SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Illinois State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/illinois/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 3 Illinois state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Illinois Holidays 2026 Illinois 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. ## All 2026 holidays in Illinois | 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 | | Lincoln's Birthday | 2026-02-12 | Thursday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Casimir Pulaski Day (Commemorative holiday; state offices stay open) | 2026-03-02 | Monday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Easter Sunday | 2026-04-05 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | 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 | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Election Day | 2026-11-03 | Tuesday | | 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 | | State | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Eve | 2026-12-24 | Thursday | | 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.** Illinois law doesn't entitle employees to holiday pay. An employer and employee can agree to use benefit time, such as vacation or PTO, for days the business is closed. **Working on a holiday.** Illinois employers don't have to pay time and a half or double time for work on a legal holiday or Sunday. Overtime is still owed if that work takes the employee over 40 hours in the workweek, and a policy promising holiday premium pay must be honored. **Holiday pay at separation.** Illinois employers don't owe holiday pay when an employee leaves, unless they promised it in an employment contract or other agreement. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Illinois requires employers to pay out earned, unused vacation when an employee leaves. This applies to the vacation or general PTO the employer's policy provides. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/illinois/#paid-time-off-pto-in-illinois) **Paid leave.** Illinois requires all private employers to give paid leave that can be used for any reason. Employees accrue 1 hour for every 40 hours worked, up to 40 hours in a 12-month period. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/illinois/#any-reason-paid-leave-for-all-employees) Full rules: Illinois leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/illinois/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Illinois. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Illinois state offices close for: Lincoln's Birthday, Election Day and Day after Thanksgiving. 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. - Take Friday, February 13 off to get a 5-day break from February 12 to 16 (Lincoln's Birthday and Washington's Birthday). - Take Wednesday, November 25 off to get a 5-day break from November 25 to 29 (Thanksgiving Day and Day after Thanksgiving). - 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, 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). - Take Monday, November 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 31 to November 3 (Election 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 Illinois teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most Illinois employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 3.1× a normal week - Aug 3 – 9 (Week 32): 1.8× a normal week - Jul 6 – 12 (Week 28): 1.6× a normal week - Aug 10 – 16 (Week 33): 1.4× a normal week - Jun 15 – 21 (Week 25): 1.4× a normal week ## How Illinois holidays differ **State holidays.** Illinois 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. **Shared with a few states.** Lincoln's Birthday is also a state holiday in Connecticut, Indiana, Missouri and New York. **Federal holidays.** Illinois state offices observe all 11 federal holidays. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Indiana](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/indiana/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Iowa](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/iowa/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [Kentucky](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/kentucky/2026/): 5 holidays of its own - [Missouri](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/missouri/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Wisconsin](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/wisconsin/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 Illinois have to give paid holidays? No. Illinois law doesn't entitle employees to holiday pay. Employers and employees can agree to use vacation, sick or PTO time for holiday closures. Q: What are the Illinois state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Illinois has the 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays: Lincoln's Birthday (February 12), Election Day (November 3) and Day after Thanksgiving (November 27). Q: Is Juneteenth an Illinois state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and an Illinois state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day an Illinois state holiday? Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and an Illinois state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Illinois? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is an Illinois state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Illinois have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No. Illinois employers don't have to pay time and a half or double time for holiday work, but they must pay overtime for hours over 40 in the workweek and must honor any policy that promises a holiday premium. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Illinois? Under federal law (the FLSA), paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked, so it doesn't have to be counted toward the 40 hours for overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Illinois? 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 - Illinois CMS memo – State Holiday Calendar for 2026 and 2027 (Nov 18, 2025): https://cms.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/cms/personnel/employeeresources/documents/state-holidays.pdf - Illinois CMS – State Holidays: https://cms.illinois.gov/personnel/employeeresources/stateholidays.html - 5 ILCS 490 State Commemorative Dates Act: https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=134&ChapterID=2 - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Holiday FAQ - Illinois Department of Labor: https://labor.illinois.gov/faqs/holiday-faq.html - Minimum Wage/Overtime FAQ - Illinois Department of Labor: https://labor.illinois.gov/faqs/minimum-wage-overtime-faq.html - Wage Payment and Collection Act FAQ - Illinois Department of Labor: https://labor.illinois.gov/faqs/wage-payment-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/illinois-holidays-2026.csv