Thanksgiving Break 2026: How Long Is It in Each State?
How long is Thanksgiving Break 2026? For most districts, not the full week: only 39% of the 179 school districts we track close November 23–27; the rest give two to four days.
| state | Districts off the full week | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 14 of 14 | Full week |
| Louisiana | 9 of 9 | Full week |
| Mississippi | 9 of 9 | Full week |
| Kansas | 10 of 11 | Full week |
| West Virginia | 10 of 11 | Full week |
| New Mexico | 10 of 14 | Full week |
| Missouri | 6 of 18 | 3 days |
| Nebraska | 1 of 19 | 3 days |
| Connecticut | 0 of 27 | 2 days |
| Iowa | 0 of 11 | 3 days |
| New Hampshire | 0 of 13 | 3 days |
| North Dakota | 0 of 9 | 2 days |
| Rhode Island | 0 of 14 | 3 days |
By the School Year Calendars team · Updated
How Long Is Thanksgiving Break 2026?
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Of the 179 districts on this site, 69 districts (39%) close for the whole week of Thanksgiving break 2026 (3 of them add a sixth weekday). 74 districts give 3 days, 33 districts give 2 days, 3 districts give 4 days. No district on our list closes for two weeks; the longest Thanksgiving break is 6 weekdays.
How Long Is Thanksgiving Break 2026 in Each State?
The answer splits by region. In Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, every district we cover takes the full week. In Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Rhode Island, not one does: students there are in class on the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. Kansas (10 of 11), Missouri (6 of 18), Nebraska (1 of 19), New Mexico (10 of 14) and West Virginia (10 of 11) are split.
Arkansas: the full week for every district we cover
Of the 14 Arkansas districts we cover, 14 are off the full week for Thanksgiving break 2026.
- Benton School District
- Bentonville Schools
- Cabot Public Schools
- Conway Public Schools
- Fort Smith Public Schools
- Jonesboro Public Schools
- Little Rock School District
- Marion School District
- Mountain Home School District
- North Little Rock School District
- Pulaski County Special School District
- Searcy School District
- Springdale School District
- Van Buren School District
Connecticut: Thursday–Friday for most districts
Of the 27 Connecticut districts we cover, 22 are off Thursday–Friday and 5 are off Wednesday–Friday for Thanksgiving break 2026.
- Bridgeport Public Schools
- Bristol Public Schools
- Consolidated School District of New Britain
- Danbury Public Schools
- Darien Public Schools
- Enfield Public Schools
- Fairfield Public Schools
- Glastonbury Public Schools
- Greenwich Public Schools
- Hamden Public Schools
- Hartford Public Schools
- Manchester Public Schools
- Meriden Public Schools
- Milford Public Schools
- New Haven Public Schools
- Norwalk Public Schools
- Ridgefield Public Schools
- South Windsor Public Schools
- Southington Public Schools
- Stamford Public Schools
- Stratford Public Schools
- Trumbull Public Schools
- Wallingford Public Schools
- Waterbury Public Schools
- West Hartford Public Schools
- West Haven Public Schools
- Westport Public Schools
Iowa: Wednesday–Friday for most districts
Of the 11 Iowa districts we cover, 10 are off Wednesday–Friday and 1 is off Thursday–Friday for Thanksgiving break 2026.
- Ankeny Community School District
- Cedar Rapids Community School District
- Council Bluffs Community School District
- Iowa City Community School District
- Johnston Community School District
- North Scott Community School District
- Norwalk Community School District
- Ottumwa Community School District
- Sioux City Community Schools
- Waterloo Community Schools
- Waukee Community School District
Kansas: 10 of 11 districts take the full week
Of the 11 Kansas districts we cover, 10 are off the full week and 1 is off Tuesday–Friday for Thanksgiving break 2026.
Louisiana: the full week for every district we cover
Of the 9 Louisiana districts we cover, 9 are off the full week for Thanksgiving break 2026.
Mississippi: the full week for every district we cover
Of the 9 Mississippi districts we cover, 9 are off the full week for Thanksgiving break 2026.
Missouri: Wednesday–Friday for most districts, 6 of 18 take the full week
Of the 18 Missouri districts we cover, 12 are off Wednesday–Friday and 6 are off the full week for Thanksgiving break 2026.
- Blue Springs School District
- Columbia Public Schools
- Fort Zumwalt School District
- Francis Howell School District
- Hazelwood School District
- Jefferson City Public Schools
- Kansas City Public Schools
- Kirkwood School District
- Lee's Summit R-7 School District
- Liberty Public Schools
- Nixa Public Schools
- North Kansas City Schools
- Park Hill School District
- Raytown Quality Schools
- Rockwood School District
- Saint Louis Public Schools
- Springfield Public Schools
- St. Joseph School District
Nebraska: Wednesday–Friday for most districts, 1 of 19 takes the full week
Of the 19 Nebraska districts we cover, 16 are off Wednesday–Friday, 2 are off Wednesday–the following Monday and 1 is off the full week for Thanksgiving break 2026.
- Beatrice Public Schools
- Bellevue Public Schools
- Bennington Public Schools
- Crete Public Schools
- Elkhorn Public Schools
- Fremont Public Schools
- Gering Public Schools
- Grand Island Public Schools
- Hastings Public Schools
- Kearney Public Schools
- Lexington Public Schools
- Lincoln Public Schools
- Millard Public Schools
- North Platte Public Schools
- Ralston Public Schools
- Seward Public Schools
- Waverly School District 145
- Westside Community Schools
- York Public Schools
New Hampshire: Wednesday–Friday for most districts
Of the 13 New Hampshire districts we cover, 13 are off Wednesday–Friday for Thanksgiving break 2026.
