When Is Columbus Day 2026? Countdown, 2027 Date & History Explained

Columbus Day is an easy holiday to forget until the morning of. The post office is closed, your bank probably is too, yet the stock market is open and plenty of offices work as normal. If you are trying to figure out what that Monday means for you, this guide has the date, a live countdown and the details that matter.

How Many Days Until Columbus Day?

The countdown below runs on the clock of your phone or computer, so it is right wherever you are in the country.

It counts down to midnight at the start of the day. Once Columbus Day is over, it moves on to next year's date by itself, so you can bookmark this page and come back any time.

Columbus Day Dates from 2024 to 2035

Here is every Columbus Day from 2024 to 2035, with the three-day weekend it creates. The last two years stay in the table in case you need to look one up.

Because the holiday is tied to the second Monday, it can never fall earlier than October 8 or later than October 14. The next time it lands on the earliest date is 2029. The latest date, October 14, comes up in 2030.

Only in some years does Columbus Day fall on October 12 itself, the real anniversary of the 1492 landing. The next time after 2026 is 2037.

When Is Columbus Day 2027?

Columbus Day 2027 is on Monday, October 11, 2027. For federal workers, the long weekend runs from Saturday, October 9 to Monday, October 11.

Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, falls on the same Monday in 2027. It begins at sundown on Sunday evening, so some schools and offices may plan around both days.

Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the same Monday, as it does every year. To see the whole month, open the October 2027 calendar, or check every holiday of the year on the USA holidays 2027 page.

Is Columbus Day a Federal Holiday?

Yes. Columbus Day is one of the 11 federal holidays set by law (5 U.S.C. 6103). Federal employees get a paid day off and federal offices close. On October 7, 2026, the White House issued its yearly proclamation naming Monday, October 12, 2026 as Columbus Day and asking for the US flag to fly on public buildings.

That does not mean everyone gets the day off. Private employers make their own choice, and many stay open. States decide for themselves too. According to Pew Research Center, as of October 2025, 30 states and three US territories recognize Columbus Day in some way, but only 20 states give their state workers a paid day off for it.

So whether Monday is a day off for you depends on who you work for and where you live. If you are not sure, your employer's holiday calendar will have the answer. Our guide to US federal holidays explains how all 11 holidays work.

What's Open and Closed on Columbus Day

One practical tip: if a check or payment has to arrive by Monday, send it by the Friday before or pay online. Bank transfers started over the weekend often do not go through until Tuesday.

Do Kids Have School on Columbus Day?

There is no national rule. Each school district sets its own calendar. Some close for the day, some use it as a teacher training day, and many stay open. Look at your district's calendar, where the day may be listed as Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day or both.

Why Do We Celebrate Columbus Day?

Columbus Day marks October 12, 1492, the day Christopher Columbus and his crew reached an island in the Bahamas. The Lucayan people who lived there called it Guanahani. Columbus renamed it San Salvador.

Columbus was born in Genoa, in what is now Italy, but he sailed for the king and queen of Spain. He left Spain in August 1492 with about 90 men on three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María. Over four voyages he reached islands in the Caribbean and the coasts of Central and South America. He never set foot in what is now the United States.

The road from that landing to a Monday off work took almost 500 years:

Why the Holiday Matters to Italian Americans

For millions of Italian Americans, Columbus Day grew into a celebration of their own family history. Many Italian immigrants who arrived in the late 1800s faced harsh discrimination. In 1891, a mob in New Orleans killed 11 Italian Americans, one of the largest mass lynchings in US history. President Harrison's call to honor Columbus came the following year.

Groups like the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal order, then pushed for decades to make it a national holiday. That is why many Italian American groups still hold parades and festivals on the day, including big ones in New York City and Chicago.

Was Columbus the First European in the Americas?

No. Norse explorers led by Leif Erikson reached North America about 500 years earlier. Tree rings show that Norse settlers were cutting wood at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada, in the year 1021. The United States marks Leif Erikson Day on October 9, by presidential proclamation every year since 1964. And of course, millions of people were already living across the Americas long before any European arrived.

Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Over the last few decades, the second Monday in October has picked up a second meaning. Many places now use the day to honor the Native peoples who lived in the Americas before 1492, and their communities today.

The idea was first raised at a United Nations conference on discrimination against Indigenous peoples in the Americas, held in 1977. South Dakota began marking Native American Day on this Monday in 1990, and Berkeley, California, adopted Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1992. Many cities, states and schools have followed.

Two Views of the Same Day

People who prefer Columbus Day often see it as a celebration of exploration and of Italian American heritage. They point out how much the holiday has meant to immigrant families who were once treated badly themselves.

People who support Indigenous Peoples' Day point to what followed Columbus's arrival. Native people were enslaved and killed, and diseases brought from Europe caused a huge loss of life. For them, the day is a chance to recognize Native history and cultures instead.

Plenty of places now mark both on the same Monday. Federal law still names the holiday Columbus Day, and the White House proclamations for 2025 and 2026 named only Columbus Day.

Which States Use Which Name?

Here is how states treated the day as of October 2025, based on Pew Research Center's count:

A few places give the same Monday a name of their own:

How Americans Mark Columbus Day

• Parades and festivals: Italian American groups hold parades, street fairs and church events. New York City and Chicago have two of the best known parades.
• Indigenous Peoples' Day events: powwows, talks, art shows and community gatherings, often run by tribes, museums and universities.
• A long weekend: for federal workers and many state workers, it is a three-day weekend for a short trip or time with family.
• Holiday sales: many stores run Columbus Day sales, often on furniture, mattresses and appliances.
• Flags: the President's proclamation asks for the US flag to be flown on public buildings.

Is Columbus Day Celebrated in Other Countries?

Columbus Day itself is a US holiday, but the same week holds holidays in other places too:

If you have family north of the border, our guide to Thanksgiving in Canada covers that holiday.

Plan Your Columbus Day Weekend

A few small steps make the long weekend easier:

• Mail early. Anything that has to arrive on time should go out by Friday, since there is no mail on Monday.
• Sort out money before the weekend. Most banks are closed, so deposits and transfers may wait until Tuesday.
• Check the school and office calendar. This is the holiday people disagree about most, so do not assume.
• Book early if you are traveling. Three-day weekends fill up fast.

Print the October 2026 calendar with Columbus Day already marked, or see every holiday of the year on the USA holidays 2026 page. Any other month is on our printable monthly calendar.