South Dakota PTO planner 2028

Holidays 2028 in South Dakota and what each one gives you

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 17: 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: Birthdays of Lincoln and Washington. A combined day for the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. It falls on the same Monday as Presidents' Day for most workers, so it brings a winter long weekend that suits ski resorts and warm weather escapes. You get 3 free days in a row, February 19 to 21, 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 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. You get 3 free days in a row, June 17 to 19, 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.
• 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.
• Monday, October 9: Native Americans' Day. Celebrates the history and cultures of Native American peoples on the second Monday of October. Expect powwows and cultural events, and an autumn long weekend that suits a trip to see the fall colors. You get 3 free days in a row, October 7 to 9, with no leave needed.
• 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 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. Take Friday, November 24 off and you have 4 days in a row, November 23 to 26.
• Monday, 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. 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 6 days off (July 4 to 9). Five days, a typical week, become 10 days off around Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 8 to 17.

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, June 17 to July 4. For nine days or more away you need 4 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.

2028 through the seasons

Winter: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 17, Birthdays of Lincoln and Washington on February 21 and Christmas Day 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: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Spring: Memorial Day on May 29. The pick of the season is May 27 to June 4 with 4 PTO days for 9 days off.

Summer: Juneteenth on June 19 and Independence Day on July 4. The pick of the season is July 1 to 4 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Fall: Labor Day on September 4, Native Americans' Day on October 9, Veterans' Day on November 10 and Thanksgiving Day on November 23. The pick of the season is November 23 to 26 with 1 PTO day for 4 days off.

Where to go on a long weekend from South Dakota

From South Dakota, the Black Hills with Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park are the summer favorite, Badlands National Park shines in spring and fall, and Deadwood offers history in any season.

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 South Dakota has the same days off.

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page comes from the official source for South Dakota: South Dakota Codified Laws 1-5-1 Holidays enumerated 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 South Dakota or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on October 1, 2026.