Alaska PTO planner 2026

Holidays 2026 in Alaska and what each one gives you

Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer stretch.

United StatesiPhoto: Gordon Leggett · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

RussiaiPhoto: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

• Thursday, January 1: New Year's Day. New Year's Day opens the year with parades, college football bowl games and a quiet day at home. When it falls near a weekend, it extends the holiday season into a longer break. Take Friday, January 2 off and you have 4 days in a row, January 1 to 4.
• Monday, January 19: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday. Honors the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the third Monday of January. Many people volunteer in a day of service, and the Monday creates the first long weekend of the year, popular for ski trips. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, January 17 to 19.
• Monday, February 16: Presidents' Day. Officially Washington's Birthday at the federal level and widely called Presidents' Day. Some states place the day elsewhere, even next to Christmas; wherever it sits, it is a classic hook for a long weekend and big retail sales. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, February 14 to 16.
• Monday, March 30: Seward's Day. Seward's Day marks the treaty by which the United States bought Alaska from Russia, signed in March. State offices close on the last Monday of March, a welcome long weekend as the days grow longer. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, March 28 to 30.
• Monday, May 25: Memorial Day. Memorial Day honors the men and women who died serving in the armed forces. It falls on the last Monday of May and unofficially opens summer: beaches, lake houses and road trips fill up. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, May 23 to 25.
• Friday, June 19: Juneteenth Day. Juneteenth marks June 19, the day news of emancipation reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. A federal holiday since 2021, it brings festivals, cookouts and family reunions and an early summer day off. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, June 19 to 21.
• Friday, July 3: Independence Day. The Fourth of July celebrates the Declaration of Independence: parades, barbecues and fireworks. When it lands near a weekend, it creates one of the busiest summer travel stretches of the year. The date itself, Saturday, July 4, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Friday, July 3. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, July 3 to 5.
• Monday, September 7: Labor Day. Labor Day honors American workers on the first Monday of September and marks the unofficial end of summer. It is the last big long weekend for beaches, lakes and road trips before school is back in full swing. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, September 5 to 7.
• Monday, October 19: Alaska Day. Alaska Day celebrates the formal transfer of Alaska to the United States in Sitka. Sitka holds a festival with a parade and a flag ceremony, and state offices close for the day. The date itself, Sunday, October 18, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Monday, October 19. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, October 17 to 19.
• Wednesday, November 11: Veterans' Day. Veterans Day honors everyone who served in the U.S. armed forces, on November 11, the anniversary of the First World War armistice. Federal offices and many schools close; many businesses stay open. Take Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off and you have 5 days in a row, November 7 to 11.
• Thursday, November 26: Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November: turkey, family and football. It is the busiest travel weekend of the year in the United States, so book flights and drives early. Take Friday, November 27 off and you have 4 days in a row, November 26 to 29.
• Friday, December 25: Christmas Day. Christmas Day is a federal holiday: most shops close and families gather. The weeks around it are a peak time for flights and drives, so book early if you plan to travel. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, December 25 to 27.

How far each PTO day goes in 2026

With 1 PTO day the longest run you can build is 4 days, January 1 to 4. Three days stretch to 6 days off (November 21 to 26). Five days, a typical week, become 10 days off around Christmas Day and New Year's Day, December 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027.

iPhoto: David Kernan · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 17 days in a row, June 19 to July 5. For nine days or more away you need 4 PTO days.

Many US employers offer around 10 to 15 PTO days a year. Spend four of them well and you can have two four-day weekends and one long week, without touching the rest.

Season by season in Alaska

Winter: New Year's Day on January 1, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday on January 19, Presidents' Day on February 16 and Christmas Day on December 25. The pick of the season is January 1 to 4 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

iPhoto: Felix König · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Spring: Seward's Day on March 30 and Memorial Day on May 25. The pick of the season is March 28 to April 5 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Summer: Juneteenth Day on June 19 and Independence Day on July 3. The pick of the season is June 13 to 21 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Fall: Labor Day on September 7, Alaska Day on October 19, Veterans' Day on November 11 and Thanksgiving Day on November 26. The pick of the season is November 26 to 29 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Where to go on a long weekend from Alaska

Alaskans use long weekends for Seward and the Kenai Fjords on summer boat trips, for Denali when the tundra turns red in early fall, and for Talkeetna with its views of the Alaska Range. In winter, Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs are the place for the northern lights.

Your strongest stretches this year fall in January, February and November, so pick the trip that suits that season, and book early: everyone else in Alaska has the same days off.

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for Alaska: Alaska Dept. of Administration, Division of Finance: State Calendar 2026 and OPM federal holidays, read directly and compared day by day with an independent second source. A year appears once its official list is published, and we never fill a gap with another state's dates.

iPhoto: Keith Pomakis · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

The planner treats weekends and full holidays as free days and works out where your PTO days turn into the longest time off. Days kept in part of Alaska or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.