West Virginia Holidays 2026
West Virginia has 11 federal holidays and 6 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026
11 federal holidays and 6 state holidays in 2026.
11 federal holidays and 6 state holidays in 2026.
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All 2026 holidays in West Virginia
18 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 | 16Mon | Washington's Birthday | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| April | 5Sun | Easter Sunday | Observance | Not a day off | |
| May | 12Tue | Primary Election DayStatewide primary election day is a West Virginia legal holiday | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 25Mon | Memorial Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| June | 19Fri | JuneteenthNot a West Virginia state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 20Sat | West Virginia DayFalls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jun 19 | State | 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 Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| November | 3Tue | Election DayGeneral election day is a WV legal holiday | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 11Wed | Veterans Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 26Thu | Thanksgiving Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 27Fri | Lincoln's Day | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| December | 24Thu | Christmas EveHalf day off for state employees | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 25Fri | Christmas Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 31Thu | New Year's EveHalf day off for state employees | State | Not required for private employers |
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What employers need to know
Paid holidays
West Virginia's Wage Payment and Collection Act doesn't require fringe benefits such as paid holidays. If you offer them, you must set the terms in a written policy and tell employees those terms in writing.
Working on a holiday
Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require overtime pay just because an employee works on a holiday. Overtime is owed for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
Paid holidays and overtime
Under West Virginia's overtime law, paid holiday hours aren't hours worked. An employee who works 40 hours and also gets 8 hours of holiday pay is owed no overtime for that week.
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday.
Unused vacation when someone leaves
West Virginia has no law requiring payout of accrued, unused vacation at termination. Employers can still be responsible for paying it if a company policy requires it.
From our West Virginia leave laws guideSick leave
West Virginia doesn't have a sick leave law, so beyond federal FMLA, employers aren't required to provide sick leave benefits.
From our West Virginia leave laws guideMaximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in West Virginia. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days West Virginia state offices close for: Primary Election Day, West Virginia Day, Election Day and Lincoln's Day. Take all 14 suggested PTO days and you get 54 days off across 13 breaks, including 11 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar.
- Federal
- State
- 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 West Virginia data for a state view yet.
How West Virginia holidays differ
State holidays
West Virginia has 6 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 2 have more and 48 have fewer.
Only in West Virginia
Only West Virginia has West Virginia Day and Lincoln's Day as holidays in 2026.
Shared with a few states
Primary Election Day is also a state holiday in Indiana and Wisconsin. New Year's Eve is also a state holiday in Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Federal holidays
Not a paid day off for West Virginia state employees: Juneteenth.
Neighboring states in 2026
- Kentucky5 holidays of its own
- Maryland2 holidays of its own
- Ohiono holidays of its own
- Pennsylvania1 holiday of its own
- Virginia4 holidays of its own
Sources
- W. Va. Code §2-2-1 Legal holidays
- WV Division of Personnel - Paid Leave Information (Holidays section)
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays
- WPCA Fact Sheet 8: When Employee Fringe Benefits are Considered Wages | West Virginia Division of Labor
- Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA | U.S. Department of Labor
- Overtime Wages Fact Sheet 2: State Overtime Requirements | West Virginia Division 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. West Virginia's Wage Payment and Collection Act doesn't require fringe benefits, which include holidays. If you offer paid holidays, the terms must be in a written policy that employees are told about in writing.
In 2026, West Virginia has the 11 federal holidays and 6 state holidays: Primary Election Day (May 12), West Virginia Day (June 20), Election Day (November 3), Lincoln's Day (November 27), Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year's Eve (December 31). Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but not a West Virginia state holiday.
No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't a West Virginia state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19.
Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a West Virginia state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12.
Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a West Virginia state holiday, Lincoln's Day. Private employers don't have to give it.
Not under federal law. The FLSA doesn't require overtime pay for holiday work as such; overtime is owed only for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. In West Virginia's own example, an employee who works a regular 8-hour shift on a paid holiday and 40 hours that week is owed no overtime.
No. Under West Virginia's overtime law, holiday pay and other paid leave aren't hours worked, so they don't count toward the 40 hours. Federal law (the FLSA) treats paid holiday time the same way.
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. In 2026, West Virginia Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, June 19; Independence Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3.