Practical guide 3 min read
How to count business days between two dates
Count working days with the right weekends, public holidays and days off, and avoid the classic off-by-one mistake.
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Business Days Calculator
Count working days with a custom workweek, regional holidays and your own excluded dates.
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Choose your options to begin.
Excluded holidays and custom dates
How this calculation works
Working days are the days in your workweek between the two dates, minus the holidays of the calendar you choose and any extra days off. A holiday that falls outside your workweek isn't subtracted twice, and the holidays in the range are listed below the result.
Worked examples
- December 2026 has 23 weekdays. With US federal holidays it has 22 working days, because Christmas Day is a Friday.
- With Ontario holidays it has 21: Boxing Day falls on Saturday, December 26, and is observed on Monday, December 28. Count December 1 to December 31 with “Include the end date” ticked.
Questions
What does “observed” mean?
When a fixed-date holiday lands on a weekend, the day off moves to a weekday. A US federal holiday on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before and one on a Sunday on the Monday after, so July 4, 2026, a Saturday, is observed on Friday, July 3. Canadian holidays move to the next weekday that isn't already a holiday. Untick “Use observed holiday dates” to count the actual dates instead.
Which holiday calendars are included?
US federal holidays, Canada's federally regulated holidays, and the statutory holidays of every Canadian province and territory. Treat them as planning estimates: an employer or contract may add days such as Easter Monday, so add those under Extra days off.
Can I use a workweek other than Monday to Friday?
Yes. Tick the days you work under Working weekdays, for a Sunday-to-Thursday week, a four-day week or a shift pattern. Your workweek and holiday calendar are remembered in this browser.
Part of Date Calculator
Calculate date differences, business days, age, date offsets and work hours with custom workweeks, holiday calendars and CSV exports.
A little guidance