Iowa Holidays 2026
Iowa has 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026
11 federal holidays, 1 state holiday and 2 commonly given in 2026.
11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday in 2026.
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All 2026 holidays in Iowa
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 | 12Thu | Lincoln's BirthdayLegal holiday in Iowa Code 1C.1 but not a paid state-employee holiday; state offices open | Observance | Not a day off | |
| 16Mon | Washington's BirthdayNot an Iowa state holiday: Legal holiday in Iowa Code 1C.1 but not a paid state-employee holiday; state offices open | 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 | JuneteenthNot an Iowa state holiday: Not an Iowa paid holiday; governor proclaims Juneteenth on the third Saturday in June (Iowa Code 1C.14) | 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 an Iowa 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 Thanksgiving | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| December | 24Thu | Christmas Eve | Commonly given | Not required | |
| 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
Iowa law doesn't require employers to provide holiday pay, vacation pay or sick time. Iowa employers must follow their own policies, practices or contracts on these benefits.
Veterans Day off for veterans
Iowa employers must give employees who are veterans time off on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) if they would otherwise have to work, paid or unpaid at the employer's choice. The veteran must give at least one month's written notice, and employers can deny it if it would affect public health or safety or cause significant disruption.
Promised holiday pay counts as wages
Under Iowa's Wage Payment Collection Law, holiday and vacation pay owed under an agreement or employer policy counts as wages. Unused vacation is owed at separation only if the employer has a contract, policy or procedure to pay it.
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday.
Unused vacation when someone leaves
In Iowa, PTO payout depends on the employer's written policy or agreement. An employer only has to pay a departing employee for unused vacation if it has a contract, policy or procedure in place to do so.
From our Iowa leave laws guideSick leave
Iowa has no sick leave law beyond federal FMLA, and employers aren't required to provide paid or unpaid sick leave. Employers that set a sick leave policy in their handbook must comply with it.
From our Iowa leave laws guideMaximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Iowa. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Iowa state offices close for: Day after Thanksgiving. Take all 12 suggested PTO days and you get 46 days off across 11 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 US teams take time off
The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough Iowa data for a state view yet.
How Iowa holidays differ
State holidays
Iowa has 1 holiday of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 35 have more and 4 have fewer.
Federal holidays
Not a paid day off for Iowa state employees: Washington's Birthday, Juneteenth and Columbus Day.
Neighboring states in 2026
- Illinois3 holidays of its own
- Minnesota1 holiday of its own
- Missouri2 holidays of its own
- Nebraska2 holidays of its own
- South Dakota1 holiday of its own
- Wisconsin4 holidays of its own
Sources
- State Holidays | Iowa Department of Administrative Services
- Iowa Code ch. 1C (1C.1 legal public holidays; 1C.2 paid state-employee holidays & weekend rule)
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays
- Wage | Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing
- Iowa Code chapter 91A, Wage Payment Collection (§ 91A.5A)
- Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA | U.S. Department of Labor
- FLSA Hours Worked Advisor: Holidays, Vacations and Sick Time | U.S. Department of Labor
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. Iowa law doesn't require employers to provide holiday pay, vacation pay or sick time; employers must follow their own policies, practices or contracts. One exception: employees who are veterans get Veterans Day off (paid or unpaid) on request under Iowa Code 91A.5A.
In 2026, Iowa has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Day after Thanksgiving (November 27). Washington's Birthday, Juneteenth and Columbus Day are federal holidays, but not Iowa state holidays.
No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't an Iowa state holiday. It isn't an Iowa paid holiday. Governor proclaims Juneteenth on the third Saturday in June (Iowa Code 1C.14). In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19.
No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't an Iowa state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12.
Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is an Iowa state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it.
Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require extra pay for work on holidays as such; holiday hours only earn overtime when they push an employee past 40 hours in the workweek.
Under federal law (the FLSA), a paid holiday the employee takes off is not hours worked, so it doesn't have to count 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.