Illinois PTO planner 2027

All holidays 2027 in Illinois, 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

• 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. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, January 1 to 3.
• Monday, January 18: 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. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, January 16 to 18.
• Friday, 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. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, February 12 to 15.
• Monday, February 15: 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. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, February 12 to 15.
• 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. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, May 29 to 31.
• Friday, June 18: 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. The date itself, Saturday, June 19, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Friday, June 18. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, June 18 to 20.
• 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. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, July 3 to 5.
• 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. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, September 4 to 6.
• Monday, October 11: 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. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, October 9 to 11.
• 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. 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 25 to 28, with no leave needed.
• Friday, November 26: 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 25 to 28.
• Friday, December 24: 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. The date itself, Saturday, December 25, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Friday, December 24. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, December 24 to 26.

How far each PTO day goes in 2027

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 and Thanksgiving (Friday), 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 Day on January 18, Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day) on February 15 and Christmas on December 24. 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: Memorial Day on May 31. The pick of the season is May 29 to June 6 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Summer: Juneteenth on June 18 and Independence Day on July 5. The pick of the season is June 12 to 20 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Fall: Labor Day on September 6, Columbus Day on October 11, Veterans' Day on November 11, Thanksgiving on November 25 and Thanksgiving (Friday) 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 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 December, January and February, 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.

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 Illinois or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.