SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Washington State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/washington/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 1 Washington state holiday for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Washington Holidays 2026 Washington 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. ## All 2026 holidays in Washington | 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 | Not a Washington state holiday | 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 | | Native American Heritage Day | 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.** Washington doesn't require employers to give leave or pay for holidays. Holiday benefits come from your own policies or a collective bargaining agreement. **Working on a holiday.** Washington law doesn't require overtime or premium pay for working on a holiday unless those hours go over 40 in the workweek. Workers on public projects may have contract rights under the state's prevailing wage law. **Holidays and overtime.** In Washington, overtime is based on actual hours worked, so a paid holiday taken as a day off doesn't count toward the 40-hour overtime threshold. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Washington has no law requiring PTO payout at termination, and none is owed if the policy or contract is silent. If a company policy or employment contract requires it, the employer must pay unused PTO. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/washington/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** All Washington employers must provide paid sick leave, with employees earning 1 hour for every 40 hours worked. Employees may carry over up to 40 hours to the following year. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/washington/#sick-leave-in-washington) Full rules: Washington leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/washington/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Washington. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Washington state offices close for: Native American Heritage Day. 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. - Take Wednesday, November 25 off to get a 5-day break from November 25 to 29 (Thanksgiving Day and Native American Heritage Day). - 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 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 US teams take time off The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough Washington data for a state view yet. - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 2.5× a normal week - Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 6 – 12 (Week 28): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 27 – Aug 2 (Week 31): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 3 – 9 (Week 32): 1.5× a normal week ## How Washington holidays differ **State holidays.** Washington 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. **Only in Washington.** Only Washington has Native American Heritage Day as a holiday in 2026. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Washington state employees: Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Idaho](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/idaho/2026/): no holidays of its own - [Oregon](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/oregon/2026/): 1 holiday 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 Washington have to give paid holidays? No. Washington doesn't require employers to provide leave or pay for holidays; these benefits come from employer policies or a collective bargaining agreement. Q: What are the Washington state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Washington has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Native American Heritage Day (November 27). Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but not a Washington state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth a Washington state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Washington state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Washington state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Washington state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Washington? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Washington state holiday, Native American Heritage Day. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Washington have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No. Washington doesn't require overtime or premium pay for holiday work unless the hours go over 40 in the workweek; holiday pay is at the employer's discretion. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Washington? No. Washington overtime is based on actual hours worked, and a paid holiday taken as a day off isn't included. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Washington? 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 - RCW 1.16.050 Legal holidays: https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=1.16.050 - State holiday schedule | Washington Department of Revenue: https://dor.wa.gov/contact/state-holiday-schedule - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Holiday, Vacation & Bereavement Leave | Washington State Department of Labor & Industries: https://www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/leave/holiday-vacation-bereavement-leave 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/washington-holidays-2026.csv