Is Juneteenth a Federal Holiday? Dates, History and Closures

Yes, Juneteenth is a federal holiday. It became one in June 2021. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. In 2027, June 19 is a Saturday, so federal employees get the holiday on Friday, June 18, 2027.

Its full legal name is Juneteenth National Independence Day, and it’s the newest of the 11 federal holidays. Below you’ll find what the day marks, how the law was passed, the dates and observed days through 2033, and what’s open or closed, including the Saturday-holiday quirk that leaves many banks open in 2027.

Juneteenth dates and observed days

Juneteenth is a fixed-date holiday, so it moves through the week. Both 2026 and 2027 give a three-day weekend, and so does 2028, when June 19 is a Monday. See the time left on our Juneteenth countdown.

What Juneteenth commemorates

On June 19, 1865, Union troops under Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and Granger issued General Order No. 3. It informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were free, announcing that the Emancipation Proclamation’s freeing of enslaved people in the Confederate states was in effect there.

The name joins “June” and “nineteenth.” The day was celebrated in Texas long before it became a national holiday: Texas made Juneteenth an official state holiday by law in 1979, according to the Library of Congress.

How Juneteenth became a federal holiday

• June 15, 2021: the Senate passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act by unanimous consent.
• June 16, 2021: the House passed it.
• June 17, 2021: President Joe Biden signed it into law as Public Law 117-17.

The act added “Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19” to the list of federal holidays in 5 U.S.C. 6103, right after Memorial Day. It was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983.

Juneteenth 2026 and 2027 side by side

The two years look alike at first, since both give a Friday off, but they work differently.

• 2026: June 19 is itself a Friday, so everyone who observes the holiday takes the same day. The long weekend runs Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21, which is Father’s Day. Two weeks later, Independence Day 2026 falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3, so the summer has two Friday holidays exactly 14 days apart.
• 2027: June 19 is a Saturday. Federal offices move the holiday to Friday, June 18, but the Federal Reserve, and with it many banks, stays open that Friday. Some employers that don’t follow the federal schedule may give no weekday off at all.

Either way, June has 22 weekdays and 21 federal working days in both 2026 and 2027. Compare the full lists in the 2026 holiday calendar and the 2027 holiday calendar.

Is Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2027? Yes, on Friday

When a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, 5 U.S.C. 6103(b) makes the Friday before the holiday for most federal workers. So in 2027 the federal Juneteenth holiday is Friday, June 18. The Office of Personnel Management lists that date in its 2027 schedule.

That gives a long weekend from Friday, June 18 through Sunday, June 20, which is also Father’s Day. The June solstice follows on Monday, June 21. For the full month, open the June 2027 calendar.

What’s open and closed on Juneteenth

Closures differ between 2026 and 2027 because of the Saturday date.

The Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule says that for holidays falling on a Saturday, the Reserve Banks are open the Friday before. Many banks follow the Fed, so on Friday, June 18, 2027 your bank may well be open even though federal offices and post offices are closed. Our guide to bank holidays in 2027 covers the other Saturday holidays that year.

State and local governments, schools and private employers decide for themselves whether to close. Federal holidays legally apply to federal employees and the District of Columbia, so check your state’s and employer’s calendars.

Planning around Juneteenth 2027

• Government business: federal offices and post offices are closed on Friday, June 18, 2027, so finish any in-person errands, passport visits or certified mailings by Thursday, June 17.
• Paydays: because the Fed is open on June 18, a Friday direct deposit that day is likely to arrive as normal. Check with your employer or bank if you’re unsure. The 2027 payday calendar lists every Friday payday.
• Back-to-back holidays: Independence Day 2027 falls on a Sunday and is observed on Monday, July 5, so June and July 2027 bring two three-day weekends 17 days apart. See July 4th 2027 observed.

For every federal date in 2027, including the other two Saturday holidays that year, read our 2027 federal holidays guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Juneteenth a federal holiday?

Yes. Juneteenth National Independence Day has been a federal holiday since President Biden signed the law on June 17, 2021. It’s observed on June 19, or on the nearest weekday when June 19 falls on a weekend.

Is Juneteenth a paid holiday?

For federal employees, yes. For everyone else it depends on your employer or contract, because federal law doesn’t require private employers to give paid time off on federal holidays.

When is Juneteenth observed in 2027?

Friday, June 18, 2027, because June 19 falls on a Saturday. Federal offices and post offices close that Friday; the Federal Reserve Banks stay open.

Is the stock market closed on Juneteenth?

Yes. The New York Stock Exchange closes on Friday, June 19, 2026 and on Friday, June 18, 2027.

Are banks closed on Juneteenth 2027?

Many aren’t. Juneteenth falls on a Saturday in 2027, and the Federal Reserve Banks stay open on the Friday before a Saturday holiday, so many banks are open on Friday, June 18, 2027. In 2026, when June 19 is a Friday, the Fed and most banks are closed.

What happened on June 19, 1865?

Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, announcing that all enslaved people in Texas were free.