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How to Calculate Business Days Between Dates

Learn to calculate business days between dates. Includes manual counting methods, US federal holidays for 2026, and international variations.

7 min readBy CalcOnce Editorial TeamUpdated February 28, 2026

Whether you're tracking shipping deliveries, meeting contract deadlines, or planning project timelines, understanding how to calculate business days between dates is essential. Business days exclude weekends and public holidays from your count.

Our Date Calculator makes this process simple by automatically counting business days while accounting for weekends.

What Are Business Days?

Business days are Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays. This definition is crucial for:

  • Legal deadlines and court filings
  • Banking transactions and ACH payments
  • Shipping estimates
  • Contract obligations
  • Payroll processing

How to Manually Calculate

  1. Count total calendar days between dates
  2. Divide by 7 to find complete weeks
  3. Subtract weekend days (weeks × 2)
  4. Check remaining days for weekends
  5. Subtract holidays falling on weekdays

Common Scenarios

Starting from Monday, March 2, 2026:

  • 5 business days: Monday, March 9, 2026
  • 10 business days: Monday, March 16, 2026
  • 30 business days: Monday, April 13, 2026

US Federal Holidays 2026

  • January 1 - New Year's Day (Thursday)
  • January 19 - MLK Day (Monday)
  • February 16 - Presidents' Day (Monday)
  • May 25 - Memorial Day (Monday)
  • June 19 - Juneteenth (Friday)
  • July 3 - Independence Day observed (Friday)
  • September 7 - Labor Day (Monday)
  • November 26 - Thanksgiving (Thursday)
  • December 25 - Christmas (Friday)

International Variations

Not all countries use Saturday-Sunday weekends:

  • Israel, UAE, Saudi Arabia: Friday-Saturday weekend
  • Iran: Thursday-Friday weekend

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the start date count as a business day?

Typically no. The count begins on the next business day after the start date.

How many business days are in a month?

Usually 20-23 business days, depending on weekends and holidays. Average is about 21-22.

How many business days are in a year?

Approximately 250-252 business days in the US (365 minus weekends minus holidays).

Calculate Business Days Instantly

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CalcOnce Editorial Team

The CalcOnce team creates comprehensive guides and free calculators to help you make better decisions. Our content is researched thoroughly and updated regularly to ensure accuracy.

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