Business Days
Calculator
Calculate working days between dates, excluding weekends and public holidays
Public holiday dates are based on official government sources (GOV.UK for the UK, OPM for the US). Dates may occasionally change at short notice.
Business days in 2026
How are business days calculated?
A business day is any day that is not a Saturday or Sunday — also called a working day or weekday. In most countries, the standard business week runs Monday through Friday, and Clockr's calculator counts only those days when measuring intervals or adding deadlines.
Business days matter because contracts, legal deadlines, delivery estimates, notice periods, and financial settlements almost always use them rather than calendar days. A 5 business day deadline could span 7 or more calendar days if it crosses a weekend — which is why knowing the exact count matters for compliance and planning.
Clockr's calculator excludes weekends and, when you select a country, public holidays for that region. Choose United Kingdom or United States from the country selector and leave "Exclude public holidays" enabled to count only true working days. UK dates follow England & Wales bank holidays from GOV.UK; US dates follow federal holidays from the Office of Personnel Management. Holiday calendars can change at short notice — always confirm critical deadlines against an official source.
Frequently asked questions
How many business days are in a year?
Most years contain 260 to 262 business days, depending on how weekends fall and whether it is a leap year. A typical year has 52 weeks plus one or two extra days — each extra weekday adds one business day, while each extra weekend day adds none. Use the year reference grid above to see the count for each month.
How many business days are in a month?
Most months have between 20 and 23 business days. A 31-day month with five full weekends can have as few as 20, while a 31-day month starting on a Friday can have 23. The reference grid on this page shows the exact count for each month of the current year.
What counts as a business day?
A business day is any weekday — Monday through Friday — that is not a public holiday in your jurisdiction. Clockr counts Monday to Friday and can exclude public holidays when you select a country. Saturday and Sunday are always excluded. Scotland, Northern Ireland, and individual US states may observe additional holidays not included in the default calendars.
How do I calculate 5 business days from today?
Switch to the "Add Business Days" tab above, set today's date as the start date, enter 5 in the business days field, and the calculator shows the resulting date instantly — along with how many calendar days that spans. If today is a Friday, five business days lands on the following Friday, skipping the weekend in between.
Do bank holidays count as business days?
No — bank holidays and public holidays are not business days in legal and commercial contexts, even when they fall on a weekday. Enable "Exclude public holidays" and select your country to have Clockr subtract them automatically. Turn the toggle off if you only want a plain weekday count without holiday adjustments.
Which public holidays are included?
For the United Kingdom, Clockr uses England & Wales bank holidays published on GOV.UK, including substitute days when a holiday falls on a weekend. For the United States, federal holidays from the Office of Personnel Management are used, including observed dates when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Dates are provided for 2026–2028 and may be updated as governments publish new schedules. Scotland, Northern Ireland, and individual US states may have additional holidays not covered here.
What is the difference between a business day and a working day?
In most contexts the terms are interchangeable — both refer to weekdays when normal commercial activity takes place. Some industries use "working day" more broadly to include days a specific business operates (for example, a restaurant open on Saturday), while "business day" typically means Monday to Friday in banking and legal documents.
How many business days are there in 2026?
2026 has 261 weekdays (Monday to Friday) before public holidays. With UK bank holidays excluded, England & Wales has 253 business days in 2026. The exact count depends on your country and whether you exclude public holidays — use the calculator above for any specific date range.
How do I calculate a contract deadline in business days?
Identify the start date specified in the contract — often the date of notice or signing — then use the "Add Business Days" tab to add the required number. Select your country and enable holiday exclusion so bank holidays are skipped automatically. Check whether the contract counts the start day itself. When in doubt, consult the contract wording or a legal professional.