How to use the business days calculator
- 1
Pick a mode
“Count days” finds the working days between two dates. “Add / subtract” finds the date a set number of business days away.
- 2
Choose your holidays
Select US federal holidays, UK bank holidays, or weekends only. UK visitors get UK holidays by default.
- 3
Enter dates and read the result
The count updates instantly, and the list under the result shows every holiday that was skipped.
How business days are counted
The calculator walks through every date in your range. Saturdays and Sundays are dropped, then any date that matches a public holiday for your chosen region is dropped too. Whatever is left are business days. When a holiday lands on a weekend, it isn't counted twice. Instead, the observed weekday (US) or substitute day (UK) is removed.
Weekdays: November 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 = 5
Minus Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26 = 4 business days
With “Include end date” on, Monday, November 30 is added, for 5.
Many employers also give the Friday after Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve off, but these aren't federal holidays. If your workplace closes, subtract them yourself.
Working days per month in 2027
Weekdays in each month, and what's left after public holidays in the US and in England and Wales.
| Month | Mon–Fri | US (federal) | UK (Eng & Wales) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 19 | 20 |
| February | 20 | 19 | 20 |
| March | 23 | 23 | 21 |
| April | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 20 | 19 |
| June | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| July | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| August | 22 | 22 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| October | 21 | 20 | 21 |
| November | 22 | 20 | 22 |
| December | 23 | 21 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 249 | 253 |
Working days per quarter in 2027
Useful for quarterly targets, billing and capacity planning:
| Quarter | Mon–Fri | US (federal) | UK (Eng & Wales) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 (Jan–Mar) | 64 | 61 | 61 |
| Q2 (Apr–Jun) | 65 | 63 | 63 |
| Q3 (Jul–Sep) | 66 | 64 | 65 |
| Q4 (Oct–Dec) | 66 | 61 | 64 |
US federal holidays 2027
Observed dates. When a holiday falls on a Saturday it is observed on Friday; on a Sunday, it moves to Monday.
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1, 2027 | Friday |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 18, 2027 | Monday |
| Presidents' Day | February 15, 2027 | Monday |
| Memorial Day | May 31, 2027 | Monday |
| Juneteenth | June 18, 2027 | Friday |
| Independence Day | July 5, 2027 | Monday |
| Labor Day | September 6, 2027 | Monday |
| Columbus Day | October 11, 2027 | Monday |
| Veterans Day | November 11, 2027 | Thursday |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 25, 2027 | Thursday |
| Christmas Day | December 24, 2027 | Friday |
UK bank holidays 2027 (England & Wales)
When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is given, usually the following Monday.
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1, 2027 | Friday |
| Good Friday | March 26, 2027 | Friday |
| Easter Monday | March 29, 2027 | Monday |
| Early May bank holiday | May 3, 2027 | Monday |
| Spring bank holiday | May 31, 2027 | Monday |
| Summer bank holiday | August 30, 2027 | Monday |
| Christmas Day (substitute day) | December 27, 2027 | Monday |
| Boxing Day (substitute day) | December 28, 2027 | Tuesday |
Business days to calendar days
A rough guide when no holidays fall in the period. Five business days is one full week.
| Business days | About | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 to 5 calendar days | Bank transfers, cooling-off periods |
| 5 | 1 week | Standard shipping |
| 10 | 2 weeks | Refunds, document processing |
| 20 | 4 weeks | One working month |
| 30 | 6 weeks | Legal response windows |
| 60 | 12 weeks | Longer notice periods |
Federal holidays and bank holidays: who gets the day off?
In the US, federal holidays are days off for federal employees, and the Federal Reserve, banks and the post office close. Private employers aren't required to give them as paid days off, so many businesses stay open on days like Columbus Day and Veterans Day. Stock markets follow their own calendar: the NYSE closes on Good Friday but stays open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day.
In the UK, banks and most offices close on bank holidays, but there's no legal right to have them off. Full-time workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid leave a year, which employers can choose to include bank holidays in. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different bank holidays from England and Wales, such as St Andrew's Day and St Patrick's Day.
Business days in Excel and Google Sheets
| What you want | Formula |
|---|---|
| Business days between A1 and B1 (both included) | =NETWORKDAYS(A1, B1, holidays) |
| Date 10 business days after A1 | =WORKDAY(A1, 10, holidays) |
| Custom weekends, e.g. Friday–Saturday | =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A1, B1, 7, holidays) |
Replace “holidays” with a range of cells listing your holiday dates. You can copy the holiday dates from the tables above. Without it, only weekends are skipped.
Canada and Australia
Business days in Canada and Australia follow the same Monday-to-Friday rule, but public holidays vary by province or state. Canada's nationwide statutory holidays include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day and Christmas Day, with others like Victoria Day and Thanksgiving depending on the province. In Australia, holidays such as the King's Birthday and Labour Day fall on different dates in different states. For now, choose “Weekends only” and subtract your local holidays.
Does the start day count?
Usually not. When a company says it will reply “within 5 business days” of receiving your request on a Tuesday, day 1 is Wednesday and day 5 is the following Tuesday. Many businesses also have a daily cut-off time. An order placed after 2 PM on a Friday, for example, is often treated as received on Monday, which pushes every date back by a full weekend.
The “Add / subtract” mode follows this rule: it starts counting on the next business day after your start date. In “Count days” mode, the start date is included if it's a business day, and the “Include end date” box decides whether the last day counts too.
Tips for accurate deadlines
- Check whether a deadline is in business days or calendar days. Legal notices and invoices often use calendar days.
- Decide whether the start day counts. Most business-day deadlines start counting on the next working day.
- Remember company shutdowns, like the week between Christmas and New Year, which aren't public holidays.
- For cross-border work, count with the holiday calendar of the country where the work is done.
Where business days matter
Shipping and delivery
“Ships in 3–5 business days” means weekends and holidays don't count, so an order on Thursday may not ship until the next week.
Banking and payments
Transfers, check clearing and refunds are processed on business days only.
Legal and HR deadlines
Court filings, notice periods and HR processes are often set in working days.
Project planning
Estimating sprints, delivery dates and staffing based on real working days, not calendar days.