Working days between dates, with business-day context built in.
Count weekdays between two dates, optionally exclude US federal holidays, and keep the surrounding business-calendar context on the page instead of treating the calculator as a dead end.
Week Number
Use the current week number, compare ISO and US systems, and move into adjacent business-calendar tools.
What are business days?
Business days, also called working days or weekdays, are the days when most commercial and government operations are open. In the United States and much of Europe, that usually means Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays.
The concept matters because contracts, legal deadlines, delivery estimates, and settlement rules often refer to business days rather than calendar days. When a deadline says five business days, weekends usually do not count, and observed holidays may not count either.
Business days in finance and shipping
Financial markets rely on business-day counting for settlement. The US securities market moved to T+1 settlement in May 2024, which means many trades settle one business day after the trade date rather than immediately. Shipping and fulfilment teams use the same idea when they promise delivery in business days rather than in calendar days.
Why holiday assumptions matter
The exact answer changes depending on which holidays you exclude. Banks, courts, carriers, and international operations do not all use the same holiday calendar. That is why the tool separates the count logic from the explanatory content and makes the holiday assumption explicit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are business days?
Business days are weekdays from Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays. Most banks, courts, government offices, and corporate operations run on business days. When a deadline or delivery estimate is quoted in business days, weekends and holidays do not count toward the total.
How many business days are in a year?
A standard year has 365 days, of which approximately 260 are weekdays (Monday through Friday). After subtracting the 11 US federal holidays, there are roughly 249 business days per year. The exact number varies slightly from year to year depending on which days of the week the holidays fall on.
What does T+1 settlement mean in finance?
T+1 means a securities trade settles one business day after the trade date. "T" stands for the transaction date. If you buy stock on Wednesday, settlement occurs on Thursday. If you buy on Friday, settlement is Monday because weekends are not business days. The US moved from T+2 to T+1 in May 2024.
Do business days include weekends?
No. In the United States and most Western countries, business days are Monday through Friday only. Saturday and Sunday are excluded. Some Middle Eastern countries use a Sunday-through-Thursday workweek, so the definition of a "business day" depends on the country.
What are the 11 US federal holidays?
The 11 US federal holidays 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 Day. Federal offices, banks, and the stock market are closed on these days.
How are business days calculated for shipping?
Shipping carriers like UPS, FedEx, and USPS calculate transit times in business days, excluding weekends and major holidays. A "2 business day" shipment sent on Thursday would arrive on Monday, not Saturday. Some premium services deliver on Saturdays, but standard estimates use business days only.