# How many days between dates?

Counts the calendar days between two dates, or the working days without weekends and public holidays, with an option to count the end date.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/days/betweendates-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/days/betweendates-calculator.json
- Version: 6570c46f9e88

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Start date October 6, 2026, End date November 5, 2026, Count the end date No, Count working days only No) on the example date Monday, October 5, 2026: From October 6, 2026 to November 5, 2026: 30 calendar days.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| start | Start date | The first date. It is counted. |
| end | End date | The last date. It is counted only when “Count the end date” is on. |
| includeEnd | Count the end date | Count the end date as one more day. |
| useWorkingDays | Count working days only | Count only working days instead of every calendar day. |
| excludeSaturday | Skip Saturdays | Leave Saturdays out of the count. |
| excludeSunday | Skip Sundays | Leave Sundays out of the count. |
| excludeHolidays | Skip public holidays | Leave the chosen country's public holidays out of the count. |
| country | Country | The country whose public holidays are skipped. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| count | Days | Calendar days, or working days when “Count working days only” is on. Negative when the end date is first. |
| what | Counted | Whether the count is of calendar days or working days. |
| calendarDays | Calendar days | Every day in the count, weekends and holidays included. |
| skipped | Days skipped | Weekend days and public holidays left out of the working-day count. |
| weeks | In weeks | The number of calendar days (without the minus sign) as whole weeks and days. |
| span | In years, months, and days | The number of calendar days (without the minus sign) as whole years, months, and days, counted from the earlier date. |

## Method

Count the days from the start date up to the end date (the end date too when asked); for working days, leave out the chosen weekend days and the country’s observed public holidays.

## Assumptions

- The start date is counted; the end date is counted only when “Count the end date” is on. So January 1 to January 3 is 2 days, or 3 with the end date.
- When the end date is before the start date, the two dates swap and the count is negative.
- Dates are calendar days with no time of day, so daylight-saving changes cannot add or lose a day.
- Public holidays are the days off as observed (a holiday on a weekend moves to a weekday where the country’s rule says so). Holiday data covers the US from 1986, the UK (England and Wales) from 2019 to 2028, Canada (federal) from 2021, India (central government) from 2023 to 2027, and China from 2015 to 2035.

## Worked examples

1. start = 2026-01-01, end = 2026-12-31, includeEnd = no, useWorkingDays = no gives count = 364, calendarDays = 364, weeks = {"weeks":52,"days":0}, span = {"years":0,"months":11,"days":30}.
2. start = 2026-01-01, end = 2026-12-31, includeEnd = yes, useWorkingDays = no gives count = 365, span = {"years":1,"months":0,"days":0}.
3. start = 2026-12-31, end = 2026-01-01, includeEnd = no, useWorkingDays = no gives count = -364, calendarDays = -364.
4. start = 2024-02-01, end = 2024-03-01, includeEnd = no, useWorkingDays = no gives count = 29, span = {"years":0,"months":1,"days":0}.
5. start = 2026-01-01, end = 2026-01-31, includeEnd = no, useWorkingDays = yes, excludeSaturday = yes, excludeSunday = yes, excludeHolidays = yes, country = us gives count = 20, what = working days, calendarDays = 30, skipped = 10. Source: OPM federal holidays 2026 (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/).
6. start = 2025-12-20, end = 2026-01-05, includeEnd = no, useWorkingDays = yes, excludeSaturday = yes, excludeSunday = no, excludeHolidays = no gives count = 13, calendarDays = 16, skipped = 3.

## FAQ

### How do I calculate days between two dates?

Use our calculator above to find the exact number of days between any two dates. Simply enter your start date and end date, and the calculator will show you the precise count. For example, between January 1, 2024 and March 15, 2024 there are 74 days.

### How is the calculation performed?

Our calculator uses precise date arithmetic to determine the exact number of days between two dates. We count each day from the start date up to the end date, and you can choose whether to include or exclude the end date in the calculation. For example, between January 1 and January 3, there are 2 days if excluding the end date, or 3 days if including it.

### What's the difference between calendar days and working days?

Calendar days include every day (weekends and holidays), while working days exclude weekends and optionally holidays. For example, from Monday to Friday with the end date counted, you get 5 calendar days and 5 working days. From Monday to the following Monday (end date not counted), you get 7 calendar days but only 5 working days, because the weekend is skipped.

### How do working days calculations work?

Working days calculations count each day between the dates, excluding weekends (Saturdays and Sundays by default) and public holidays if enabled. For example, if you're calculating working days between January 1 and January 10, the calculator will skip any weekends and holidays that fall within that period, giving you only the business days.

### Should I include or exclude the end date?

It depends on your specific needs. Including the end date counts it as a full day, while excluding it doesn't count it. For example, if you're calculating a project that ends on Friday, you might want to include Friday to count it as a working day. For age calculations or periods that end at midnight, you might want to exclude the end date.

### What can I use this calculator for?

This calculator is perfect for project timeline calculations, contract period durations, event planning timelines, vacation day calculations, business day counting, age calculations, and investment period tracking.

### How accurate is the calculator?

The calculator accounts for leap years and varying month lengths, and counts whole calendar days with no time of day, so daylight-saving changes cannot add or lose a day. It gives exact day counts for business and personal use; check a legal deadline against the rule that sets it, since some rules count the first or last day differently.

### Can I exclude holidays from the calculation?

Yes. Turn on working days, keep “Skip public holidays” on, and select your country. The calculator then skips the observed public holidays. For example, if you're calculating working days in the US around Christmas, it will skip Christmas Day and New Year's Day automatically. Holiday data covers the US from 1986, the UK from 2019 to 2028, Canada from 2021, India from 2023 to 2027, and China from 2015 to 2035.

## Sources

- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Federal Holidays (5 U.S.C. 6103 and the weekend rule). https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/
- GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (England and Wales). https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays
- Canada Labour Code, section 166, general holidays. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/L-2/