 to 7 (Labor Day).
- Take Friday, October 9 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 9 to 12 (Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day).
- Take Friday, November 27 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 26 to 29 (Thanksgiving Day).
- Take Thursday, December 24 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 24 to 27 (Christmas Day).
- Take Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off to get a 5-day break from November 7 to 11 (Veterans Day).

## 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.

- Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 2.5× a normal week
- Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 1.5× a normal week
- Jul 6 – 12 (Week 28): 1.5× a normal week
- Jul 27 – Aug 2 (Week 31): 1.5× a normal week
- Aug 3 – 9 (Week 32): 1.5× a normal week

## 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:
- [Maryland](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/maryland/2026/): 2 holidays of its own
- [Virginia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/virginia/2026/): 4 holidays of its own

Compare all 50 states and DC: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/2026/#compare

## Frequently asked questions

Q: Do private employers in the District of Columbia have to give paid holidays?
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.


Q: What are the District of Columbia holidays in 2026?
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.


Q: Is Juneteenth 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.


Q: Is Columbus Day a District of Columbia holiday?
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.


Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in the District of Columbia?
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.


Q: Do employers in the District of Columbia have to pay extra for working on a holiday?
No. DC employers don't have to pay time and a half for holiday or weekend work, unless their own policy promises it.


Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in the District of Columbia?
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.


Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in the District of Columbia?
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.


## Sources

- D.C. Code § 1-612.02 Legal public holidays: https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/1-612.02
- E-DPM Issuance I-2026-1 Legal Public Holidays 2026: https://edpm.dc.gov/issuances/legal-public-holidays/
- DCHR 2026 Holiday Schedule: https://dchr.dc.gov/page/holiday-schedules
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/
- Office of Wage-Hour (OWH) Frequently Asked Questions | DC Department of Employment Services: https://does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/page_content/attachments/FAQs%20for%20OWH-Final.pdf
- D.C. Code § 32-521.02. Amount of leave; denial; form; notice | D.C. Law Library (DC Council): https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-521.02

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/district-of-columbia-holidays-2026.csv