Fourth of July Countdown

Independence Day commemorates July 4, 1776, when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Fireworks, parades and cookouts have marked the date ever since, this countdown is to July 4th, 2027, ticking down live.

Established 1776
Next Independence Day Sunday, July 4, 2027
Countdown 346 days away

How many days until Independence Day?

Independence Day is on Sunday, July 4, 2027, which is 346 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

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July 4th's story so far

1777Philadelphia marks the first anniversary of independence with a 13-gun salute from ships on the Delaware, a Congressional dinner, bell-ringing, and a fireworks display over the Commons — even though Congress itself nearly let the day pass unmarked.

1870Congress makes July 4th a national holiday, but only for federal workers in Washington, D.C., and unpaid.

1938Nearly seven decades later, Congress finally makes July 4th a paid holiday for all federal employees, grouping it with Christmas, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, and other now-familiar federal holidays.

1976The Bicentennial brings Operation Sail's 200-plus tall ships up New York Harbor before roughly six million spectators, the same year Macy's launches the fireworks show that grows into the nation's largest annual Independence Day display.

2000-2022As states loosen fireworks laws, the US consumer fireworks industry balloons from about $407 million in annual revenue to roughly $2.3 billion, turning backyard pyrotechnics into a multibillion-dollar seasonal business.

2026The nation marks its Semiquincentennial — 250 years since the Declaration — with a Washington, D.C. fireworks show of 850,000 shells launched from 10 sites over 40 minutes, breaking the world record for the largest fireworks display in history.

July 4th, by the record book

Largest fireworks display ever850,000 shells over 40 minutes — Washington, D.C.'s Semiquincentennial show, July 4, 2026, breaking the previous record of 810,904 set by Iglesia Ni Cristo in the Philippines in 2016

Largest annual July 4th fireworks showMacy's 4th of July Fireworks — about 85,000 shells launched over New York's rivers each year, a tradition running since its Bicentennial debut in 1976

Most firework stars launched in one minute2,802,195 roman-candle stars, fired by a team in Mandan, North Dakota on December 31, 2025

Longest July 4th paradeAlameda, California's Independence Day parade — 3.3 miles long with roughly 170 entries and 2,500 participants, billed as the longest in the nation

Largest American flag ever madeThe Superflag — 505 feet by 225 feet and about 3,000 pounds, once unfurled across Hoover Dam

The day America declared itself

Independence was actually voted on July 2; the Declaration's final text was adopted July 4, which became the date on the document and in the national memory. John Adams predicted celebrations with 'pomp and parade… bonfires and illuminations', he just expected them two days earlier.

A strange coincidence

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the Declaration's author and its fiercest advocate, both died on July 4, 1826, exactly fifty years after its adoption. James Monroe died on July 4 five years later.

Quick facts

The Declaration was adopted July 4, 1776
Most signers actually signed on August 2, 1776
Jefferson and Adams both died on July 4, 1826
Americans set off some 280 million pounds of fireworks each year

A U.S. federal holiday

Independence Day is one of the 11 official U.S. federal holidays. Not sure which one comes next? The next federal holiday countdown always ticks down to whichever is soonest — and the next long weekend countdown tells you when you're off work for 3 days straight.

Gear up for the 4th

Flags, grill gear — and yes, a fire extinguisher. You know exactly why.

Fire extinguisher First-aid kit American flag BBQ grill tool set Red, white & blue decorations Dog anxiety vest (fireworks)

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Learn more

National Archives: the Declaration Wikipedia

Independence Day — frequently asked questions

When is Independence Day?

Independence Day is on Sunday, July 4, 2027.

How many days until Independence Day?

Independence Day is on Sunday, July 4, 2027, which is 346 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

Updated July 2026 · alarm-clock.org

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