Hawaii PTO planner 2028

Every holiday in Hawaii in 2028

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

• Monday, January 17: Dr. 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 15 to 17, with no leave needed.
• Monday, February 21: 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 19 to 21, with no leave needed.
• Monday, March 27: Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day. Prince Kuhio Day honors Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, who represented Hawaii in Congress and championed Native Hawaiian homelands. Expect festivals, canoe races and cultural events across the islands. The date itself, Sunday, March 26, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Monday, March 27. You get 3 free days in a row, March 25 to 27, with no leave needed.
• Friday, April 14: Good Friday. Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, is a state holiday in a handful of states. Offices close, and the Easter weekend becomes a good time for a spring break trip. You get 3 free days in a row, April 14 to 16, with no leave needed.
• Monday, May 29: 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 27 to 29, with no leave needed.
• Monday, June 12: King Kamehameha I Day. King Kamehameha I Day honors the king who united the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii celebrates with lei draping ceremonies at his statues, floral parades and hula, and many families head to the beach. The date itself, Sunday, June 11, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Monday, June 12. You get 3 free days in a row, June 10 to 12, with no leave needed.
• Tuesday, 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. Take Monday, July 3 off and you have 4 days in a row, July 1 to 4.
• Friday, August 18: Statehood Day. Statehood Day, also called Admission Day, marks the date the state joined the Union. State offices close, and the long weekend it often creates is a favorite for a late summer trip. You get 3 free days in a row, August 18 to 20, with no leave needed.
• Monday, September 4: 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 2 to 4, with no leave needed.
• Tuesday, November 7: 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 6 off and you have 4 days in a row, November 4 to 7.
• Friday, November 10: 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. The date itself, Saturday, November 11, falls on a weekend, so the day off is Friday, November 10. You get 3 free days in a row, November 10 to 12, with no leave needed.
• Thursday, November 23: 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. Take Friday, November 24 off and you have 4 days in a row, November 23 to 26.
• Monday, 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 23 to 25, 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, July 1 to 4. Three days stretch to 9 days off (November 4 to 12). Five days, a typical week, become 10 days off around Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 8 to 17.

iPhoto: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 18 days in a row, August 18 to September 4. 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 Hawaii

Winter: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 17, Presidents' Day on February 21 and Christmas on December 25. The pick of the season is December 24, 2027 to January 2, 2028 with 4 PTO days for 10 days off.

iPhoto: Felix König · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Spring: Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day on March 27, Good Friday on April 14 and Memorial Day on May 29. The pick of the season is March 25 to April 2 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Summer: King Kamehameha I Day on June 12, Independence Day on July 4 and Statehood Day on August 18. The pick of the season is July 1 to 4 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Fall: Labor Day on September 4, General Election Day on November 7, Veterans' Day on November 10 and Thanksgiving on November 23. The pick of the season is November 4 to 7 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Where to go on a long weekend from Hawaii

Island hopping is the classic Hawaiian long weekend: Maui for Haleakala and the Road to Hana, the Big Island for volcanoes and stargazing, Kauai for the Na Pali Coast. Winter brings big waves to Oahu's North Shore and whale watching season.

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 Hawaii has the same days off.

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for Hawaii: Hawaii DHRD: Holidays to be observed in 2027 and 2028 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 Hawaii or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.