Texas PTO planner 2026

All holidays 2026 in Texas, 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.

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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: 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, January 19: Confederate Heroes' Day. A Texas state holiday on Robert E. Lee's birthday in January. State agencies run with a skeleton crew rather than closing, so it rarely changes travel plans for most people. 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 2: Texas Independence Day. Texas Independence Day marks the declaration of independence from Mexico at Washington on the Brazos. Celebrations take place at the historic site, and many state offices keep a skeleton crew. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, February 28 to March 2.
• Tuesday, April 21: San Jacinto Day. San Jacinto Day remembers the battle that won Texas its independence. A reenactment takes place at the San Jacinto Monument near Houston, and state offices run with a skeleton crew. Take Monday, April 20 off and you have 4 days in a row, April 18 to 21.
• 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: Emancipation 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.
• Saturday, July 4: 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. It falls on a Saturday, and Texas's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
• Thursday, August 27: LBJ Day. LBJ Day honors President Lyndon B. Johnson, born in the Texas Hill Country. State offices keep a skeleton crew, and the Hill Country around Johnson City and Stonewall is a lovely late summer drive. Take Friday, August 28 off and you have 4 days in a row, August 27 to 30.
• 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 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. You get 4 free days in a row, November 26 to 29, with no leave needed.
• Friday, November 27: Day after Thanksgiving. 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 Day. 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 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 4 days off in a row without using any leave, December 24 to 27.
• Saturday, December 26: Day after Christmas. The day after Christmas is a state holiday here, giving state employees a two day Christmas and a natural start to a longer winter break. It falls on a Saturday, and Texas's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.

What 1 to 10 PTO days get you

With 1 PTO day the longest run you can build is 4 days, January 1 to 4. Three days stretch to 9 days off (November 21 to 29). Five days, a typical week, become 11 days off around Thanksgiving Day and Day after Thanksgiving, 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 Texas

Winter: New Year's Day on January 1, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 19, Confederate Heroes' Day on January 19, Presidents' Day on February 16, Christmas Eve Day on December 24, Christmas Day on December 25 and Day after Christmas on December 26. 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

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

Spring: Texas Independence Day on March 2, San Jacinto Day on April 21 and Memorial Day on May 25. The pick of the season is April 18 to 21 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Summer: Emancipation Day on June 19, Independence Day on July 4 and LBJ Day on August 27. The pick of the season is August 27 to 30 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Fall: Labor Day on September 7, Veterans Day on November 11, Thanksgiving Day on November 26 and Day after Thanksgiving on November 27. The pick of the season is November 21 to 29 with 3 PTO days for 9 days off.

Getaways for your 2026 stretches

Texans head to the Hill Country around Fredericksburg in spring for the wildflowers, to Galveston and South Padre Island in summer, and to Big Bend in winter. Austin and San Antonio make lively city breaks.

AustiniPhoto: Ermell · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

San AntonioiPhoto: Marc Ryckaert · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for Texas: Texas Comptroller: FY2026, FY2027 holiday schedules 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: A.Miskovsky · CC BY 3.0 · 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 Texas or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.