SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Iowa State Holidays 2027: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/iowa/2027/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 1 Iowa state holiday for 2027, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Iowa Holidays 2027 Iowa 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 Iowa | 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 | | Lincoln's Birthday (Legal holiday in Iowa Code 1C.1 but not a paid state-employee holiday; state offices open) | 2027-02-12 | Friday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Washington's Birthday | 2027-02-15 | Monday | Not 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 | | 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. Not 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 | | 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 | | Columbus Day | 2027-10-11 | Monday | Not an Iowa 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 | | State | Not required for private employers | | 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.** 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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/iowa/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick 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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/iowa/#sick-leave-in-iowa) Full rules: Iowa leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/iowa/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2027 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 **49 days off across 12 breaks**, including 11 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Wednesday, November 24 off to get a 5-day break from November 24 to 28 (Thanksgiving Day and Day after Thanksgiving). - 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 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 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 US teams take time off The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough Iowa data for a state view yet. - Dec 27 – Jan 2 (Week 52): 2.5× a normal week - Jul 5 – 11 (Week 27): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 12 – 18 (Week 28): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 2 – 8 (Week 31): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 9 – 15 (Week 32): 1.5× a normal week ## How Iowa holidays differ **State holidays.** Iowa 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. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Iowa state employees: Washington's Birthday, Juneteenth and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2027: - [Illinois](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/illinois/2027/): 2 holidays of its own - [Minnesota](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/minnesota/2027/): 1 holiday of its own - [Missouri](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/missouri/2027/): 2 holidays of its own - [Nebraska](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/nebraska/2027/): 2 holidays of its own - [South Dakota](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/south-dakota/2027/): 1 holiday of its own - [Wisconsin](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/wisconsin/2027/): 2 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 Iowa have to give paid holidays? 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. Q: What are the Iowa state holidays in 2027? In 2027, Iowa has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Day after Thanksgiving (November 26). Washington's Birthday, Juneteenth and Columbus Day are federal holidays, but not Iowa state holidays. Q: Is Juneteenth an Iowa state holiday? 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 2027 it falls on Saturday, June 19, and federal offices observe it on Friday, June 18. Q: Is Columbus Day an Iowa state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't an Iowa state holiday. In 2027 it falls on Monday, October 11. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Iowa? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 26) is an Iowa state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Iowa have to pay extra for working on a holiday? 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. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Iowa? 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. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Iowa? 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 - State Holidays | Iowa Department of Administrative Services: https://das.iowa.gov/state-employees/state-accounting/centralized-payroll/state-holidays - Iowa Code ch. 1C (1C.1 legal public holidays; 1C.2 paid state-employee holidays & weekend rule): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/1c.pdf - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Wage | Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing: https://dial.iowa.gov/hearings/wage-and-child-labor/wages - Iowa Code chapter 91A, Wage Payment Collection (§ 91A.5A): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/91A.html - Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/23-flsa-overtime-pay - 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/iowa-holidays-2027.csv