- Bedford School District
- Claremont School District
- Concord School District
- Exeter Region Cooperative School District
- Governor Wentworth Regional School District
- Hudson School District
- Manchester School District
- Merrimack Valley School District
- Nashua School District
- Oyster River Cooperative School District
- Pinkerton Academy
- Salem School District
- Windham School District
New Mexico: 10 of 14 districts take the full week
Of the 14 New Mexico districts we cover, 10 are off the full week and 4 are off Wednesday–Friday for Thanksgiving break 2026.
- Alamogordo Public Schools
- Albuquerque Public Schools
- Artesia Public Schools
- Bloomfield School District
- Carlsbad Municipal Schools
- Deming Public Schools
- Española Public Schools
- Farmington Municipal Schools
- Las Cruces Public Schools
- Los Alamos Public Schools
- Los Lunas Schools
- Rio Rancho Public Schools
- Ruidoso Municipal Schools
- Santa Fe Public Schools
North Dakota: Thursday–Friday for most districts
Of the 9 North Dakota districts we cover, 5 are off Thursday–Friday and 4 are off Wednesday–Friday for Thanksgiving break 2026.
Rhode Island: Wednesday–Friday for most districts
Of the 14 Rhode Island districts we cover, 9 are off Wednesday–Friday and 5 are off Thursday–Friday for Thanksgiving break 2026.
- Barrington Public Schools
- Bristol Warren Regional School District
- Central Falls School District
- Coventry Public Schools
- Cranston Public Schools
- Johnston Public Schools
- Middletown Public Schools
- Newport Public Schools
- North Kingstown School Department
- North Providence Public Schools
- Providence Public Schools
- Smithfield Public Schools
- South Kingstown Public Schools
- Westerly Public Schools
West Virginia: 10 of 11 districts take the full week
Of the 11 West Virginia districts we cover, 10 are off the full week and 1 is off Wednesday–Friday for Thanksgiving break 2026.
Which Days Are Off for Thanksgiving Break 2026?
A full-week Thanksgiving break 2026 runs November 23–27. Among the shorter breaks, 74 districts are off Wednesday through Friday, 33 districts are off Thursday through Friday, 2 districts are off Wednesday through the following Monday and 1 district is off Tuesday through Friday.
When Do Students Go Back After Thanksgiving Break 2026?
176 districts are back on Monday, November 30 and 3 districts are back on Tuesday, December 1; the later return dates belong to districts whose break includes the Monday after Thanksgiving. The next long break is winter break, about three weeks later.
Is Winter Break Longer Where Thanksgiving Break 2026 Is a Full Week?
Yes. Districts that close for the whole week of Thanksgiving break 2026 give a median of 11 weekdays of winter break, against 8 weekdays for districts with a shorter Thanksgiving break. The most common day back after winter break is Monday, January 4, 2027 (88 districts).
Where Do These Thanksgiving Break 2026 Dates Come From?
Every Thanksgiving break 2026 date here comes from the 2026-27 calendar each district published on its own website, the same file linked on its district page; the latest check was October 15, 2026. Thanksgiving break is the run of weekdays off that includes Thanksgiving Day, joined with any days off right next to it; day counts are our own arithmetic from those dates. One official calendar per state is linked below, and how we read and check every calendar is on the About page.
- Bentonville Schools 2026-27 calendarArkansas · official file, checked September 21, 2026
- Stamford Public Schools 2026-27 calendarConnecticut · official file, checked September 21, 2026
- Iowa City Community School District 2026-27 calendarIowa · official file, checked September 27, 2026
- Olathe Public Schools 2026-27 calendarKansas · official file, checked September 21, 2026
- Lafayette Parish School System 2026-27 calendarLouisiana · official file, checked September 28, 2026
- Rankin County School District 2026-27 calendarMississippi · official file, checked September 21, 2026
- Springfield Public Schools 2026-27 calendarMissouri · official file, checked September 21, 2026
- Lincoln Public Schools 2026-27 calendarNebraska · official file, checked September 22, 2026
- Pinkerton Academy 2026-27 calendarNew Hampshire · official file, checked September 29, 2026
- Albuquerque Public Schools 2026-27 calendarNew Mexico · official file, checked October 15, 2026
- Fargo Public Schools 2026-27 calendarNorth Dakota · official file, checked September 28, 2026
- Cranston Public Schools 2026-27 calendarRhode Island · official file, checked September 29, 2026
- Berkeley County Schools 2026-27 calendarWest Virginia · official file, checked September 28, 2026
Thanksgiving Break 2026: How Long Is It in Each State? FAQ
How long is Thanksgiving break for schools?
- Either the full week or two to four days. 69 of 179 districts we track (39%) close for the whole week of November 23; the rest give 2, 3 and 4 days.
Is Thanksgiving break 2 weeks long?
- Not at any district we track. The longest Thanksgiving break on our list is 6 weekdays; most are five days or fewer.
When is Thanksgiving break 2026?
- Thanksgiving is November 26, 2026. Full-week districts are off November 23–27; most shorter Thanksgiving break 2026 dates are Wednesday–Friday (74 districts) and Thursday–Friday (33 districts).
Which states get the whole week off for Thanksgiving?
- In our data, every district in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi takes the full week, and Kansas (10 of 11) and West Virginia (10 of 11) come close. None in Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Rhode Island does.
Do schools have the whole week off for Thanksgiving?
- Only some: 39% of the districts we track. The rest are in class on Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, and 33 of them are in class on Wednesday too.
When do students go back to school after Thanksgiving break?
- Monday, November 30, 2026 for 176 of the 179 districts we track.