California PTO planner 2027

Every holiday in California in 2027

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

• Friday, 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. You get 3 free days in a row, January 1 to 3, with no leave needed.
• Monday, January 18: 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 16 to 18, with no leave needed.
• Monday, February 15: 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 13 to 15, with no leave needed.
• Wednesday, March 31: Cesar Chavez Day. Honors Cesar Chavez, the farmworker and labor rights leader, at the end of March. In California it is a state holiday; elsewhere it is often a day of service and community events. Take Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30 off and you have 5 days in a row, March 27 to 31.
• Monday, May 31: 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 29 to 31, with no leave needed.
• Monday, July 5: 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, Sunday, July 4, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Monday, July 5. You get 3 free days in a row, July 3 to 5, with no leave needed.
• Monday, September 6: 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 4 to 6, with no leave needed.
• Thursday, 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 Friday, November 12 off and you have 4 days in a row, November 11 to 14.
• Thursday, November 25: 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. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, November 25 to 28.
• Friday, November 26: 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. You get 4 free days in a row, November 25 to 28, 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, November 11 to 14. Three days stretch to 9 days off (November 20 to 28). Five days, a typical week, become 11 days off around Thanksgiving Day and Day after Thanksgiving, November 25 to December 5.

iPhoto: David Kernan · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 18 days in a row, November 11 to 28. 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.

2027 through the seasons

Winter: New Year's Day on January 1, Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18 and Presidents' Day on February 15. The pick of the season is December 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027 with 4 PTO days for 10 days off.

iPhoto: Felix König · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Spring: Cesar Chavez Day on March 31 and Memorial Day on May 31. The pick of the season is March 27 to 31 with 2 PTO days for 5 days off.

Summer: Independence Day on July 5. The pick of the season is July 3 to 11 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Fall: Labor Day on September 6, Veterans Day on November 11, Thanksgiving Day on November 25 and Day after Thanksgiving on November 26. The pick of the season is November 11 to 14 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Long weekend ideas from California

Californians spread long weekends between Yosemite in late spring, Big Sur and the Monterey coast all year, Lake Tahoe for summer swims and winter skiing, and Joshua Tree in the cool months. Napa and Sonoma are at their best during the fall harvest.

Big SuriPhoto: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

MontereyiPhoto: Laurens R. Krol · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for California: CalHR Leave Benefits page, Holidays table 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 California or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.