The holiday schedule in West Virginia has a distinct regional flavor to it. It imitates the federal system to a great extent, but at the same time, it retains one date that is important at the local level in a way that it isn’t at the national level. This status has remained so for a long time.
By definition, an off-day is a holiday. This means that state offices are closed. The courts are shut down. The timeline moves - a holiday for any other reason would be considered unnecessary.
The tables below show the days West Virginia state government offices close in 2027 and 2026, based on the legal holidays set by West Virginia Code §2-2-1.
List of National and State Holidays in West Virginia for 2027
| S.No. | Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|
| 1 | Jan 01 | Friday | New Year’s Day | Federal |
| 2 | Jan 18 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal |
| 3 | Feb 15 | Monday | Presidents’ Day | Federal |
| 4 | May 31 | Monday | Memorial Day | Federal |
| 5 | Jun 21 | Monday | West Virginia Day (Observed) | State |
| 6 | Jul 05 | Monday | Independence Day (Observed) | Federal |
| 7 | Sep 06 | Monday | Labor Day | Federal |
| 8 | Oct 11 | Monday | Columbus Day | Federal |
| 9 | Nov 11 | Thursday | Veterans Day | Federal |
| 10 | Nov 25 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | Federal |
| 11 | Nov 26 | Friday | Lincoln’s Day (Day After Thanksgiving) | State |
| 12 | Dec 24 | Friday | Christmas Day (Observed) | Federal |
| 13 | Dec 31 | Friday | New Year’s Day 2028 (Observed) | Federal |
West Virginia moves a holiday that falls on a Saturday to the Friday before and one that falls on a Sunday to the following Monday. In 2027, that moves West Virginia Day to Monday, June 21, Independence Day to Monday, July 5, and Christmas Day to Friday, December 24. New Year’s Day 2028 falls on a Saturday, so it is observed on Friday, December 31, 2027. There is no statewide election in 2027, so there is no Election Day closure. West Virginia has not yet published its official 2027 holiday schedule, so these dates follow state law.
Official State Holidays in West Virginia for 2026
| S.No. | Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|
| 1 | Jan 01 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | Federal |
| 2 | Jan 02 | Friday | Day After New Year’s Day (Governor’s Proclamation) | State |
| 3 | Jan 19 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal |
| 4 | Feb 16 | Monday | Presidents’ Day | Federal |
| 5 | May 12 | Tuesday | Primary Election Day | State |
| 6 | May 25 | Monday | Memorial Day | Federal |
| 7 | Jun 19 | Friday | West Virginia Day (Observed) | State |
| 8 | Jul 03 | Friday | Independence Day (Observed) | Federal |
| 9 | Sep 07 | Monday | Labor Day | Federal |
| 10 | Oct 12 | Monday | Columbus Day | Federal |
| 11 | Nov 03 | Tuesday | General Election Day | State |
| 12 | Nov 11 | Wednesday | Veterans Day | Federal |
| 13 | Nov 26 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | Federal |
| 14 | Nov 27 | Friday | Lincoln’s Day (Day After Thanksgiving) | State |
| 15 | Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Federal |
How Holidays Work in West Virginia
West Virginia Day is the defining state holiday. It marks statehood on June 20, 1863, and it is observed throughout the state. June 20, 2026 fell on a Saturday, so the official closure moved to the Friday before, June 19.
Election days are full state holidays. State law closes offices on any day a primary or general election is held, so offices closed for the primary on May 12, 2026 and will close again for the general election on November 3, 2026.
The rest of the calendar follows the federal framework, with one more state addition: Lincoln’s Day, the day after Thanksgiving. The governor can also add days off by proclamation, and in 2026 that gave state employees Friday, January 2 off. Juneteenth is not on the statutory list, so offices close for it only in a year when the governor proclaims it a holiday. Independence Day fell on a Saturday in 2026, so offices closed on Friday, July 3.
FAQs
1. Is West Virginia Day a full state holiday?
Yes. State government offices close statewide.
2. Does West Virginia close offices on Election Day?
Yes. State law makes every primary and general election day a state holiday.
3. Is Juneteenth a state holiday here?
No. It is not on the statutory list, so state offices close only if the governor proclaims a holiday for that year.
4. Do courts follow this list?
Yes. Courts align with state government closures.
5. Are local governments required to follow it?
No. Local calendars may differ.
