Federal Holidays 2028: All 11 Dates and Observed Days

There are 11 US federal holidays in 2028, but only 10 are days off during 2028. New Year’s Day falls on Saturday, January 1, 2028, so it is observed on Friday, December 31, 2027. Veterans Day falls on Saturday, November 11, so it is observed on Friday, November 10, 2028.

The list itself is set by law in 5 U.S.C. 6103 and doesn’t change from year to year; what changes is where each date lands in the week. 2028 is also a leap year with a presidential election, which shifts a few dates and raises a few questions. Below are the 2028 dates, the long weekends, how banks and markets differ, and what the leap year and the next inauguration mean for time off.

Federal holidays 2028

The Office of Personnel Management’s 2028 holiday schedule lists the same observed days, starting with Friday, December 31 for New Year’s Day. For every holiday and observance in the year, including Easter, Halloween and Mother’s Day, see the 2028 holiday calendar.

Why New Year’s Day 2028 is observed in 2027

Under 5 U.S.C. 6103(b), a holiday that falls on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before for employees who work Monday to Friday. A Sunday holiday moves to the following Monday under Executive Order 11582. New Year’s Day 2028 is a Saturday, so the Friday before is December 31, 2027, which is in the previous year.

That has two side effects. First, there is no New Year’s day off in January 2028; January’s only federal holiday is MLK Day. Second, 2027 ends up with twelve observed weekday holidays and 2028 with ten. The 2027 federal holidays guide covers the December 2027 double weekend and how each holiday’s date rule works.

Long weekends in 2028

Eight federal holidays are observed on a Monday or a Friday in 2028:

• Saturday, January 15 – Monday, January 17 (MLK Day)
• Saturday, February 19 – Monday, February 21 (Presidents’ Day)
• Saturday, May 27 – Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day)
• Saturday, June 17 – Monday, June 19 (Juneteenth)
• Saturday, September 2 – Monday, September 4 (Labor Day)
• Saturday, October 7 – Monday, October 9 (Columbus Day)
• Friday, November 10 – Sunday, November 12 (Veterans Day, observed)
• Saturday, December 23 – Monday, December 25 (Christmas)

Independence Day on a Tuesday makes Monday, July 3 the obvious bridge day: one day of leave gives four days off, from Saturday, July 1 to Tuesday, July 4. Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 23 does the same with Friday, November 24. New Year’s Day 2029 falls on a Monday, so the year closes with a three-day weekend from Saturday, December 30, 2028 to Monday, January 1, 2029.

Leap year: 366 days and February 29

2028 is a leap year, so it has 366 days, and February 29 falls on a Tuesday. The extra day is an ordinary workday, not a holiday. Because the year starts on a Saturday, 2028 has 260 weekdays rather than the usual 261. After the ten observed weekday holidays, that leaves 250 federal working days, the same as 2026 and one more than 2027.

The leap day also pushes the weekdays forward: every date from March onward falls two weekdays later than in 2027, not one. That’s why July 4 moves from a Sunday in 2027 to a Tuesday in 2028. More on the rule is on the 2028 leap year page.

Election Day and Inauguration Day

Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 2028, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. It isn’t a federal holiday, so federal offices and banks are open. Time off to vote, and whether Election Day is a state holiday, is set by each state, so check your state’s rules.

Inauguration Day is a federal holiday only in inauguration years and only for federal employees in and around Washington, D.C., under 5 U.S.C. 6103(c). The next one is January 20, 2029, which falls on a Saturday. The law has a special rule only for a January 20 that falls on a Sunday, so check OPM’s guidance closer to the date if you work in the D.C. area.

Banks and the stock market in 2028

Banks and markets don’t follow the federal calendar exactly:

• Federal Reserve Banks. The Fed’s published schedule says that when a holiday falls on a Saturday, the Reserve Banks are open the Friday before. So they’re open on Friday, November 10, 2028, even though federal offices close. They also stay open on Friday, December 31, 2027.
• Stock market. The New York Stock Exchange’s holiday calendar for 2028 has nine closures: MLK Day, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday (April 14), Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It observes no New Year’s Day holiday in 2028, stays open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day, and closes early at 1:00 p.m. ET on Monday, July 3 and Friday, November 24.
• Postal Service. Post offices close on federal holidays and follow the same Saturday-to-Friday rule for observed days.

Planning ahead

If you’re setting dates for 2028 now, mark the observed days on the 2028 calendar first, then work back from them. The two Fridays that move, December 31, 2027 and November 10, 2028, are the ones most likely to catch out schedules built from a plain list of dates. For 2027’s long weekends and bridge days, see the long weekends 2027 guide.

Frequently asked questions

How many federal holidays are there in 2028?

Eleven by law, but only ten are observed during 2028, because New Year’s Day 2028 is observed on Friday, December 31, 2027.

Is there a federal holiday on January 1, 2028?

Not on that day. January 1, 2028 is a Saturday, so federal employees get Friday, December 31, 2027 off instead.

When is Veterans Day observed in 2028?

On Friday, November 10, 2028, because November 11 is a Saturday. Banks that follow the Federal Reserve schedule may stay open that Friday.

Is February 29, 2028 a holiday?

No. Leap day is a Tuesday in 2028 and a normal working day.

Is Election Day 2028 a federal holiday?

No. Election Day, Tuesday, November 7, 2028, isn’t on the federal holiday list. Any time off to vote depends on your state’s law and your employer.