Days Between Dates Calculator | Day Counter

How Many Days Since:

Need to know how many days have passed since a specific date? Enter the past date as the "Start Date" and today's date as the "End Date". Here are some examples:

• Start of the Month: 27 days ago
• Start of the Year: 58 days ago
• Last Christmas: 65 days ago

How Many Days Until:

Want to know how many days are left until a specific date? Enter today's date as the "Start Date" and your target date as the "End Date". Here are some popular countdowns:

• Christmas: 300 days left
• New Year's Eve: 306 days left
• End of the Month: 365 days left
• FIFA World Cup 2026: 100 days left
• Halloween: 245 days left
• Valentine's Day: 351 days left

How to Calculate Days Between Two Dates in Excel

To calculate the number of days between two dates in Excel or Google Sheets, use the =DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, "d") formula, where:

• start_date: the cell reference containing your start date (e.g., A2).
• end_date: the cell reference containing your end date (e.g., B2).
• "d": tells Excel to return the difference in days. Use "m" for months or "y" for years.

For example, if A2 contains 01/15/2026 and B2 contains 03/20/2026, the formula =DATEDIF(A2, B2, "d") returns 64. You can also simply subtract dates: =B2-A2 gives the same result for day counts.

Calendar Days vs. Business Days: What's the Difference?

When counting days between two dates, it's important to understand the difference between calendar days and business days. Calendar days include every day—weekends, holidays, and workdays alike. Business days (also called working days or weekdays) only count Monday through Friday, excluding weekends.

Calendar Days: These include all days between two dates without exception. For example, from January 1 to January 5 there are 4 calendar days, regardless of whether any of those days fall on a weekend.

Business Days: Also known as working days, these exclude Saturday and Sunday from the count. In any given week, there are 5 business days (Monday through Friday). Some industries and countries also count Saturday as a working day, giving 6 business days per week.

How Many Business Days Are in a Month?

On average, a month has between 20 and 23 business days, depending on the month's length, how weekends fall, and whether public holidays are excluded. The exact number changes every month and year.

Here's a general breakdown:

• A typical month has about 20 to 22 weekdays (Monday through Friday), before accounting for public holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, or Thanksgiving.
• February is the shortest month with around 20 weekdays. Months with 31 days can have up to 23 weekdays, depending on how the calendar falls.

For an exact count, use the calculator above: enter the first and last day of any month to get the precise number of business days. You can also check a work calendar specific to your country for holiday adjustments.

How Many Business Days Are in a Year?

A standard year has between 260 and 262 weekdays (Monday through Friday). After subtracting public holidays, most workers in the United States have around 249 to 251 actual working days per year.

• With 52 weeks per year and 5 weekdays per week, the baseline is 260 weekdays. Depending on what day January 1 falls on, a year may have 261 or 262.
• The U.S. federal government recognizes 11 public holidays per year. The UK has 8 bank holidays, Canada has 5 national statutory holidays, and Australia has 8 national public holidays.
• Many employers also offer paid time off (PTO), sick days, and company-specific holidays, which further reduce the number of actual working days.

To find the exact number of business days in any specific year, enter January 1 and December 31 in the calculator above and check the Business Days (Mon-Fri) result.

Common Uses for a Days Between Dates Calculator

A days between dates calculator is a practical tool used across many personal and professional scenarios:

• Project Management: Calculate the number of working days between milestones, sprints, and deadlines to keep your project on schedule.
• HR & Payroll: Determine business days for employee leave requests, notice periods, probation periods, and PTO accrual.
• Event Planning: Figure out how many days you have to prepare for a wedding, conference, product launch, or any upcoming event.
• Finance & Accounting: Calculate interest accrual periods, invoice due dates, payment terms (Net 30, Net 60, Net 90), and investment durations.
• Legal Deadlines: Count calendar days or business days for filing deadlines, statute of limitations, contract terms, and regulatory compliance.

Whether you need to track deadlines, plan ahead, or count elapsed time, a date difference calculator gives you accurate results in seconds.