2026 Unofficial Summer Stretches 106 Days From May 25 to Sept. 7
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 25
2026 Unofficial Summer Stretches 106 Days From May 25 to Sept. 7
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 25
Memorial Day lands on May 25 and Labor Day on Sept. 7 in 2026, creating an unusually long 106-day span for the U.S. unofficial summer.
That stretch is longer than most years because Memorial Day falls on its earliest possible date while Labor Day arrives on its latest possible date.
The calendar quirk affects only the cultural summer bookended by the two holidays, not the astronomical season.
Astronomical summer still begins with the June 21 solstice and ends at the Sept. 22 fall equinox, even after some parts of the Northeast saw 90-degree heat before Memorial Day.
As 2026's bonus summer begins, will the expected economic boom come at the cost of worker safety in the heat?
Will this extended summer boost local economies, or will it mainly expose the challenges of a warming climate?