When Is Veterans Day 2026: Date, Day Off Rules, What's Closed & History
Table of Contents (12 sections)
- How Many Days Until Veterans Day?
- Veterans Day Dates from 2025 to 2035
- What Happens When Veterans Day Falls on a Weekend?
- Why Is Veterans Day on November 11?
- From Armistice Day to Veterans Day
- Veterans Day vs. Memorial Day
- Is Veterans Day a Federal Holiday?
- What's Open and Closed on Veterans Day
- How Veterans Day Is Observed
- Is It Veterans Day or Veteran's Day?
- November 11 in Other Countries
- See Veterans Day on Your Calendar
Veterans Day is one of the few federal holidays that does not move to a Monday. It stays on November 11, the day the fighting of World War I stopped in 1918. That makes it easy to remember, but it also means the day off moves around the week, and not every office or bank treats it the same way. Here is the date, the day off rules and what is open and closed.
Veterans Day 2026 is on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
It is always on November 11, whatever day of the week that is. It falls on a Wednesday, so it is a midweek day off for federal workers, not a long weekend. That is 7 days from today.
Next year, Veterans Day 2027 is on Thursday, November 11, 2027.
Quick summary
- Date: November 11 every year. In 2026 that is a Wednesday.
- Federal holiday: yes, one of the 11 set by federal law.
- Closed: federal offices and post offices, and many banks. Open: the stock market and most stores.
- Why November 11: the World War I armistice took effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.
- Not the same as Memorial Day: Veterans Day thanks everyone who has served. Memorial Day honors those who died in service.
How Many Days Until Veterans Day?
The countdown uses the clock on your own phone or computer, so it is right in every time zone.
Veterans Day 2026 is on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. That is 7 days from today.
It counts down to midnight at the start of November 11. Once the day has passed, it switches to next year's date by itself.
Veterans Day Dates from 2025 to 2035
The date never changes, but the weekday does. The last column shows the weekday that federal workers get off.
| Year | November 11 falls on | Federal day off |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tuesday (past) | Same day |
| 2026 | Wednesday (this year) | Same day |
| 2027 | Thursday | Same day |
| 2028 | Saturday | Friday, November 10 |
| 2029 | Sunday | Monday, November 12 |
| 2030 | Monday | Same day |
| 2031 | Tuesday | Same day |
| 2032 | Thursday | Same day |
| 2033 | Friday | Same day |
| 2034 | Saturday | Friday, November 10 |
| 2035 | Sunday | Monday, November 12 |
What Happens When Veterans Day Falls on a Weekend?
The holiday itself stays on November 11. What moves is the day off for federal workers:
- On a Saturday, the day off is the Friday before. The next time this happens is 2028 (Friday, November 10, 2028).
- On a Sunday, the day off is the Monday after. The next time this happens is 2029 (Monday, November 12, 2029).
Banks follow a slightly different rule. The Federal Reserve closes on the Monday when a holiday falls on a Sunday, but it stays open on the Friday when a holiday falls on a Saturday. So in a Saturday year, your bank may be open on the same Friday that federal offices are closed.
Why Is Veterans Day on November 11?
World War I ended with an armistice, an agreement to stop fighting, between the Allies and Germany. It took effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918: November 11, 1918. The peace treaty, the Treaty of Versailles, was signed later, on June 28, 1919, but November 11 is the date people remember as the end of the war.
In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first anniversary as Armistice Day. That is why Veterans Day stays on November 11 instead of moving to a Monday like most federal holidays.
From Armistice Day to Veterans Day
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1918 | The World War I armistice takes effect on November 11. |
| 1919 | President Wilson proclaims November 11 as the first Armistice Day. |
| 1926 | Congress passes a resolution on June 4 asking for a yearly observance. |
| 1938 | A law approved on May 13 makes November 11 a legal holiday called Armistice Day. |
| 1954 | After World War II and the Korean War, a law approved on June 1 renames it Veterans Day, to honor veterans of all wars. President Eisenhower issues the first Veterans Day proclamation on October 8. |
| 1968 | The Uniform Holiday Bill, signed on June 28, moves Veterans Day to a Monday in October. |
| 1971 | The first Monday Veterans Day is held on October 25. Many states keep November 11 anyway. |
| 1975 | President Gerald Ford signs a law on September 20 that returns Veterans Day to November 11. |
| 1978 | Veterans Day is back on November 11, where it has stayed ever since. |
Veterans Day vs. Memorial Day
People mix these two up every year. Both honor the military, but they are not the same day:
| Veterans Day | Memorial Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it honors | Everyone who has served in the US armed forces, living or dead | Those who died while serving |
| Date | November 11 | Last Monday in May |
| Began as | Armistice Day, after World War I | Decoration Day, after the Civil War |
| Common customs | Thanking veterans, parades, ceremonies | Visiting graves, placing flags, remembrance services |
A simple way to remember it: Veterans Day is for thanking veterans, and Memorial Day is for remembering the fallen. Our guide to Memorial Day covers that holiday.
