August is the 8th month of the year and has 31 days. It was renamed for Augustus, Rome’s first emperor; before that it was Sextilis, meaning “sixth.” Like September through December, its name is now one number off from its position, a leftover from the calendar’s March-first origins.
How many days does August have?
Thirty-one. August and July are back-to-back 31-day months, which is why the “31, 30, 31, 30” alternation you might expect breaks down in the middle of the year. The months of the year table shows the real pattern.
What season is August?
Late summer in the Northern Hemisphere — still hot in most regions, but with daylight noticeably shortening and the first signs of the turn toward autumn. In the Southern Hemisphere it’s late winter.
What quarter is August in?
August is the middle month of the third quarter (Q3), July through September.
August holidays and observances
- Emancipation Day in much of the Caribbean, on or around August 1
- Summer bank holiday in the UK, on the last Monday
- India and Pakistan Independence Days on August 15 and 14
- The traditional European vacation period, with widespread business closures
August at a glance
The birthstones are peridot and spinel, the traditional flowers are the gladiolus and poppy, and the zodiac moves from Leo into Virgo around August 23. The month sits between July and September. For the current month, see what month is it.
August by the numbers
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Days in the month | 31 |
| Day of the year on August 1 | 213 (214 in a leap year) |
| Day of the year on August 31 | 243 (244 in a leap year) |
| Share of the year finished by the end of August | about 66.6% |
| Days left in the year after August 31 | 122 |
| August 1, 2026 falls on | Saturday |
| August 1, 2027 falls on | Sunday |
Because February 29 comes earlier in the year, every day in August has a day number one higher in a leap year. To find the day number of any date by hand, add up the days in the months before it and then add the date: August 15 is 212 + 15 = 227 in a common year. The day of the year tool works it out for any date.
August 2026 calendar
August 2026 starts on a Saturday and ends on a Monday.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
Key dates in August 2026 and 2027
August has no US federal holidays and none of the widely observed dates listed on the other month pages, which makes it one of the longest uninterrupted working stretches of the year.
Business days in August
| Month | Weekdays | Federal holidays on weekdays | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| August 2027 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
Business days here are Monday to Friday minus observed US federal holidays. State holidays and company closures can lower the count further.