Business days calculator: workdays between two dates
A business days calculator counts how many Monday-through-Friday days fall between two dates, with both the start and the end date included.
- Accurate to the exact day
- Leap years handled for you
- No spreadsheets or manual counting
Business days calculator: workdays between two dates
Enter your numbers and press Calculate
How to use the business days calculator
Fill in the six fields: day, month and year for the start date and for the end date. The result updates instantly and both ends count: June 1 through June 30, 2026 includes both the 1st and the 30th.
The formula the calculator applies, in plain text:
business_days = full_weeks x 5 + leftover_days - leftover_saturdays - leftover_sundays
where full_weeks = integer part of (total_days / 7).
Worked example (Q1 2026): from January 2 to March 31, 2026 there are 89 calendar days. That is 12 full weeks (84 days) plus 5 leftover days. The 12 weeks contribute 12 x 5 = 60 business days. January 2, 2026 is a Friday, so the 5 leftover days run Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday — one Saturday and one Sunday get subtracted: 60 + 5 - 1 - 1 = 63 business days. Weekend days: 89 - 63 = 26.
The three results you get:
- Business days: Mondays through Fridays inside the range.
- Total days: every calendar day, both ends included.
- Weekend days: Saturdays and Sundays in the range.
If you need elapsed days instead (nights between two dates, start day not counted), subtract 1 from the total, or use our days-between-dates calculator.
Common pitfalls and limitations
It does not subtract holidays. This is the biggest limitation and it is deliberate: holidays change every year and depend on the country, the state and even the employer — most US offices close for Thanksgiving, but plenty of retail and logistics teams work that day, and states observe different holidays. A hard-coded list would be wrong for most readers. The manual fix is quick: count how many of your holidays fall on a Monday-to-Friday inside your range and subtract them. Example: from November 23 to December 31, 2026 there are 29 business days; Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26) and Christmas (Friday, December 25) both land on weekdays, so a typical office schedule has 29 - 2 = 27 working days. If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, subtract nothing — it was already excluded.
Inverted range. If the end date is earlier than the start date (say December 31 to November 23), the calculator returns 0 for all three results instead of a negative number. Double-check that you have not swapped the start and end fields.
Days that do not exist. If you enter a day the month does not have (June 31), the math interprets it as the next real day (July 1). Make sure the day is valid for the chosen month, especially in February.
Saturday work schedules. The count assumes a Monday-to-Friday week. If your industry works Saturdays (retail, logistics, healthcare), add the Saturdays back using the weekend-days figure.
Practical examples with real dates
All examples use the real 2026 calendar and include both end dates:
- June 2026 in full (1st to 30th): 30 total days, 22 business days and 8 weekend days.
- First quarter (January 2 to March 31, 2026): 89 total days, 63 business days and 26 weekend days. This is the worked example from the how-to section.
- Holiday season (November 23 to December 31, 2026): 39 total days and 29 business days; subtract Thanksgiving (Thu, Nov 26) and Christmas (Fri, Dec 25) and a typical office gets 27 working days.
- Full year 2026 (January 1 to December 31): 365 days, of which 261 are business days and 104 are weekend days, before holidays.
- Day-rate billing: a contractor charging $480 per workday who covers the 63 business days of Q1 2026 invoices 63 x 480 = $30,240 for the quarter.
About this calculator
It is the number you need for payroll periods, contract deadlines, shipping estimates or simply to know how many workdays stand between you and your next vacation. Enter the day, month and year for the start and end dates and you get three figures at once: business days, total calendar days and weekend days. The tool does not subtract public holidays, because they change by country, state and even employer (Thanksgiving is a day off for most US offices but not for retail), so further down we show you how to adjust the result by hand in seconds. Quick reference: from June 1 to June 30, 2026 there are 30 calendar days, of which 22 are business days and 8 fall on a weekend.
Frequently asked questions
Are the start and end dates both counted?
Yes, the count is inclusive on both ends: June 1 through June 30, 2026 yields 30 total days and 22 business days. If you need elapsed days instead (excluding the start date, the way a plain calendar subtraction works), subtract 1 from the total.
Does the calculator subtract public holidays?
No. Holidays depend on the country, the state and even the employer, and they shift every year, so any hard-coded list would be wrong for most people. The fix is quick: subtract the holidays from your own calendar that fall on a weekday inside your range. If a holiday lands on a Saturday or Sunday, subtract nothing.
Is Saturday a business day?
Not in this calculator: it counts Monday through Friday only, which matches how most US offices, banks and courts define business days. Some industries (retail, logistics, healthcare) do schedule Saturdays as regular workdays; if that is your case, add the Saturdays back using the weekend-days output.
How many business days are there in 2026?
2026 has 365 days: 261 business days (Monday to Friday) and 104 weekend days. From those 261 you would still subtract the federal and company holidays that land on weekdays — with the 11 US federal holidays observed, a typical office year comes out to roughly 250 working days.