Business Days Calculator
Count the working days between two dates, or find the date a set number of business days from a start date. Weekends are excluded by default, with an option to also exclude US federal holidays.
How this is calculated
A business day is any Monday through Friday. By default this calculator excludes weekends only. Turn on "Also exclude US federal holidays" and it excludes all 11 recognized federal holidays too, computed for whatever year your dates fall in (not a fixed list, so it stays accurate every year), including the standard rule that a holiday landing on a Saturday is observed the preceding Friday, and one landing on a Sunday is observed the following Monday. Weekend days can be changed if your business uses a different schedule, and "Count both the start and end date" switches from the default convention (start date not counted, end date counted) to counting both endpoints. For the full explanation, including what shipping estimates like "3-5 business days" actually mean, see How Business Days Are Calculated.
If you're using this for a contract, legal notice, or court deadline, confirm the exact counting convention with the relevant document or party, some agreements define "business day" differently than the default used here.
Frequently asked questions
How are business days calculated?
A business day is any Monday through Friday. This calculator counts business days starting the day after your start date, up to and including your end date. Weekends are always excluded. Turn on "Also exclude US federal holidays" to skip the 11 recognized federal holidays too.
Does this calculator exclude US federal holidays?
Only if you check the "Also exclude US federal holidays" box. By default, the calculator excludes weekends only, since not every business observes every federal holiday. When the box is checked, the calculator excludes all 11 recognized US federal holidays, computed for whatever year your dates fall in, including the standard rule that a holiday landing on a Saturday is observed the preceding Friday, and one landing on a Sunday is observed the following Monday.
What is 5 business days from today?
It depends on today's date and whether weekends or holidays fall in between. Use the "Add business days to a date" mode above, enter today's date and 5, and the calculator will give you the exact date, accounting for any weekend in between.
Can I use a different weekend, like Friday-Saturday?
Yes. The "Weekend days" checkboxes default to Saturday and Sunday, but you can select any combination, including a Friday-Saturday weekend or no weekend at all.
Does this count the start date?
By default, no. The count starts the day after your start date and includes your end date. Check "Count both the start and end date" to include the start date too if it falls on a business day.
Are Saturdays ever counted as business days?
Not in this calculator's default definition. Saturdays and Sundays are always excluded, consistent with the standard Monday-through-Friday business week used in most US shipping, banking, and legal contexts. Some industries operate six or seven days a week, but that's outside this calculator's default scope.
Sources
- The Old Farmer's Almanac, Business Day Calculator
- FederalPay.org, Federal Holidays (citing 5 U.S.C. § 6103)
Built and maintained by Ready Utilities, founded by Cedrick Reese, a retired veteran and web developer. Every formula and convention on this site is checked against real, current sources before publishing. This calculator runs entirely in your browser, nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Spot something that looks wrong? Let us know.