Countdown DayWinter break 2026-27 · school districts
How many days until winter break?
Checked October 9, 2026 · first published
Winter break starts on Mon, Dec 21, 2026 in 9 of the 10 districts below, 73 days from today. NYC starts later, on Thu, Dec 24. Most districts reopen after Fri, Jan 1, 2027; find yours for an exact count.
10 weeks and 3 days · 11 weekends · 73 sleeps · 48 business days
On the way there
Dates you pass first
3daysColumbus DayMon, Oct 12, 2026
22daysHalloweenSat, Oct 31, 2026
33daysVeterans DayWed, Nov 11, 2026
41daysGTA VI releaseThu, Nov 19, 2026| District | Winter break | Days away | District calendar feed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broward County Public Schools, FL | Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 73 | Subscribe |
| Chicago Public Schools, IL | Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 73 | Subscribe |
| Clark County School District, NV | Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 73 | Subscribe |
| Dallas Independent School District, TX | Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 73 | Subscribe |
| Fairfax County Public Schools, VA | Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 73 | Subscribe |
| Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA | Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | 73 | Subscribe |
| Hawaii Department of Education, HI | Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 73 | Subscribe |
| Houston Independent School District, TX | Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 73 | Subscribe |
| School District of Palm Beach County, FL | Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 73 | Subscribe |
| New York City Department of Education, NY | Thu, Dec 24, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 76 | Subscribe |
Each row comes from the district's own 2026-27 calendar or calendar announcement, read on Fri, Oct 9, 2026. Dates are the break as the district labels it; a teacher workday right after it is not included. Miami-Dade is left out until we can open its full calendar.
Your district is not here? Enter its first day of break in the days-between calculator for the same countdown.
How to cite: Countdown Day, Winter break 2026-27 by school district, countdownday.com/winter-break/, checked Oct 9, 2026. Always confirm with the district.
When does winter break start in 2026?
For most students it starts on Mon, Dec 21, 2026. Nine of the ten districts in our table close that day, so the last school day before the break is Fri, Dec 18. NYC is the exception: its Winter Recess begins on Thu, Dec 24, so New York City students still have three school days that week.
The counter at the top runs to Dec 21. If your district is NYC, the row in the table has its own live count to Dec 24.
How long is Christmas break this year?
Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday and New Year's Day 2027 on the next Friday. That shape gives a tidy two-week break in most districts: Mon, Dec 21 through Fri, Jan 1, ten weekdays plus the weekends around them. Counting from Sat, Dec 19, students in those districts are off for 16 days in a row through Sun, Jan 3.
Gwinnett and Dallas label their breaks through Mon, Jan 4. Several others add a staff day on Jan 4 with no students. Each row's calendar feed puts the district's breaks and the last day of school in your own calendar.
Is winter break the same as the federal holidays?
No. Federal offices close only on Christmas Day, Fri, Dec 25, and New Year's Day, Fri, Jan 1. Christmas Eve, Thu, Dec 24, is a normal federal workday in 2026. School districts set their own breaks, which is why the start date differs by three days between Chicago and New York City.
Questions people ask
- When is Christmas break 2026 for most schools?
- In our table, nine of ten districts start on Mon, Dec 21, 2026, the Monday before Christmas. Christmas Day is Fri, Dec 25, so the break covers Christmas week and New Year's week in full.
- When do students go back after winter break?
- Most districts in our table list Fri, Jan 1, 2027 as the last day of break. Chicago, Clark County, Houston, Hawaii and Palm Beach then hold a staff day on Mon, Jan 4, so students return Tue, Jan 5. Dallas students return Wed, Jan 6.
- How many school days until winter break?
- The business-day line under the counter skips weekends and federal holidays, which gives a ceiling. Thanksgiving break removes two to five more days, depending on the district, and teacher workdays lower it again.
- Which district has the shortest winter break?
- NYC public schools, in our table. The Winter Recess runs Thu, Dec 24, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027: seven weekdays. Districts that start on Dec 21 get ten weekdays off, and Gwinnett and Dallas eleven.
Related pages
Sources
- NYC Public Schools: 2026-27 school year calendar — schools.nyc.gov
- Chicago Public Schools: 2026-27 family calendar — cps.edu
- Gwinnett County Public Schools: 2026-27 student calendar — resources.finalsite.net
- Dallas ISD: district calendar 2026-27 — resources.finalsite.net
- Palm Beach County schools: 2026-2027 key dates — palmbeachschools.org
- Hawaii DOE: 2026-27 official school calendar — hawaiipublicschools.org
General date information from official calendars (OPM, USNO). It is not legal, tax or immigration advice; check the agency named on the page for your own deadline.