Texas Holidays 2026
Texas has 11 federal holidays and 10 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026
11 federal holidays, 10 state holidays and 1 commonly given in 2026.
11 federal holidays and 10 state holidays in 2026.
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All 2026 holidays in Texas
23 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 | Confederate Heroes DayFalls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2026; state offices closed | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| 19Mon | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| February | 16Mon | Washington's Birthday | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| March | 2Mon | Texas Independence DayState holiday; agencies stay open with a skeleton crew | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 31Tue | Cesar Chavez DayOptional state holiday, taken in place of a skeleton-crew holiday | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| April | 3Fri | Good FridayOptional state holiday, taken in place of a skeleton-crew holiday | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 5Sun | Easter Sunday | Observance | Not a day off | ||
| 21Tue | San Jacinto DayState holiday; agencies stay open with a skeleton crew | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| May | 25Mon | Memorial Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| June | 19Fri | JuneteenthState agencies stay open with a skeleton crew | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| July | 4Sat | Independence DayFalls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3Texas state offices don't move it to a weekday | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| August | 27Thu | Lyndon Baines Johnson DayState holiday; agencies stay open with a skeleton crew | State | Not required for private employers | |
| September | 7Mon | Labor Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 21Mon | Yom KippurOptional state holiday, taken in place of a skeleton-crew holiday | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| October | 12Mon | Columbus DayNot a Texas 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 | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 25Fri | Christmas Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 26Sat | Day after ChristmasFalls on a Saturday | State | 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
Texas law doesn't require employers to observe any holidays or to pay employees for holiday time off. If you do offer paid holidays, put the policy in writing: Texas payday law enforces what the written policy says.
Working on a holiday
In Texas, holiday pay for an employee who works on the holiday is required only if your written policy expressly promises it. Spell out in the policy what happens when someone works a paid holiday.
Holidays and overtime
The Texas Workforce Commission advises employers not to count paid holiday hours as hours worked for overtime or FMLA eligibility.
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. Texas state offices don't close on another day when a state or national holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
Unused vacation when someone leaves
Texas has no law requiring PTO payout at termination. Employers are required to pay unused PTO to a departing employee only if a policy, employment contract or established practice provides for it.
From our Texas leave laws guideSick leave
Texas law doesn't require private employers to offer sick leave, paid or unpaid. Dallas, Austin and San Antonio passed their own paid sick leave laws, but the state prevented them from taking effect.
From our Texas leave laws guideMaximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Texas. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Texas state offices close for: Confederate Heroes Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day after Christmas. Take all 12 suggested PTO days and you get 47 days off across 11 breaks, including 8 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 Texas teams take time off
The 5 weeks when the most Texas employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week.
- Dec 21 – 27Week 52 1.7× a normal week1.7×
- Jul 20 – 26Week 30 1.6× a normal week1.6×
- Jul 27 – Aug 2Week 31 1.4× a normal week1.4×
- May 25 – 31Week 22 1.4× a normal week1.4×
- May 18 – 24Week 21 1.3× a normal week1.3×
How Texas holidays differ
State holidays
Texas has 10 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; no other state has more.
Only in Texas
Only Texas has Confederate Heroes Day, Texas Independence Day, Cesar Chavez Day, San Jacinto Day, Lyndon Baines Johnson Day and Yom Kippur as holidays in 2026.
Shared with a few states
Day after Christmas is also a state holiday in South Carolina.
Federal holidays
Not a paid day off for Texas state employees: Columbus Day.
Neighboring states in 2026
- Arkansas1 holiday of its own
- Louisiana8 holidays of its own
- New Mexico1 holiday of its own
- Oklahoma2 holidays of its own
Sources
- State of Texas Holiday Schedule - Fiscal 2027 (Comptroller)
- TDCJ – Holiday Schedule for State Employees FY 2027
- State of Texas Holiday Schedule - Fiscal 2026 (Comptroller)
- Official Texas State Holidays – Texas State Library
- Texas Government Code ch. 662 (holidays)
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays
- Holiday Policies | Texas Guidebook for Employers (Texas Workforce Commission)
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. The Texas Workforce Commission says Texas law doesn't require employers to observe any holidays or to pay employees for holiday time off.
In 2026, Texas has the 11 federal holidays and 10 state holidays: Confederate Heroes Day (January 19), Texas Independence Day (March 2), Cesar Chavez Day (March 31), Good Friday (April 3), San Jacinto Day (April 21), Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (August 27), Yom Kippur (September 21), Day after Thanksgiving (November 27), Christmas Eve (December 24) and Day after Christmas (December 26). Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but not a Texas state holiday.
Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Texas state holiday, where it's called Emancipation Day in Texas. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. State agencies stay open with a skeleton crew.
No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Texas state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12.
Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Texas state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it.
Only if your written policy promises it. The Texas Workforce Commission says holiday pay is required only when the written policy expressly promises it, including for employees who work that day.
No. The Texas Workforce Commission tells employers not to count paid holiday hours as hours worked for overtime purposes.
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. Texas state offices don't close on another day when a state or national holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday. In 2026, Independence Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3; Day after Christmas falls on a Saturday.