Martin Luther King's Birthday 2027
Martin Luther King's Birthday 2027 is on Monday, January 18, 2027 (in 98 days). The holiday is held on the third Monday of January and is a U.S. federal holiday. Federal law calls it the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Date
- Monday, January 18, 2027
- Countdown
- In 98 days
- Federal holiday
- Yes
- Date rule
- Third Monday of January
- Possible dates
- January 15 to January 21
- Next occurrence
- Monday, January 17, 2028
Martin Luther King's Birthday dates by year
| Year | Date | Weekday | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | January 19, 2026 | Monday | 266 days ago |
| 2027 | January 18, 2027 | Monday | in 98 days |
| 2028 | January 17, 2028 | Monday | in 15 months |
| 2029 | January 15, 2029 | Monday | in 2 years |
| 2030 | January 21, 2030 | Monday | in 3 years |
| 2031 | January 20, 2031 | Monday | in 4 years |
| 2032 | January 19, 2032 | Monday | in 5 years |
| 2033 | January 17, 2033 | Monday | in 6 years |
| 2034 | January 16, 2034 | Monday | in 7 years |
| 2035 | January 15, 2035 | Monday | in 8 years |
Dates are calculated from the rule shown above, not copied from a list, so they stay correct for any year. See everything else happening that month in the calendar for January 2027.
How the date of MLK Day is set
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the third Monday in January (5 U.S.C. § 6103), so the date moves between January 15 and January 21 while the weekday is always Monday. Because it is always a Monday, it never needs a weekend "observed" day.
Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929. The holiday matches his actual birthday only when January 15 is the third Monday of the month, as it was in 2024. In 2028 the holiday is on Monday, January 17, 2028.
How the holiday came about
Representative John Conyers introduced a bill to make King's birthday a holiday four days after King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The bill took fifteen years to pass. President Ronald Reagan signed it on November 2, 1983, and the first federal observance was held on January 20, 1986.
States were slower to follow. All 50 states observed some form of the holiday by 2000, and New Hampshire was the last to name it for King, in 1999.
A day on, not a day off
The King Holiday and Service Act of 1994 asked Americans to use the day for community service, and the holiday is now widely known as the MLK Day of Service. Volunteer projects, marches, school programs and church services are held in many cities.
The campaign for the holiday
Supporters kept the idea alive through the 1970s and early 1980s. Coretta Scott King led the campaign, and the singer Stevie Wonder recorded the song "Happy Birthday" in support of it, on his 1980 album Hotter Than July, and performed it at rallies. A petition with millions of signatures was delivered to Congress. MLK Day is the only federal holiday that is also a national day of service, and the federal agency AmeriCorps helps to organize volunteer projects around the country.
What is open and closed on MLK Day
Federal government offices, federal courts, the Federal Reserve Banks and the U.S. Postal Service (no regular mail delivery) are closed. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are closed. State and local offices and public schools are closed in most places. This calendar also lists Idaho Human Rights Day on the same date.
Frequently asked questions about Martin Luther King's Birthday
When is Martin Luther King's Birthday 2027?
Martin Luther King's Birthday 2027 is on Monday, January 18, 2027.
When is Martin Luther King's Birthday 2028?
Martin Luther King's Birthday 2028 is on Monday, January 17, 2028.
What is the date of Martin Luther King Jr. Day every year?
It is the third Monday of January, so it is always between January 15 and January 21.
Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Dr. King's birthday?
Usually not. King was born on January 15, 1929, but the holiday is on the third Monday of January, so the two match only when January 15 is a Monday.
Is MLK Day a federal holiday?
Yes. 5 U.S.C. § 6103 lists the "Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the third Monday in January" as a legal public holiday.
Are schools and banks closed on MLK Day?
Public schools are closed in most places, and the Federal Reserve Banks are closed, so many banks close their branches. Private employers set their own policy.