Business Days Calculator

A business day (also called a working day) is any day that is not a weekend or a public holiday. In the United States and most Western countries, business days run from Monday through Friday. This calculator helps you count working days between two dates or find a target date by adding business days — useful for shipping estimates, contract deadlines, invoice terms, and project planning.

Business days vs. calendar days: Calendar days include every day on the calendar — weekdays, weekends, and holidays. Business days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and (optionally) recognized public holidays. For example, a 30-calendar-day period typically contains only 20–22 business days, depending on holidays. This distinction is critical for legal deadlines, financial settlements, and delivery windows.

**How many business days in a year?** In a standard year with 365 days, there are 260 weekdays. After subtracting the 11 U.S. federal holidays (some of which may fall on weekends), there are typically 250–252 working days. In 2026, there are 250 business days after excluding federal holidays. This number varies slightly year to year based on how holidays fall.

**How many business days in a month?** Most months have between 19 and 23 business days. February is the shortest with 19–20 working days, while months with 31 days and no holidays can have up to 23. On average, a month contains about 21.7 business days.

U.S. federal holidays: This calculator recognizes 11 federal holidays observed by banks, government offices, and most businesses — New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. When a holiday falls on Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed; when it falls on Sunday, the following Monday is observed.

Common use cases: Net 30/60/90 invoice payment terms count business days from the invoice date to determine when payment is due. Shipping carriers like FedEx and UPS quote delivery times in business days. Legal filing deadlines, SEC reporting periods, real estate closing timescales, and employee notice periods all use business day counts. HR departments use business day calculations for onboarding timelines, PTO accrual, and payroll schedules.

Business days for international shipping: International shipments often take 5–15 business days depending on the destination and customs processing. When calculating international delivery windows, remember that holidays vary by country — a U.S. holiday does not delay shipments processed in another country, and vice versa.

Tips for accurate planning: Always confirm whether a deadline is stated in business days or calendar days. When in doubt, use business days for a more conservative estimate. For critical deadlines, subtract one business day as a safety margin. If you need to plan around multiple holidays, use this calculator with the holidays option enabled for the most accurate count.