Business Days Calculator: Counting Workdays Without Weekends or Holidays
Many real-world deadlines β shipping estimates, payment terms, project schedules β are measured in 'business days,' which excludes weekends and often public holidays. This calculator counts only the workable days between two dates.
A business day is generally a weekday (Monday through Friday) on which most banks, offices, and commercial services operate. Public holidays usually count as non-business days, even if they fall on a weekday. The exact list of holidays depends on the country.
When a contract or shipping confirmation says '5 business days,' it means 5 actual workdays β not 5 calendar days. For a Monday start, that's the following Monday, not the Friday of the same week. This calculator does the counting so you don't have to track holidays manually.
Why business days matter
Banking and finance: wire transfers, check clearing, and settlement times all use business days. A 'next-business-day' transfer initiated Friday won't appear until Monday at earliest, or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday.
Shipping: '3-5 business days' from major carriers means weekdays only. An order placed Friday night ships Monday morning at the earliest, with delivery Wednesday at soonest.
Legal and government deadlines: most filing deadlines are stated in business days and skip weekends and federal holidays.
How to use it
- 1
Enter your start date
The day you're counting from.
- 2
Enter your end date or number of business days
Either count between two dates, or add N business days to a starting date.
- 3
Optionally exclude holidays
The calculator can skip a list of public holidays for your region.
- 4
Read the result
Total business days, or the resulting date.
Extended FAQ
Are weekends always non-business days?
In most countries Saturday and Sunday are non-business. A few countries (like Saudi Arabia historically) treat Friday-Saturday as the weekend instead. The calculator follows the Western Mon-Fri convention.
Does the start date count as day 1?
Conventions vary. This calculator counts business days *between* the start and end dates, exclusive of the start. So Monday to Wednesday = 2 business days.
What about half-days like Christmas Eve?
These are generally counted as full business days for date-counting purposes, even though many businesses close early.
Does the calculator know my country's holidays?
It can exclude major holidays for the US, UK, and Korea by default. For other countries, enter custom holiday dates manually.