March is the 3rd month of the year and has 31 days. It was the first month of the earliest Roman calendar, named for Mars — not only the god of war but a guardian of agriculture, and the point in the year when both farming and fighting started up again after winter. When January and February were added to the front of the calendar, March slid to third place but kept its name.
How many days does March have?
Thirty-one, unchanging. It’s one of seven long months in the year; the months of the year table lays them all out.
What season is March?
March straddles a seasonal boundary. Early in the month the Northern Hemisphere is still wintry; by the spring equinox around March 20 — when day and night are nearly equal — astronomical spring has begun. In the Southern Hemisphere the same date marks the start of autumn. In much of North America, daylight saving time also starts in March.
What quarter is March in?
March closes the first quarter (Q1). For calendar-year businesses, the end of March is a reporting and results deadline.
March holidays and observances
- International Women’s Day on March 8
- St. Patrick’s Day on March 17
- The spring (or autumn) equinox around March 20
- Nowruz, the Persian new year, near the equinox
- Women’s History Month runs the full month in the US
March at a glance
The birthstone is aquamarine, the traditional flower is the daffodil, and the zodiac moves from Pisces into Aries around March 21. The month sits between February and April. For the current month, see what month is it.
March by the numbers
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Days in the month | 31 |
| Day of the year on March 1 | 60 (61 in a leap year) |
| Day of the year on March 31 | 90 (91 in a leap year) |
| Share of the year finished by the end of March | about 24.7% |
| Days left in the year after March 31 | 275 |
| March 1, 2026 falls on | Sunday |
| March 1, 2027 falls on | Monday |
Because February 29 comes earlier in the year, every day in March 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: March 15 is 59 + 15 = 74 in a common year. The day of the year tool works it out for any date.
March 2026 calendar
March 2026 starts on a Sunday and ends on a Tuesday.
| 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 March 2026 and 2027
| Date | Day | Event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 8, 2026 | Sunday | Daylight saving time begins (clocks forward) | |
| March 17, 2026 | Tuesday | St. Patrick’s Day | |
| March 14, 2027 | Sunday | Daylight saving time begins (clocks forward) | |
| March 17, 2027 | Wednesday | St. Patrick’s Day | |
| March 28, 2027 | Sunday | Easter Sunday |
Business days in March
| Month | Weekdays | Federal holidays on weekdays | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| March 2027 | 23 | 0 | 23 |
Business days here are Monday to Friday minus observed US federal holidays. State holidays and company closures can lower the count further.