What Is a Business Day? – Simple Definition & Examples (2025)

What Is a Business Day?

Short answer: A business day is any day from Monday through Friday, when offices are open. Weekends don’t count. Many teams also remove U.S. federal holidays from the count. That’s all there is to it. Updated 2025

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Business day vs. workday vs. calendar day

TermWhat it meansWeekends?Holidays?
Business day Monday–Friday when offices are open Not counted Usually not counted (toggle in the calculator)
Workday Monday–Friday (plain weekdays) Not counted Counted unless you remove them
Calendar day Every day on the calendar Counted Counted
Takeaway: If you need office-open time only, use business days. If weekends are the only thing to skip, use workdays.

How to count business days (fast)

  1. Open the tool: Free Date Calculator.
  2. Select your start and end dates.
  3. Turn on workdays only (Mon–Fri).
  4. Turn on exclude U.S. federal holidays for true business days.
  5. Choose Exclusive (days between) or Inclusive (count both ends).
  6. Click Calculate.
Tip: For deadlines and SLAs, most teams use Exclusive + holidays removed.

Observed holidays (why they matter)

When a federal holiday lands on a weekend, offices often “observe” it on the nearest weekday. If you remove holidays in the calculator, those observed days will not count as business days.

Want the full list you can update each year? See U.S. Federal Holidays (2025 & 2026).

Clear examples

  • Invoice terms: Jun 3 → Jun 17 (Exclusive, business days) → skips weekends and holidays in between.
  • Hiring window: Dec 20 → Jan 3 with holidays removed → counts only open office days across New Year.
  • Shipping promise: Order date → ship date in business days keeps expectations realistic.
Bottom line: Match the settings to your real policy so your number matches real life.

Edge cases

  • Same start and end: Exclusive = 0; Inclusive = 1 (if it’s a business day).
  • Custom schedules: If your company works Tue–Sat, run weekdays and adjust. Business day rules can vary by country.
  • Rough counts: There are about 260 weekdays in a year before holidays. Actual business days vary with holiday closures.

Use our free tool

Calculate business days in seconds: Free Date Calculator

Related calculators: Business Days Calculator • Workday Calculator • Days Between Dates

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FAQ

Are Saturdays business days?

No. Business days are Monday–Friday. Some industries work weekends, but those aren’t counted as business days.

Do holidays count as business days?

Usually no. Turn on the holiday option in the calculator to remove U.S. federal holidays (including observed days).

What’s the difference between workdays and business days?

Workdays = Monday–Friday. Business days = Monday–Friday minus holidays.

Which mode should I use—Inclusive or Exclusive?

For “between” language, use Exclusive. If your rule says “through the end date,” use Inclusive.

Can I use this outside the U.S.?

Yes, but holiday lists differ by country. Use workdays only and subtract your local holidays as needed.

Page last updated: 2025