Countdown to Thanksgiving
The timer counts down to US Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November, and stops at midnight on your own clock when the day begins.
Time left until Thanksgiving
- ––days
- ––hours
- ––minutes
- ––seconds
How is the date of Thanksgiving decided?
US federal law makes Thanksgiving Day the fourth Thursday in November, so the date moves between November 22 and 28 from year to year.
- Rule
- 4th Thursday in November
- Earliest date
- November 22
- Latest date
- November 28
Thanksgiving dates for the coming years
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 26 | Thursday |
| 2027 | November 25 | Thursday |
| 2028 | November 23 | Thursday |
| 2029 | November 22 | Thursday |
| 2030 | November 28 | Thursday |
| 2031 | November 27 | Thursday |
Why the fourth Thursday
For decades presidents proclaimed Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. In 1939 that Thursday fell on November 30, and President Franklin Roosevelt moved the holiday a week earlier to lengthen the shopping season before Christmas. States split over which date to follow, and some celebrated twice.
Congress settled the matter in 1941 by writing the fourth Thursday into law. Most years the fourth Thursday is also the last one; when November has five Thursdays, the holiday comes a week before the month ends.
How the countdown works
The timer counts to midnight at the start of Thanksgiving Day in your own time zone, so a reader in New York and one in Los Angeles each reach zero at their local midnight. On the day itself the card says the holiday has started and then moves on to the next year.
Thanksgiving is also the start of a long weekend for many workers, since the Friday after is a common day off even though it is not a federal holiday. To count the days to any other date, such as the end of the year, use the days between dates calculator; for the next season change, see the summer countdown.
Thanksgiving countdown questions
When is Thanksgiving this year?
US Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November. The table above lists the date for this year and the next few, and the countdown always targets the next one.
What is the earliest and latest date Thanksgiving can fall on?
November 22 at the earliest and November 28 at the latest, because the fourth Thursday of a month always lands in that seven-day window.
Is Thanksgiving always on the last Thursday of November?
No. In years where November has five Thursdays, Thanksgiving is the fourth one and a Thursday follows it. Federal law fixed the fourth Thursday in 1941.
When is Thanksgiving in Canada?
Canada celebrates on the second Monday in October, about six weeks before the US holiday. This countdown follows the US date.