Kentucky PTO planner 2026

All holidays 2026 in Kentucky, one by one

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

• Monday, January 19: 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. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, January 17 to 19.
• 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. 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.
• 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. You get 4 free days in a row, November 26 to 29, with no leave needed.
• 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. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, 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. You get 4 free days in a row, December 24 to 27, 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. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, December 24 to 27.
• Thursday, December 31: New Year's (Eve). New Year's Eve is a day off for state workers here. Cities host fireworks and countdown parties at midnight, and many people pair it with New Year's Day for a short winter break. It sits in the middle of the week, so it works best as a single day off.

How far each PTO day goes in 2026

Three days stretch to 9 days off (November 21 to 29). Five days, a typical week, become 11 days off around Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving (Friday), November 26 to December 6.

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.

Season by season in Kentucky

Winter: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 19, Christmas (Eve) on December 24, Christmas on December 25 and New Year's (Eve) on December 31. The pick of the season is December 19 to 27 with 3 PTO days for 9 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, Veterans Day on November 11, Thanksgiving on November 26 and Thanksgiving (Friday) on November 27. The pick of the season is November 21 to 29 with 3 PTO days for 9 days off.

Long weekend ideas from Kentucky

Kentucky weekends lead along the Bourbon Trail in spring and fall, to Mammoth Cave National Park in any season, and to Red River Gorge for hiking and climbing. Louisville and Lexington suit a city break.

LouisvilleiPhoto: Joe Schneid, Louisville, Kentucky · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

LexingtoniPhoto: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for Kentucky: Kentucky Personnel Cabinet: Holidays and Leave 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 Kentucky or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.