Working days in January 2026
January 2026 has 20 working days in the United States: 22 weekdays minus 2 federal holidays, New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January and Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday 19 January. At 8 hours a day that is 160 working hours. The month runs from Thursday 1 January to Saturday 31 January: 31 days, 22 weekdays and 9 weekend days.
- Working days
- 20
- Working hours
- 160
- Weekdays
- 22
- Weekend days
- 9
- Federal holidays
- 2
- Calendar days
- 31
- First working day
- Friday 2 January
- Last working day
- Friday 30 January
Calendar for January 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- Weekend
- Federal holiday
The month opens on Thursday 1 January, but that is a federal holiday, so the first working day is Friday 2 January. It ends on a weekend, Saturday 31 January, which makes Friday 30 January the last working day. January 2026 has five Thursdays, five Fridays and five Saturdays, and four of every other day: 4 Mondays to start a week on and 5 Fridays to finish one. It covers days 1 to 31 of the year and ISO weeks 1 to 5.
Working days in each week of January 2026
Weeks run Monday to Sunday and carry their ISO week number. Only the days inside January are counted, so a week the month shares with the month before or February shows just its share.
| Week | Dates | Working days | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 1 to 4 January | 1 | New Year's Day |
| Week 2 | 5 to 11 January | 5 | Full week, no holiday |
| Week 3 | 12 to 18 January | 5 | Full week, no holiday |
| Week 4 | 19 to 25 January | 4 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| Week 5 | 26 to 31 January | 5 | Part week, the month ends mid-week |
How the working days in January 2026 are counted
Two federal holidays fall in January 2026: New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January 2026 and Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday 19 January 2026. Together they take two weekdays out of the count, leaving 20 working days from 22 weekdays.
The rule is the same on every page here: count Monday to Friday, then take off any federal holiday that lands on one of those days. The holiday dates are the ones the US Office of Personnel Management publishes for federal pay and leave. State holidays, religious holidays and company closures are not included, and other countries have different lists entirely, so treat 20 as the federal baseline for January 2026 and adjust it for your own calendar.
January 2026 next to the months around it
January 2026 has 20 working days, one day more than February 2026 (19). A 31-day month has 21, 22 or 23 weekdays depending on the day it starts on; a Thursday start gives this one 22, and the holiday count settles the final figure.
January is the first month of the first quarter. Q1 2026 has 61 working days in total: January 20, February 19 and March 22. That is 488 working hours for the quarter at 8 hours a day, out of 2,000 for the whole of 2026.
Count working days in January 2026 with your own holidays
Open the business days calculator with January 2026 filled in, with the federal holiday dates already in the holiday box. Add your state or company holidays, or take out the federal ones that your employer does not observe, and the count updates as you type. The calculator can also count from a date in the middle of the month, or find the date a set number of working days ahead, which is how most deadlines are written.
Questions people ask
How many working days are in January 2026?
20. January 2026 has 22 weekdays (Monday to Friday) and 2 federal holidays on a weekday, New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January and Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday 19 January, which leaves 20. Weekends, 9 days this month, are not working days.
How many working hours are in January 2026?
160 hours at 8 hours a day: 20 working days times 8. On a 7.5 hour day it is 150 hours, and a 40 hour week over 22 weekdays with no holidays would be 176 hours.
Is there a federal holiday in January 2026?
Yes, two: New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January 2026 and Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday 19 January 2026. It falls on a weekday, so it is taken off the count.
What are the first and last working days of January 2026?
The first working day is Friday 2 January 2026, because Thursday 1 January is a federal holiday. The last working day is Friday 30 January 2026, because the month ends on a Saturday.
How many weekends are in January 2026?
9 weekend days: 5 Saturdays and 4 Sundays. That is the usual nine for a month of this length and starting day.