Business Days Calculator
Count business days between two dates, excluding weekends and optionally US federal holidays. Useful for project deadlines, contract terms, shipping estimates, and legal notice periods.
Formulas, assumptions, and rounding are documented in our calculator methodology.
Business Days
20
Sun, May 17, 2026 → Tue, June 16, 2026
Day Count Breakdown
- Business Days
- 20
- Calendar Days
- 30
- Weekend Days (excluded)
- 9
- US Federal Holidays (excluded)
- 1
- Total Days Excluded
- 10
Business days exclude Saturdays and Sundays. Federal holidays include the 11 major US federal holidays for 2024–2027 (observed dates). State holidays, company holidays, regional bank holidays, and floating holidays are not included. The end date itself is not counted — the calculator counts days from the start date up to but not including the end date.
How Business Day Counting Works
Business days = total calendar days − Saturdays − Sundays − holidays (if excluded). Example: January 1 to January 31 = 30 calendar days. Minus 8–9 Saturdays/Sundays and any January holidays = approximately 21 business days. Months average 20–23 business days depending on weekends and holiday distribution.
Common Business Day Rules by Context
Shipping and delivery: most carriers count business days from when the package is accepted (cutoff time applies). Legal notices: many jurisdictions define '3 business days' to exclude weekends and federal holidays. Contracts: review the contract definition — some include Saturdays, some exclude only federal holidays. Banking: ACH transfers take 1–3 business days; wire transfers typically same day if submitted before cutoff.
US Federal Holiday Observation Rules
When a federal holiday falls on Saturday, it is observed the preceding Friday. When it falls on Sunday, it is observed the following Monday. This calculator applies those standard observation rules for 2024–2027. Examples: July 4, 2026 falls on a Friday (observed Friday). November 11, 2026 (Veterans Day) falls on Wednesday (observed as-is). Always verify observation dates for official deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
- A business day is typically Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays. Most contracts, legal notices, shipping estimates, and financial deadlines count business days this way. Some industries (banking, courts) may exclude additional holidays or follow specific rules. This calculator excludes weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and, optionally, the 11 US federal holidays.
- The 11 US federal holidays: New Year's Day (Jan 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (3rd Monday in Jan), Presidents' Day (3rd Monday in Feb), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Juneteenth (Jun 19), Independence Day (Jul 4), Labor Day (1st Monday in Sep), Columbus Day (2nd Monday in Oct), Veterans Day (Nov 11), Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in Nov), Christmas Day (Dec 25). When a holiday falls on Saturday, it is observed Friday; on Sunday, observed Monday.
- This calculator counts from the start date up to but not including the end date. For example, from Monday Jan 6 to Friday Jan 10 returns 4 business days (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu — Friday is the end date and not counted). This is the most common convention for deadline and shipping calculations. If you need inclusive counting, add 1 to the result.
- Set your start date to today and the end date 30+ calendar days forward, then adjust until the business day count equals 30. Alternatively, use this calculator to count days in a range — set today as start, then move the end date until the counter reads 30. Adding 30 business days to a date typically adds 6–8 weeks depending on holidays.
- This calculator only includes US federal holidays. State holidays, company-specific closures, local bank holidays, religious holidays, and floating holidays vary by employer and jurisdiction. If your contract or deadline refers to a specific calendar (e.g., NYSE trading days, court holidays), verify with the relevant authority or legal counsel.