Presidents' Day Countdown

Presidents' Day falls on the third Monday of February. This countdown automatically targets the next one.

How many days until Presidents' Day?

Presidents' Day is on Monday, February 15, 2027, which is 207 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

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Presidents' Day's story so far

1879Congress made Washington's Birthday a federal holiday, signed into law by President Rutherford B. Hayes — the first US federal holiday created to honor an individual American's birth.

1880-1885The holiday initially covered only federal workers in Washington, D.C.; it was extended to federal employees nationwide in 1885, fixed each year on Washington's actual birth date, February 22.

1968The Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed Congress, part of a push to shift several federal holidays to Mondays and create more three-day weekends. An early draft would have renamed the holiday 'Presidents' Day' and folded in Lincoln's birthday, but the proposal stalled and was dropped before passage.

1971The Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect, moving the observance off February 22 for good and onto the third Monday in February.

Mid-1980sRetailers began branding February sales as 'Presidents' Day' promotions, and the name caught on with the public even though Congress never wrote it into law.

PresentStates still diverge on what to call it: Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, Florida, and New York officially retain 'Washington's Birthday,' while several states separately observe Lincoln's Birthday on February 12.

Officially, it's Washington's Birthday

The federal holiday is still legally named Washington's Birthday; the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved it to the third Monday of February, and the broader 'Presidents' Day' name caught on from there.

A calendar quirk

Because the third Monday can only land between February 15 and 21, the holiday never actually falls on Washington's real birthday, February 22.

The holiday that isn't really named that

Federal law still calls this day Washington's Birthday — 'Presidents Day' is a nickname that stuck, boosted by 1970s advertising. Better yet: because the third Monday of February can only land on the 15th through the 21st, the holiday can never actually fall on Washington's real birthday, February 22.

Quick facts

Observed on the third Monday of February
Legally still named Washington's Birthday
Moved to a Monday by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act (effective 1971)
Never falls on Washington's actual birthday, February 22
The third Monday can never land on Washington's actual birthday

A U.S. federal holiday

Presidents' 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.

Hail to the chiefs

Brush up on the presidents — or quiz the family on them.

Presidential biographies American history books Presidents book for kids Pocket Constitution Presidents poster Presidents trivia game

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Mount Vernon Wikipedia

Presidents' Day — frequently asked questions

When is Presidents' Day?

Presidents' Day is on Monday, February 15, 2027.

How many days until Presidents' Day?

Presidents' Day is on Monday, February 15, 2027, which is 207 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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