Winter Break 2026: When Is It and How Long in Each State?

When is Winter Break 2026, and how long? Most often December 21 to January 4: 59% of the 179 school districts we track give two weeks or more, while New England districts mostly give seven or eight weekdays.

Winter break 2026: districts giving two weeks or more, by state
Two weeks or more (10+ weekdays)Under two weeks
KansasLouisianaMississippiNew MexicoArkansasNebraskaMissouriIowaWest VirginiaNorth DakotaRhode IslandNew HampshireConnecticut11991413115412674745431111227
stateTypical winter breakTwo weeks or more
Arkansas11 weekdays13 of 14
Kansas11 weekdays11 of 11
Louisiana11 weekdays9 of 9
Mississippi11 weekdays9 of 9
Nebraska11 weekdays15 of 19
New Mexico11 weekdays14 of 14
Iowa10 weekdays7 of 11
Missouri10 weekdays12 of 18
North Dakota10 weekdays5 of 9
West Virginia10 weekdays7 of 11
Rhode Island8 weekdays3 of 14
Connecticut7 weekdays0 of 27
New Hampshire7 weekdays1 of 13

By the School Year Calendars team · Updated

When Is Winter Break 2026?

The most common first day of winter break 2026 is Monday, December 21 (87 districts), followed by December 24 (41) and December 23 (40). 9 districts start earlier, on December 18.

How Long Is Winter Break 2026?

59% of districts give at least two weeks (10 or more weekdays). The most common lengths are 11 weekdays (59 districts), 7 weekdays (41 districts) and 10 weekdays (29 districts). The shortest breaks are 7 weekdays (41 districts); the longest is Gulfport School District with 15 weekdays, December 21 to January 8.

How Long Is Winter Break 2026 in Each State?

The states split the same way they do for Thanksgiving break 2026. Every district we cover in Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico takes two weeks or more, and none in Connecticut does.

Kansas: two weeks or more in every district we cover

Winter break 2026 for the 11 Kansas districts we cover runs Dec 21–Jan 4 (4), Dec 21–Jan 5 (2) and Dec 18–Jan 4 (2), plus 3 other patterns; the typical break is 11 weekdays.

Louisiana: two weeks or more in every district we cover

Winter break 2026 for the 9 Louisiana districts we cover runs Dec 21–Jan 4 (4), Dec 21–Jan 5 (2) and Dec 23–Jan 6 (2), plus 1 other pattern; the typical break is 11 weekdays.

Mississippi: two weeks or more in every district we cover

Winter break 2026 for the 9 Mississippi districts we cover runs Dec 21–Jan 4 (7), Dec 21–Jan 5 (1) and Dec 21–Jan 8 (1); the typical break is 11 weekdays.

New Mexico: two weeks or more in every district we cover

Winter break 2026 for the 14 New Mexico districts we cover runs Dec 21–Jan 4 (9), Dec 21–Jan 5 (3) and Dec 18–Jan 4 (1), plus 1 other pattern; the typical break is 11 weekdays.

North Dakota: 5 of 9 districts take two weeks or more

Winter break 2026 for the 9 North Dakota districts we cover runs Dec 23–Jan 1 (3), Dec 21–Jan 1 (3) and Dec 21–Jan 4 (2), plus 1 other pattern; the typical break is 10 weekdays.

West Virginia: 7 of 11 districts take two weeks or more

Winter break 2026 for the 11 West Virginia districts we cover runs Dec 21–Jan 1 (4), Dec 23–Jan 4 (2) and Dec 23–Jan 1 (2), plus 3 other patterns; the typical break is 10 weekdays.

When Do Students Go Back After Winter Break 2026?

Students return on Monday, January 4 in 88 districts, Tuesday, January 5 in 68 districts, Wednesday, January 6 in 17 districts, Thursday, January 7 in 5 districts and Monday, January 11 in 1 district (all 2027). Check your own district before booking travel for the first week of January.

Where Do These Winter Break 2026 Dates Come From?

Every winter break 2026 date here comes from the 2026-27 calendar each district published on its own website; the latest check was October 15, 2026. We count winter break as the longest continuous run of weekdays off around Christmas and New Year's, including any weekdays off directly before or after it. One official calendar per state is linked below, and how we read every calendar is on the About page.

  1. Bentonville Schools 2026-27 calendarArkansas
  2. Stamford Public Schools 2026-27 calendarConnecticut
  3. Iowa City Community School District 2026-27 calendarIowa
  4. Olathe Public Schools 2026-27 calendarKansas
  5. Lafayette Parish School System 2026-27 calendarLouisiana
  6. Rankin County School District 2026-27 calendarMississippi
  7. Springfield Public Schools 2026-27 calendarMissouri
  8. Lincoln Public Schools 2026-27 calendarNebraska
  9. Pinkerton Academy 2026-27 calendarNew Hampshire
  10. Albuquerque Public Schools 2026-27 calendarNew Mexico
  11. Fargo Public Schools 2026-27 calendarNorth Dakota
  12. Cranston Public Schools 2026-27 calendarRhode Island
  13. Berkeley County Schools 2026-27 calendarWest Virginia

Winter Break 2026: When Is It and How Long in Each State? FAQ

How long is winter break?

Usually one and a half to two weeks of school days. 106 of the 179 districts we track (59%) give 10 or more weekdays; the shortest give 7.

When is winter break 2026?

The most common first day off is Monday, December 21, 2026 (87 of 179 districts), and the most common return day is Monday, January 4, 2027 (88 districts).

When do kids go back to school after winter break?

Monday, January 4, 2027 at 88 of the 179 districts we track; the rest return between January 5 and January 11.

Is winter break two weeks long?

At 59% of the districts we track, yes. In Connecticut, no district we cover gives two full weeks.

What day of the week is Christmas 2026?

Friday, December 25, 2026; New Year's Day is also a Friday, January 1, 2027.