SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Wisconsin State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/wisconsin/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 4 Wisconsin state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Wisconsin Holidays 2026 Wisconsin has 11 federal holidays and 4 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Wisconsin | 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 | | Susan B. Anthony Day (Commemorative day only; not a legal or state employee holiday) | 2026-02-15 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | Legal holiday under Wis. Stat. 995.20, but not a paid holiday for Wisconsin state employees | 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 | Legal holiday under Wis. Stat. 995.20, but not a paid holiday for Wisconsin state employees | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Independence Day | 2026-07-04 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3. Wisconsin state offices don't move it to a weekday; state employees get floating holiday hours instead | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Primary Election Day (Legal holiday under Wis. Stat. 995.20; not a paid holiday for state employees, and state offices stay open) | 2026-08-11 | Tuesday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Labor Day | 2026-09-07 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2026-10-12 | Monday | Legal holiday under Wis. Stat. 995.20, but not a paid holiday for Wisconsin state employees | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Election Day (Legal holiday under Wis. Stat. 995.20; not a paid holiday for state employees, and state offices stay open) | 2026-11-03 | Tuesday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Veterans Day | 2026-11-11 | Wednesday | Legal holiday under Wis. Stat. 995.20; state offices stay open, and state employees get one extra personal holiday each year for it | 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 (Paid state employee holiday (not a 995.20 legal holiday)) | 2026-12-24 | Thursday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Day | 2026-12-25 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | New Year's Eve (Paid state employee holiday (not a 995.20 legal holiday)) | 2026-12-31 | Thursday | | State | Not required for private employers | ## What employers need to know **Paid holidays.** Wisconsin employers aren't required to provide holiday, vacation or sick pay. If you create a benefit policy, you're free to set its conditions. **Paid holidays and overtime.** In Wisconsin, paid holiday hours don't have to count as hours worked when you figure overtime. Overtime is owed only after 40 hours actually worked in the workweek, not for working on a particular day. **Unused vacation at separation.** Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development says that if an employer has a written vacation policy without a written forfeiture policy, the employer must pay the employee for earned, unused vacation. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, Wisconsin state employees get floating holiday hours instead; a Sunday holiday is observed on Monday. **Sick leave.** Wisconsin doesn't have a sick leave law, but the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act provides unpaid sick leave for eligible employees. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/wisconsin/#sick-leave-in-wisconsin) Full rules: Wisconsin leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/wisconsin/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Wisconsin. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Wisconsin state offices close for: Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get **51 days off across 12 breaks**, including 9 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Wednesday, December 23 off to get a 5-day break from December 23 to 27 (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). - Take Wednesday, December 30 off to get a 5-day break from December 30 to January 3 (New Year's Eve and New Year's 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 Friday, November 27 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 26 to 29 (Thanksgiving 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin holidays differ **State holidays.** Wisconsin has 4 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 5 have more and 37 have fewer. **Shared with a few states.** Primary Election Day is also a state holiday in Indiana and West Virginia. New Year's Eve is also a state holiday in Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee and West Virginia. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Wisconsin state employees: Washington's Birthday, Juneteenth, Columbus Day and Veterans Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Illinois](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/illinois/2026/): 3 holidays of its own - [Iowa](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/iowa/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [Michigan](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/michigan/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Minnesota](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/minnesota/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 Wisconsin have to give paid holidays? No. Wisconsin employers aren't required to provide fringe benefits such as holiday, vacation or sick pay. Q: What are the Wisconsin state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Wisconsin has the 11 federal holidays and 4 state holidays: Primary Election Day (August 11), Election Day (November 3), Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year's Eve (December 31). Q: Is Juneteenth a Wisconsin state holiday? Partly. Juneteenth is a federal holiday. Legal holiday under Wis. Stat. 995.20, but not a paid holiday for Wisconsin state employees. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Wisconsin state holiday? Partly. Columbus Day is a federal holiday. Legal holiday under Wis. Stat. 995.20, but not a paid holiday for Wisconsin state employees. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Wisconsin? No. It isn't a Wisconsin state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27. Q: Do employers in Wisconsin have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Not under federal law. The FLSA doesn't require overtime pay for work on holidays as such; covered non-exempt employees get time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Wisconsin? No. In Wisconsin, hours paid for time not worked, such as holiday pay, don't have to count as hours worked when figuring overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Wisconsin? Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, Wisconsin state employees get floating holiday hours instead; a Sunday holiday is observed on Monday. In 2026, Independence Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3. ## Sources - State Holidays - Wisconsin Division of Personnel Management: https://dpm.wi.gov/Pages/How_Do_I/seeStateHolidays.aspx - Wis. Stat. 995.20 Legal holidays: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/995/20 - Wis. Stat. 5.02(12s) (partisan primary): https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/5/I/02/12s - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Wage Payment and Collection | Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/laborstandards/wages.htm - Hours of Work and Overtime | Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/laborstandards/overtime.htm - 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 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/wisconsin-holidays-2026.csv