UtilibyWritten by the Utiliby editorial team · Last updated October 12, 2026 · Rules and formulas reviewed October 2026
What is a working days calculator?
A working days calculator, also called a business days calculator or workday calculator, tells you how many days of work fall between two dates, or what date you reach after adding a number of working days. It does this by skipping the days that are not worked: weekends and public holidays. It answers questions such as "how many business days until the deadline?", "what is the date 15 working days from today?" and "how many working days are in this month?".
This free online working days calculator goes further than a simple weekday count. You can choose the country for public holidays, set any pattern of weekend days, add your own days off, switch substitute days on or off, see a day-by-day picture and a chart by month, find the earliest and latest dates for a delivery window and review a whole year of holidays in a calendar. It runs in your browser, so nothing you enter is sent to a server.
How to calculate working days between two dates
- Choose the country for public holidays and the weekend days.
- Enter the start and end dates. Decide whether to count each end.
- Read the result. The big number is the working days. The tiles show calendar days, weekend days, holidays and working hours.
- Check the picture. For ranges up to about three months, each day is shown as working, weekend or holiday. For longer ranges, a chart shows each month.
- Review the holidays in the range, listed with the effect on the count.
The calculation is simple: working days = calendar days − weekend days − weekday holidays. A holiday that falls on a weekend does not remove an extra day. If the country gives a substitute day, that substitute is the day that is removed.
How to add or subtract working days
Adding working days is the usual way to work out due dates, shipping times and legal periods. Start from the date, then move one day at a time and count only days that are working days. The start date is day 0. If you add 5 working days to a Monday with no holidays, you land on the following Monday: Tuesday is day 1, Wednesday day 2, Thursday day 3, Friday day 4 and Monday day 5.
Subtracting works the same way backwards, which is useful for finding the latest date to send something so that it arrives in time. The delivery window fields turn a promise like "3 to 5 business days" into an earliest and a latest date. The next-10-working-days table lists each date so you can see how weekends and holidays move the count.
Weekends and public holidays by country
Not every country works Monday to Friday. Many countries in the Middle East use Friday and Saturday as the weekend, some use Friday only, and some businesses work a six- or seven-day week. The calculator supports each of these and a fully custom set of days. Public holidays are different in every country, and some are regional. The table shows what the calculator includes.
| Country or region | Included | Not included |
|---|---|---|
| United States | The 11 federal holidays, with observed days | State holidays, Good Friday, Election Day |
| United Kingdom | Bank holidays for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, with substitute days and the 2020, 2022 and 2023 changes | Local holidays |
| Canada | Federal statutory holidays | Provincial holidays such as Family Day |
| Australia | National holidays common to all states | State holidays, King's Birthday, Easter Saturday |
| New Zealand | National holidays including Matariki (2022 to 2031) | Provincial anniversary days |
| Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands | Nationwide holidays | Regional holidays such as German state holidays |
| India | Fixed-date national holidays | Religious festivals and state holidays, which vary by year and state; add them as days off |
| South Africa, Brazil, Mexico | National holidays | Optional days and regional holidays |
For a holiday that is not included, add it under Your own days off.
Substitute and observed holidays
When a public holiday falls on a weekend, many countries give a weekday off instead. In the United States, federal holidays on Saturday are usually observed on the Friday and holidays on Sunday on the Monday. In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the substitute is normally the next weekday that is not already a holiday, which is why Christmas Day and Boxing Day can produce two substitute days in the same week. South Africa gives the Monday after a holiday that falls on a Sunday. Other countries, including Germany, France and Italy, do not move holidays.
The calculator applies these rules by default and marks each moved day as observed or substitute. Turn the option off to see only the original dates. If your employer follows a different practice, untick the individual holidays in the year tab or add your own days off.
The year view: holidays, calendar and working days per month
The Holidays and year calendar tab shows twelve mini calendars with weekends in grey and holidays in red, a list of the year's public holidays and a table of working days for every month. Untick a holiday your workplace does not observe, and every calculation updates. You can download the list as CSV or add the holidays to your calendar as an .ics file. The tab also shows how many working days are left in the current year, which is handy for project and sales planning.
What people use a business days calculator for
- Deadlines and notice periods in contracts, leases and employment.
- Delivery and shipping dates for "3 to 5 business days".
- Payment terms such as net 30 business days, bank transfers and settlement dates.
- Project planning and estimating the working time between milestones.
- Payroll and leave planning, including working days in a pay period.
- Visa, permit and refund processing times quoted in working days.
- Customer service response and resolution targets.
Custom days off and different work patterns
Real calendars have more days off than the official list. Companies close between Christmas and New Year, teams take a shared leave week, and local festivals and religious days vary. Add each of them under Your own days off, one per line or as a range with an optional name. They are counted as non-working days in all three tabs. For part-time or shift patterns, set the weekend to match the days that are off for the person you are planning for.
Common mistakes when counting working days
- Counting both ends by habit. Check whether the first and last day count in your case.
- Ignoring regional holidays. A holiday in one state or province may not apply in another.
- Assuming a Saturday-Sunday weekend everywhere.
- Forgetting substitute days. A holiday on a Sunday often removes a Monday.
- Mixing business days and banking days. Banks may follow different calendars.