Is Veterans Day a Federal Holiday?
Yes. Veterans Day is one of the 11 federal holidays set by law (5 U.S.C. 6103), so federal employees get a paid day off. Private employers decide for themselves, and many stay open. States, cities and school districts also set their own rules.
What's Open and Closed on Veterans Day
| Place or service | On Veterans Day |
|---|---|
| Federal offices | Closed |
| Post offices (USPS) | Closed, with no regular mail delivery |
| Banks | Many are closed, because the Federal Reserve is closed. Some stay open, so check your branch. ATMs and online banking still work. |
| Stock market (NYSE and Nasdaq) | Open, normal hours |
| Bond market | Closed. SIFMA, the bond industry group, recommended a full close for November 11, 2026. |
| State and city offices | Depends on the state and city |
| Public schools | Depends on the school district |
| Stores and restaurants | Mostly open |
If a payment or a check has to arrive on time, send it before the holiday or pay online. Transfers started on a bank holiday usually go through the next business day.
How Veterans Day Is Observed
- The national ceremony: every year at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, a wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 11:00 a.m. The program then continues in the Memorial Amphitheater.
- A presidential proclamation: the President issues a proclamation for Veterans Day each year.
- Parades and local events: many towns hold parades, ceremonies at war memorials and school assemblies.
- Flags: many homes and businesses fly the US flag for the day.
Is It Veterans Day or Veteran's Day?
The correct spelling is Veterans Day, with no apostrophe. The National Archives explains why: "veterans" describes the day rather than owning it, and the day honors all veterans, not one. So Veteran's Day and Veterans' Day are both wrong.
November 11 in Other Countries
Many countries that fought in World War I also mark November 11, often with a moment of silence at 11 a.m.:
| Country | Name of the day | When |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Remembrance Day | November 11 |
| United Kingdom | Armistice Day, and Remembrance Sunday | November 11, and the second Sunday in November |
| France | Armistice Day (Armistice 1918) | November 11, a public holiday |
| Belgium | Armistice Day | November 11, a public holiday |
| Australia | Remembrance Day | November 11, not a public holiday |
See Veterans Day on Your Calendar
Print the November 2026 calendar with Veterans 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. To learn how all 11 federal holidays work, read US federal holidays explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Veterans Day 2026?
Veterans Day 2026 is on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. It is always on November 11.
When is Veterans Day 2027?
Veterans Day 2027 is on Thursday, November 11, 2027. It falls on a Thursday, so it is a midweek day off for federal workers, not a long weekend.
Is Veterans Day a federal holiday?
Yes. It is one of the 11 federal holidays, so federal offices and post offices close. Private employers, states and schools make their own choice.
Is mail delivered on Veterans Day?
No. Post offices are closed and there is no regular mail delivery on Veterans Day.
Are banks open on Veterans Day?
Many banks are closed because the Federal Reserve is closed, but some stay open. Check with your own bank. ATMs and online banking keep working.
Is the stock market open on Veterans Day?
Yes. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are open with normal hours. The bond market usually closes.
What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?
Veterans Day, on November 11, thanks everyone who has served in the US military. Memorial Day, on the last Monday in May, honors those who died while serving.
Why is Veterans Day on November 11?
The armistice that stopped the fighting in World War I took effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. The day began as Armistice Day and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
What happens when Veterans Day falls on a weekend?
Federal workers get the Friday before off when it falls on a Saturday, and the Monday after when it falls on a Sunday. The holiday itself stays on November 11.
Is it Veterans Day or Veteran's Day?
Veterans Day, with no apostrophe. The name describes the day rather than showing ownership, and it honors all veterans.
