How Many Trading Days in a Month?
There are about 21 trading days in a month on average for U.S. stock markets — anywhere from 19 to 22 depending on how weekends and market holidays fall. Below: every month and quarter of 2026.
Average Trading Days per Month in 2026
20.9Trading days in each month of 2026
| Month | Trading days | Market holidays |
|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| February | 19 | Presidents' Day |
| March | 22 | — |
| April | 21 | Good Friday |
| May | 20 | Memorial Day |
| June | 21 | Juneteenth National Independence Day |
| July | 22 | Independence Day |
| August | 21 | — |
| September | 21 | Labor Day |
| October | 22 | — |
| November | 20 | Thanksgiving Day |
| December | 22 | Christmas Day |
In 2026, the shortest month is February (19 trading days) and the longest are March, July, October, December (22). Early-close sessions count as full trading days here.
Trading days per quarter in 2026
| Quarter | Months | Trading days |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | Jan–Mar | 61 |
| Q2 2026 | Apr–Jun | 62 |
| Q3 2026 | Jul–Sep | 64 |
| Q4 2026 | Oct–Dec | 64 |
Quarters average about 63 trading days (251 in 2026 ÷ 4).
Why about 21?
An average month has about 30.4 calendar days, of which roughly 21.7 are weekdays. Spread the year's 10 market holidays across 12 months and you land at an average just under 21 trading days. Months with no holidays and five full trading weeks reach 22; a short February or a holiday-heavy month like November or December can drop to 19.
The exact counts change every year as weekends and holidays shift — the table above always shows the current year. For yearly totals back to 1990, see trading days in a year.