- Using today's holiday list for a distant year. Moveable holidays change every year.
Tips for reliable deadlines
- Write the date and the rule together, for example "15 business days, England and Wales holidays".
- Add a day of buffer for deadlines that matter.
- Use the delivery window for ranges instead of a single guess.
- Confirm legal deadlines with the official calendar or a professional.
- Recheck when plans span a year end, when many holidays cluster.
Privacy
The calculator runs in your browser. The dates, settings and days off you enter are not sent to a server or stored on your device. Reloading the page clears them. Files you download are created on your device.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate working days between two dates?
Count the days from the start date to the end date and remove the weekend days and the public holidays that fall on weekdays. Enter both dates, choose your country and weekend days, and the calculator shows the working days, calendar days, weekend days and holidays removed.
How do I add working days to a date?
Open the Add or subtract tab, enter the start date and the number of working days, and choose Add. The calculator moves forward one day at a time and counts only working days. The start date is day 0 and is not counted.
What is the difference between working days and business days?
In everyday use they mean the same thing: days on which normal work happens, usually Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. Some organisations define business days differently, for example to include Saturdays for a bank or courier, so always check the definition in your contract.
What is the difference between working days and calendar days?
Calendar days include every day. Working days exclude weekends and holidays. Ten calendar days is roughly seven or eight working days.
Does the calculator count the start date?
By default, the Days between dates tab counts both the start and the end date. You can untick either option. When you add working days, the start date is day 0 and the first day counted is the next working day.
Which public holidays are included?
National public holidays for 17 countries and regions, including the United States (federal), the United Kingdom (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), Canada (federal), Australia (national), New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, India (fixed national days), South Africa, Brazil and Mexico. Regional and optional holidays are not included automatically.
How do I add a holiday that is not listed?
Open Your own days off and type the date with an optional name, or a range for a shutdown. You can also untick a listed holiday in the Holidays and year calendar tab if your workplace does not observe it.
What happens when a holiday falls on a weekend?
In many countries a substitute weekday is given. The calculator applies the common rule for each country: for example next Monday in the United Kingdom and Canada, the Friday before or the Monday after for United States federal holidays. You can turn substitute days off.
Can I use a Friday and Saturday weekend?
Yes. Choose Friday and Saturday, Friday only, Sunday only, Saturday only, no weekend at all, or pick any days you like. This suits countries in the Middle East and shift-based businesses.
How do I count working days for a delivery estimate such as 3 to 5 business days?
Use the window fields on the Add or subtract tab. Enter the fastest and slowest number of working days and the calculator gives the earliest and latest dates.
How do I calculate a notice period or a deadline in business days?
Add or subtract the number of working days from the relevant date, with the holiday calendar of the place whose rules apply. Check your contract or the law for whether the day of notice counts and which holidays are included.
How many working days are in a year?
Most years have 260 or 261 weekdays. After public holidays, a typical full-time year has about 248 to 253 working days in the United States and the United Kingdom, depending on the year and the holidays. The Holidays and year calendar tab shows the exact number for the year and country you choose.
How many working days are in a month?
A month has between 20 and 23 weekdays in a five-day week, before public holidays. The By month table shows the working, weekend and holiday days for every month in the range or year.
Can I calculate working hours as well as days?
Yes. Enter the hours in a working day and the calculator multiplies it by the working days, which is useful for resource planning and estimating project time.
How are movable holidays like Easter calculated?
The calculator works out the date of Easter Sunday for the year with the standard Gregorian algorithm and derives Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Whit Monday from it. Holidays on the nth weekday of a month, such as US Thanksgiving, are calculated the same way.
Are holidays accurate for every year?
They follow general rules and cover past and future years, including known one-off changes such as the extra UK bank holidays in 2022 and 2023. Governments sometimes change or add holidays, so confirm dates for important plans.
Why does my result differ from another calculator?
Differences usually come from the weekend setting, whether the start or end day is counted, the country or region, whether substitute days are used and the list of holidays included. Compare those settings.
Can I download the holidays?
Yes. In the Holidays and year calendar tab, download the list as CSV or an .ics calendar file with each holiday as an all-day event.
Can I print the result?
Yes. Press Print / save as PDF. Only the result and settings of the open tab are printed, not the rest of the page.
Does it work for dates in the past?
Yes. You can calculate any dates from the year 1900 to 2200, for example to check how many working days a past project took.
Is my data private?
Yes. All calculations run in your browser. Dates and days off you enter are not sent to a server and are not stored.
Is the working days calculator free?
Yes. It is free to use online with no sign-up.
Sources and further reading
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: federal holidays and the observed day rules.
- UK Government (GOV.UK): UK bank holidays, including the dates for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and the extra bank holidays in 2022 and 2023.
- Government of Canada: statutory holidays for federally regulated employers.
- Australian Government (business.gov.au): public holidays.
- New Zealand Government (employment.govt.nz): public holidays and Matariki dates.
- Citizens Information (Ireland): public holidays.
- South African Government: public holidays and the Public Holidays Act.
- Meeus, J., Astronomical Algorithms, and the Gregorian computus used to calculate the date of Easter.
Sources were consulted in October 2026. Standards and rules can change, so always check the official page for your situation.