Illinois PTO planner 2026

Holidays 2026 in Illinois 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

TexasiPhoto: Leaflet · Public domain · 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 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.
• Thursday, February 12: Lincoln's Birthday. Remembers Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president. A few states keep the day off in February, while others move it next to Thanksgiving to stretch the holiday into a four day weekend for state workers. Take Friday, February 13 off and you have 5 days in a row, February 12 to 16.
• Monday, February 16: Washington's Birthday (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.
• 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, June 19: Juneteenth. 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. You get 3 free days in a row, June 19 to 21, 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.
• Monday, October 12: Columbus Day. Columbus Day falls on the second Monday of October. Banks, schools and federal offices close in many places, and the long weekend is peak time for leaf peeping in New England and the Appalachians. You get 3 free days in a row, October 10 to 12, 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. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, November 26 to 29.
• Friday, November 27: Thanksgiving (Friday). The Friday after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday. A day off for many state workers, it turns Thanksgiving into a four day weekend for family visits, holiday shopping and travel. You get 4 free days in a row, November 26 to 29, with no leave needed.
• 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.

The math: PTO days in, days off out

With 1 PTO day the longest run you can build is 5 days, February 12 to 16. Three days stretch to 9 days off (November 21 to 29). Five days, a typical week, become 11 days off around Lincoln's Birthday and Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day), February 12 to 22.

iPhoto: David Kernan · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 19 days in a row, November 11 to 29. 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.

When the holidays fall in 2026

Winter: New Year's Day on January 1, Martin Luther King Day on January 19, Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day) on February 16 and Christmas on December 25. The pick of the season is February 12 to 16 with 1 PTO day for 5 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: Juneteenth 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, Columbus Day on October 12, General Election Day on November 3, Veterans' Day on November 11, Thanksgiving on November 26 and Thanksgiving (Friday) on November 27. The pick of the season is October 31 to November 3 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Long weekend ideas from Illinois

From Illinois, Chicago's lakefront and museums suit any season, Starved Rock State Park is beautiful in spring and fall, and the Wisconsin Dells or Lake Geneva make classic summer getaways. Galena's historic main street is lovely in autumn.

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

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

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for Illinois: Illinois CMS: 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 Illinois or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.