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Independence Day — the Fourth of July — is celebrated on July 4 every year, marking the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The date never moves, but the day of the week does, and this page shows the exact upcoming July 4 along with the live count of days remaining. It's a federal holiday, so expect government offices and banks to close, and when July 4 lands near a weekend, many employers turn it into a long one.
The date has a famous footnote. Congress actually voted to declare independence on July 2, 1776, and John Adams wrote home predicting that July 2 would be celebrated by future generations "with pomp and parade… bonfires and illuminations." He was right about everything except the date: the Declaration itself — the document explaining the decision — was adopted on July 4, and the date printed on it is the one that stuck. (Most delegates didn't sign the famous engrossed copy until August 2.) Adams reportedly refused invitations to July 4 events for the rest of his life, holding out for the 2nd.
The holiday itself never shifts — fireworks and parades happen on the 4th — but the federal government's day of observance does. When July 4 is a Saturday, federal employees get Friday, July 3 off instead; when it's a Sunday, the day off moves to Monday, July 5. Many states and employers follow the same pattern, which is worth knowing if you're planning travel or a visit to a government office that week.
How old is the United States this July 4? Subtract 1776 from the year: July 4, 2026 was the 250th anniversary — the semiquincentennial — and July 4, 2027 marks 251 years since the Declaration.
Is the Fourth of July always on July 4? Yes — the celebration is fixed to the date. Only the weekday, and the official day off when it collides with a weekend, change from year to year.