Business Days Calculator
Add or subtract working days from any date. Weekends and public holidays are skipped automatically.
How business days are counted
A business day (also called a working day) is any day from Monday to Friday that is not a public holiday. Saturday and Sunday are always excluded, along with country-specific holidays such as Independence Day in the US or Spring Bank Holiday in the UK.
This calculator counts forward from your start date. The start date itself is not counted — counting begins on the next calendar day. For example, if today is Monday and you add 3 business days, the result is Thursday. If you add 3 business days on a Thursday, the result is the following Tuesday (skipping the weekend).
Common use cases
- Shipping & delivery: estimate when a package arrives if it takes 3–5 business days in transit.
- Contracts & deadlines: figure out the exact due date when a contract says "within 10 business days".
- Payroll & billing cycles: map out pay periods, invoice terms (Net 30), and settlement dates.
- Project planning: convert sprint lengths and lead times from business days to calendar dates.
How Business Days Are Calculated
Calculating business days is straightforward but requires attention to holidays. The basic formula is: start from your target date, skip all Saturdays and Sundays, skip any public holidays that fall on a weekday, and count the remaining days. Our calculator automates this process using each country's official holiday calendar.
For the United States, the federal holidays observed are: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, it is typically observed on the preceding Friday; when it falls on a Sunday, it is observed on the following Monday. Our calculator accounts for these observed dates automatically.
Business Days vs. Calendar Days
One of the most common sources of confusion is the difference between business days and calendar days. Calendar days include every day of the week — all 365 (or 366 in a leap year). Business days exclude weekends and holidays, typically giving you about 260-262 working days per year in the US.
This distinction matters in contracts, shipping estimates, and legal deadlines. For example, "30 calendar days" from January 1 is January 31, but "30 business days" from January 1 is approximately February 12 (depending on holidays). Always check which type of day count applies to your situation — assuming the wrong one can lead to missed deadlines or breach of contract.
Common Business Day Questions
Is Saturday a business day?
No. In the standard definition used by banks, government agencies, and most businesses, Saturday is not a business day. However, some industries (like retail and restaurants) operate on Saturdays, so "business day" can occasionally mean "any day the business is open." For legal and financial purposes, assume Monday through Friday only.
Do holidays count as business days?
No. Federal holidays are excluded from business day calculations, even if they fall on a weekday. For example, if July 4th falls on a Thursday, it is not counted as a business day. This is why shipping estimates and contract deadlines often say "business days, excluding holidays."
How many business days are in a month?
On average, there are about 21-22 business days per month in the United States. Months with five full weeks and no major holidays can have up to 23 business days, while months with multiple holidays (like November with Thanksgiving) may have as few as 19.
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