2027 has 261 weekdays. Take out public holidays and you get 249 business days in the US (using the federal holiday calendar) and 253 in England and Wales. The US number is one lower than most calendars quote, and the reason is a quirk at the very end of the year that catches out a lot of payroll and project plans.
Here’s the full breakdown, month by month, for both countries, plus how to count business days between any two dates.
2027 at a Glance
| United States (federal) | England & Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar days | 365 | 365 |
| Weekdays (Mon–Fri) | 261 | 261 |
| Public holidays on weekdays | 12 | 8 |
| Business days | 249 | 253 |
Why the US Has 249 Business Days in 2027, Not 250
The US has 11 federal holidays, and in 2027 all of them are observed on a weekday. That alone gives 261 − 11 = 250, the figure you’ll see on most sites.
But New Year’s Day 2028 falls on a Saturday. Under the US Office of Personnel Management’s rules, a holiday that lands on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before. So the holiday for January 1, 2028 is taken on Friday, December 31, 2027, giving 2027 a twelfth federal day off. Federal offices will be closed that day (banks usually stay open, because the Federal Reserve doesn’t move Saturday holidays to Friday), which is why the true count for 2027 is 249.
Private employers aren’t bound by the federal calendar, so check your own company’s holiday list. Many follow the federal schedule, while others add days such as the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve.
US Federal Holidays in 2027 (Observed Dates)
- New Year’s Day: Friday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18
- Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day): Monday, February 15
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 31
- Juneteenth: Friday, June 18 (June 19 is a Saturday)
- Independence Day: Monday, July 5 (July 4 is a Sunday)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 6
- Columbus Day: Monday, October 11
- Veterans Day: Thursday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 25
- Christmas Day: Friday, December 24 (December 25 is a Saturday)
- New Year’s Day 2028: Friday, December 31 (January 1, 2028 is a Saturday)
UK Bank Holidays in 2027 (England and Wales)
- New Year’s Day: Friday, January 1
- Good Friday: Friday, March 26
- Easter Monday: Monday, March 29
- Early May bank holiday: Monday, May 3
- Spring bank holiday: Monday, May 31
- Summer bank holiday: Monday, August 30
- Christmas Day (substitute day): Monday, December 27
- Boxing Day (substitute day): Tuesday, December 28
Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2027 fall on a Saturday and Sunday, so the bank holidays move to the following Monday and Tuesday. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own bank holiday lists, so their totals differ slightly; check GOV.UK for the exact dates.
Business Days per Month in 2027
| Month | Weekdays | US business days | England & Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 19 | 20 |
| February | 20 | 19 | 20 |
| March | 23 | 23 | 21 |
| April | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 20 | 19 |
| June | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| July | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| August | 22 | 22 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| October | 21 | 20 | 21 |
| November | 22 | 20 | 22 |
| December | 23 | 21 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 249 | 253 |
A few things stand out. March is the longest working month in the US (23 business days, no federal holidays), while in England and Wales Easter pulls it down to 21. May is the shortest UK month at 19 business days, thanks to two bank holidays. November loses two US days to Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.
How Many Working Hours Are in 2027?
On a standard 8-hour day, 249 US business days is 1,992 working hours, and 253 days in England and Wales is 2,024 hours. If you’re converting an annual salary to an hourly rate, the common shortcut of 2,080 hours (52 weeks × 40) doesn’t subtract any holidays. That’s fine for a rough comparison, but it overstates the hours you actually work.
How to Count Business Days Between Two Dates
For deadlines, notice periods and delivery estimates you usually need the count between two specific dates, not a whole year. The Business Days Calculator counts Monday-to-Friday days between any two dates, lets you list holidays to exclude, can switch to a six-day (Mon–Sat) week, and can add a number of business days to a start date to find a deadline.
In a spreadsheet, the built-in function works in both Excel and Google Sheets:
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, holidays)
Here holidays is an optional range of dates to skip. NETWORKDAYS counts both the start and end date if they’re weekdays. For weekends other than Saturday–Sunday, use NETWORKDAYS.INTL.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many business days are in 2027?
There are 261 weekdays. Excluding US federal holidays leaves 249 business days (250 if you don’t count the December 31 observance of New Year’s Day 2028). Excluding England and Wales bank holidays leaves 253.
How many working days are in 2027 in the UK?
England and Wales have 253 working days in 2027 after removing the eight bank holidays. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ slightly because they have different bank holidays.
Is December 31, 2027 a federal holiday?
Yes, as an observed holiday. New Year’s Day 2028 falls on a Saturday, so federal employees get Friday, December 31, 2027 off instead.
How many business days are in a year on average?
A year has 260 or 261 weekdays (262 in a leap year that starts on Monday to Thursday). After public holidays, the US and England and Wales typically end up with roughly 249 to 253 business days.
Planning a deadline or a notice period? Count the exact business days between two dates with the Business Days Calculator.
Sources: US Office of Personnel Management; GOV.UK bank holidays.