Hawaii PTO planner 2026

Every holiday in Hawaii 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. Day. 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: 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. You get 3 free days in a row, February 14 to 16, with no leave needed.
• Thursday, March 26: Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day. Prince Kuhio Day honors Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, who represented Hawaii in Congress and championed Native Hawaiian homelands. Expect festivals, canoe races and cultural events across the islands. Take Friday, March 27 off and you have 4 days in a row, March 26 to 29.
• Friday, April 3: Good Friday. Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, is a state holiday in a handful of states. Offices close, and the Easter weekend becomes a good time for a spring break trip. You get 3 free days in a row, April 3 to 5, 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.
• Thursday, June 11: King Kamehameha I Day. King Kamehameha I Day honors the king who united the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii celebrates with lei draping ceremonies at his statues, floral parades and hula, and many families head to the beach. Take Friday, June 12 off and you have 4 days in a row, June 11 to 14.
• 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.
• Friday, August 21: Statehood Day. Statehood Day, also called Admission Day, marks the date the state joined the Union. State offices close, and the long weekend it often creates is a favorite for a late summer trip. You get 3 free days in a row, August 21 to 23, 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.
• Tuesday, November 3: General Election Day. Election Day gives state workers time to vote, usually on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Polling stations open early, and in many states schools close as they serve as polling places. Take Monday, November 2 off and you have 4 days in a row, October 31 to November 3.
• 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. 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. 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 3 free days in a row, December 25 to 27, with no leave needed.

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 (March 21 to 26). Five days, a typical week, become 11 days off around Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day and Good Friday, March 26 to April 5.

iPhoto: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 18 days in a row, March 26 to April 12. 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.

2026 through the seasons

Winter: New Year's Day on January 1, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 19, Presidents' Day on February 16 and Christmas 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: Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day on March 26, Good Friday on April 3 and Memorial Day on May 25. The pick of the season is March 26 to 29 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Summer: King Kamehameha I Day on June 11, Independence Day on July 3 and Statehood Day on August 21. The pick of the season is June 11 to 14 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Fall: Labor Day on September 7, General Election Day on November 3, Veterans' Day on November 11 and Thanksgiving on November 26. The pick of the season is October 31 to November 3 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Long weekend ideas from Hawaii

Island hopping is the classic Hawaiian long weekend: Maui for Haleakala and the Road to Hana, the Big Island for volcanoes and stargazing, Kauai for the Na Pali Coast. Winter brings big waves to Oahu's North Shore and whale watching season.

iPhoto: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for Hawaii: Hawaii DHRD: Holidays to be observed in 2026 and 2027 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 Hawaii or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.