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US Independence Day — also called the Fourth of July — commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It is a federal public holiday observed every year on July 4.
When does Independence Day fall?
Independence Day is a fixed-date federal holiday on July 4, the date inscribed at the top of the Declaration of Independence. The date is set by US federal law (5 U.S.C. §6103). When July 4 falls on a weekend, the observed federal holiday shifts:
- July 4 on Saturday → federal observance on Friday July 3.
- July 4 on Sunday → federal observance on Monday July 5.
The fireworks, parades, and public celebrations still happen on July 4 itself regardless of the weekday.
Upcoming Independence Day dates
| Year | Date | Day of week | Federal observance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | July 4, 2026 | Saturday | Friday July 3 |
| 2027 | July 4, 2027 | Sunday | Monday July 5 |
| 2028 | July 4, 2028 | Tuesday | July 4 |
| 2029 | July 4, 2029 | Wednesday | July 4 |
| 2030 | July 4, 2030 | Thursday | July 4 |
July 4, 2026 is the United States Semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The federal U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission has been planning commemorative events since 2017.
A short history of July 4, 1776
The road to independence ran through 14 months of intensifying conflict after the battles of Lexington and Concord (April 1775). The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall), debated and voted on independence in summer 1776:
- June 7, 1776 — Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a three-part resolution: independence from Great Britain, formation of foreign alliances, and a plan of confederation.
- June 11, 1776 — Congress appointed a Committee of Five (Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston) to draft a declaration of independence. Jefferson did most of the writing over 17 days.
- July 2, 1776 — Congress voted to approve the Lee resolution declaring independence. 12 colonies voted yes; New York abstained.
- July 4, 1776 — Congress adopted the final wording of the Declaration of Independence. John Hancock signed as president of Congress; Charles Thomson countersigned as secretary. The Dunlap broadsides (around 200 printed copies) were distributed.
- August 2, 1776 — most members signed the engrossed parchment copy now displayed at the National Archives.
- July 9, 1776 — the Declaration was read aloud to George Washington’s troops in New York City. The statue of King George III on Bowling Green was torn down the same evening.
The first organised Independence Day celebration was held in Philadelphia on July 4, 1777 — with bonfires, ringing bells, fireworks, and a 13-gun salute. Massachusetts made it a state holiday in 1781; it became an unpaid federal holiday in 1870 and a paid federal holiday in 1938.
Modern traditions and observance
- Fireworks — the American Pyrotechnics Association estimates around 16,000 public displays nationally. Macy’s Fireworks in New York (over 60,000 shells) is the largest; Washington DC, Boston, and the National Mall draw the next largest crowds.
- Parades — the oldest continuously-running parade is in Bristol, Rhode Island (since 1785).
- Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest — held at Coney Island, Brooklyn since 1972 (with informal predecessors back to the 1910s). The current record (Joey Chestnut, 2021) is 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
- Concerts — the Boston Pops July 4 Esplanade Concert (Charles River, since 1976) and PBS’s A Capitol Fourth are the largest televised events.
- The Liberty Bell — though never actually rung on July 4, 1776 (the famous crack pre-dates and post-dates that), it is ceremonially tapped 13 times each July 4 in Philadelphia in honour of the 13 original colonies.
Sources & references
FAQs
The Second Continental Congress voted to approve Richard Henry Lee’s resolution declaring independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. John Adams famously predicted in a letter to his wife Abigail that July 2 would be celebrated as “the most memorable epocha in the history of America.” But Congress took two more days to debate, revise, and adopt the wording of the actual Declaration of Independence document, which is dated July 4, 1776. That date appears at the top of the printed broadsides distributed to the colonies, so the public came to associate independence with July 4.
Most signers added their names on August 2, 1776, when an engrossed parchment copy was ready. Some signed later in 1776; Thomas McKean is believed to have signed as late as 1777. The famous Trumbull painting of all 56 founders signing together never happened — the signing was a months-long process. Only John Hancock (president of Congress) and Charles Thomson (secretary) signed the July 4 broadside itself.
Independence Day was made an unpaid federal holiday for federal employees in 1870, and a paid federal holiday in 1938. Massachusetts had recognised July 4 as a state holiday since 1781, and most states followed in the 19th century. Long before federal recognition, the day was widely observed at state and local level — the first organised celebration was in Philadelphia on July 4, 1777, exactly one year after the Declaration.
Federal law (5 U.S.C. §6103) provides that when July 4 falls on a Saturday, federal employees observe the holiday on the preceding Friday, July 3. When July 4 falls on a Sunday, the observed holiday is the following Monday, July 5. Most state governments and major private employers follow the same rule. The actual celebration — fireworks, parades — happens on July 4 itself regardless.
The American Pyrotechnics Association reports that the US consumed around 460 million pounds of fireworks in 2024, of which the vast majority (around 410 million pounds) was consumer fireworks, mostly used around July 4. The remainder is professional display fireworks for the roughly 16,000 public Independence Day displays nationwide. Macy’s Fireworks in New York is the largest single display, with about 60,000 shells launched.
Yes — both former presidents and Declaration signatories died on the same day, July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration. Adams was 90; Jefferson was 83. Adams’s last words were reportedly “Thomas Jefferson survives” — he did not know Jefferson had died a few hours earlier. James Monroe, the fifth US president, also died on July 4 (1831), making three of the first five presidents die on Independence Day.