Arkansas PTO planner 2026

Every holiday in Arkansas in 2026

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

• 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: Dr. 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. You get 3 free days in a row, January 17 to 19, with no leave needed.
• Monday, February 16: George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates 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. You get 3 free days in a row, February 14 to 16, with no leave needed.
• 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. You get 3 free days in a row, May 23 to 25, with no leave needed.
• 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. You get 3 free days in a row, July 3 to 5, with no leave needed.
• 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. You get 3 free days in a row, September 5 to 7, with no leave needed.
• 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.
• Thursday, December 24: Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is a day off for state workers here, giving a longer Christmas break. Expect the busiest travel days of December around it, with family dinners and church services in the evening. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, December 24 to 27.
• 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. You get 4 free days in a row, December 24 to 27, with no leave needed.

The math: PTO days in, days off out

With 1 PTO day the longest run you can build is 4 days, January 1 to 4. Three days stretch to 9 days off (December 19 to 27). Five days, a typical week, become 10 days off around Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, January 10 to 19.

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, January 3 to 19. For nine days or more away you need 3 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.

2026 through the seasons

Winter: New Year's Day on January 1, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday on January 19, George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day on February 16, Christmas Eve on December 24 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: Memorial Day on May 25. The pick of the season is May 23 to 31 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Summer: Independence Day on July 3. The pick of the season is June 27 to July 5 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Fall: Labor Day on September 7, 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.

Getaways for your 2026 stretches

Arkansas offers Hot Springs National Park with its historic bathhouses for a winter weekend, the Buffalo National River for spring floats and fall color, and Eureka Springs with its Victorian streets in the Ozarks. Little Rock's riverfront makes an easy city break.

BuffaloiPhoto: Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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 Arkansas has the same days off.

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for Arkansas: Arkansas Secretary of State: 2026 State Holidays 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.

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 Arkansas or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.