Winter Break 2026: Dates for 21 of the Largest U.S. School Districts, and Who Goes Back on Jan. 4, 5 or Later
Winter break 2026 in 21 big school districts: most are off Dec. 21-Jan. 1, NYC from Dec. 24, Los Angeles until Jan. 8. Return dates and Thanksgiving breaks.
In this article
Most of the largest U.S. school districts close for winter break from Monday, Dec. 21, 2026 through Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, according to the 2026-27 calendars the districts publish. The bigger difference is the return date: many districts add a staff day on Monday, Jan. 4, so students do not go back until Tuesday, Jan. 5, and Los Angeles Unified stays off another week.
We read each calendar on the district’s own website or in its official PDF. Here are 21 of the largest districts.
Winter break 2026, district by district
| District | Winter break (students) | Students return |
|---|---|---|
| New York City Public Schools | Dec. 24-Jan. 1 | Mon., Jan. 4 |
| Los Angeles Unified | Dec. 21-Jan. 8 | Mon., Jan. 11 |
| Miami-Dade County, Fla. | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Dec. 18) | Mon., Jan. 4 |
| Chicago Public Schools | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Clark County, Nev. | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Broward County, Fla. | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 | Not listed |
| Houston Independent School District (ISD) | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Hillsborough County, Fla. | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Orange County, Fla. | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Palm Beach County, Fla. | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Fairfax County, Va. | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 | Mon., Jan. 4 |
| Gwinnett County, Ga. | Dec. 21-Jan. 4 | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Dallas ISD | Dec. 21-Jan. 4 (plus Jan. 5) | Wed., Jan. 6 |
| Wake County, N.C. (traditional) | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 | Mon., Jan. 4 |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C. | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 | Mon., Jan. 4 |
| Montgomery County, Md. | Dec. 24-Jan. 1 | Mon., Jan. 4 |
| San Diego Unified | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Duval County, Fla. | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4-5) | Wed., Jan. 6 |
| Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Texas | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Northside ISD, San Antonio | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
| Denver Public Schools | Dec. 21-Jan. 1 (plus Jan. 4) | Tue., Jan. 5 |
Independent school districts are the usual form of school district in Texas. “Plus” days are teacher planning, professional development or staff days with no students, listed separately on the district calendar.
Three patterns
The two-week break. Nineteen of the 21 districts give students at least the full two weeks of Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. Dec. 24 is a Thursday this year, so Christmas Eve and Christmas Day fall at the end of the first week.
The late start. New York City and Montgomery County, Md., keep students in school until Wednesday, Dec. 23 and close from Thursday, Dec. 24. Montgomery County’s Dec. 23 is an early-release day.
The long tail. Los Angeles Unified’s winter recess runs through Friday, Jan. 8, and the second semester starts Monday, Jan. 11. The district notes that a school choosing Jan. 11 as a pupil-free day would bring students back Jan. 12 instead. In Dallas, Jan. 4 is still part of winter break and Jan. 5 is a professional development day, so classes resume Wednesday, Jan. 6. Duval County also returns Jan. 6 after two staff days.
Notes on specific districts
- Gwinnett County: The student calendar lists winter break as Dec. 21 through Jan. 4. A separate staff calendar shows different dates for employees.
- Wake County: The dates are for the traditional calendar. Year-round and modified-calendar schools have different breaks.
- Broward County: The district’s calendar announcement gives the Dec. 21-Jan. 1 break but not the first day back; check the full calendar on the district site.
- South Florida: Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach also share spring break, March 22-26, 2027. See our Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach calendars.
For full-year calendars, see our stories on NYC public schools and Chicago Public Schools.
Thanksgiving comes first
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. Thirteen of these districts give students the whole week of Nov. 23-27 off, including Miami-Dade, Houston, Gwinnett, Dallas, Denver and San Diego. Clark County, Fairfax County, Wake County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg close Nov. 25-27, and New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Montgomery County close Nov. 26-27. The printable below lists each one.
Planning travel
The Saturday that starts the break, Dec. 19, and the Sunday before school resumes, Jan. 3, are likely to be busy travel days in districts that share the Dec. 21-Jan. 1 break. Families in Los Angeles have an extra week, through Sunday, Jan. 10. Check whether your school has an early dismissal on Friday, Dec. 18, and plan around the Jan. 4 staff day if your district has one.
Mark the dates on our printable school-year calendar and the December and January monthly calendars, see the school holidays guide, or print the one-page district table below.
Free printable downloads
Every template is free, needs no sign-up and prints on US Letter paper. Choose PDF for printing or PNG for screens and documents.
Winter break printable
Winter Break 2026 by School District
Winter break, extra no-school days, return dates and Thanksgiving breaks for 21 large U.S. school districts on one page.
Frequently asked questions
When is winter break 2026 for most schools?
In most large districts, from Monday, Dec. 21, 2026 through Friday, Jan. 1, 2027. Many schools then hold a teacher or staff day on Monday, Jan. 4, so students return Tuesday, Jan. 5.
When does winter break start in NYC?
Thursday, Dec. 24, 2026. NYC Public Schools' winter recess runs through Friday, Jan. 1, and classes resume Monday, Jan. 4.
When do Los Angeles Unified students go back after winter break?
Monday, Jan. 11, 2027, when the second semester begins. Winter recess runs from Dec. 21, 2026 through Jan. 8, 2027.
Do schools go back on Jan. 4 or Jan. 5, 2027?
It depends on the district. New York City, Miami-Dade, Fairfax County, Wake County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Montgomery County, Md., return Jan. 4. Chicago, Houston, Clark County, Denver, San Diego and several Florida and Texas districts return Jan. 5.
Is Christmas Eve a school day in 2026?
Not in any of the 21 districts listed here. Dec. 24, 2026 is a Thursday, and every one of them is closed that day.
Sources
- School Year Calendar 2026-2027 (NYC Public Schools)
- 2026-2027 School Year Calendar (Student) (Clark County School District)
- 2026-2027 Yearly Calendar (Houston Independent School District)
- 2026-2027 Student Academic Calendar (Hillsborough County Public Schools)
- 2026-2027 Standard School Year Calendar (Fairfax County Public Schools)
- 2026-27 Student Calendar (Gwinnett County Public Schools)
- Dallas ISD Approved Calendar (Dallas Independent School District)
- 2026-27 Traditional Calendar (Wake County Public School System)
- 2026-27 Traditional Calendar (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)
- 2026-27 School Calendar (Montgomery County Public Schools)
- Academic Calendar 2026-2027 (Duval County Public Schools)
- 2026-2027 NISD Calendar (Northside Independent School District)
- School Year Calendar 2026-27 (Denver Public Schools)
