How do I count the days between two dates?
download.fan · Updated
Short answer
Add the days left in the first month, the full months in between, and the day number in the last month. From November 4 to December 25, 2026 is 51 days: 26 left in November plus 25 in December. Add 1 if both the first and last day should count, which gives 52. That choice is the most common reason two day counts disagree.
Should I include the start and end date?
It depends on what you're counting, and this one decision changes the answer by a day.
- Durations, such as hotel nights: count the start but not the end. Check in on the 3rd, leave on the 5th: 2 nights.
- Events and contracts: count both. A conference from the 3rd through the 5th: 3 days.
- Countdowns: use the plain difference. On December 24, Christmas is 1 day away.
What is the fastest way to count days between dates?
Enter both dates in this day counter, which works as a days between calculator. It uses the duration rule by default, has an Include end day option for the other case, and breaks the span into years, months, weeks, weekdays and weekend days.
How do I count only weekdays?
Remove Saturdays and Sundays from the total. November 4, 2026 is a Wednesday, and from that day up to but not including December 25, there are 37 weekdays. Public holidays need taking off separately, since they vary by place.
Do leap years change the count?
Yes, when the range crosses February 29. A year is 365 days, or 366 in a leap year. Leap years are divisible by 4, except century years not divisible by 400, so 2000 was a leap year and 2100 won't be.