SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Ohio State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/ohio/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal holidays in Ohio for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Ohio Holidays 2026 Ohio has 11 federal holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Ohio | 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 | | 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 | | 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 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.** Ohio law leaves holiday pay to the employer: it's a fringe benefit, and whether you offer it and how much is set by your policy or agreement with employees, unless another state or federal law expressly says otherwise. **Working on a holiday.** Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require extra pay for work on a holiday unless the hours are overtime hours. **Overtime in holiday weeks.** Ohio requires overtime at one and one-half times the employee's wage rate for hours over 40 in one workweek, except for employers grossing less than $150,000 a year. Use this weekly rule when scheduling extra shifts in holiday weeks. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Ohio does not require PTO payout on termination. If the company policy or employment contract is silent on the matter, though, the employer must pay accrued, unused vacation. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/ohio/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** In Ohio, no state law requires private sector employers to offer sick leave, paid or unpaid. Employers that grant it must comply with their employment agreement or employee manual. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/ohio/#sick-leave-in-ohio) Full rules: Ohio leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/ohio/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Ohio. Ohio state offices don't close for any extra full days in 2026, so these use the 11 federal holidays. Take all 12 suggested PTO days and you get **45 days off across 11 breaks**, including 10 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, 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 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 Ohio teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most Ohio employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 2.8× a normal week - Aug 10 – 16 (Week 33): 2.0× a normal week - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 1.9× a normal week - Sep 21 – 27 (Week 39): 1.8× a normal week - Jul 13 – 19 (Week 29): 1.8× a normal week ## How Ohio holidays differ **State holidays.** Ohio has no holidays of its own in 2026, only the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2. **Federal holidays.** Ohio 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 - [Kentucky](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/kentucky/2026/): 5 holidays of its own - [Michigan](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/michigan/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Pennsylvania](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/pennsylvania/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [West Virginia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/west-virginia/2026/): 6 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 Ohio have to give paid holidays? No. Ohio law makes fringe benefits, which include holiday pay, a matter of the employer's policy or agreement with employees, unless another state or federal law expressly provides otherwise. Q: What are the Ohio state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Ohio has the 11 federal holidays and no state holidays of its own. Q: Is Juneteenth an Ohio state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and an Ohio state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day an Ohio state holiday? Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and an Ohio state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Ohio? No. It isn't an Ohio state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27. Q: Do employers in Ohio have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require extra pay for work on a holiday unless the hours are overtime hours. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Ohio? Under federal law (the FLSA), paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked and doesn't need to be counted toward overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Ohio? 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 - Ohio Revised Code 124.19 – State holidays: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-124.19 - Ohio Revised Code 124.18 – weekend observance: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-124.18 - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Ohio Revised Code Section 4113.85: Matters subject to employer policy: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4113.85 - Overtime Pay | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/overtimepay - Ohio Minimum Wage Poster 2026 (Ohio Department of Commerce): https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/com.ohio.gov/DICO/WageAndHour/2026_Minumum_Wage_Poster.pdf - 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/ohio-holidays-2026.csv