America's 250th anniversary will be marked on July 4, 2026. The date commemorates the Second Continental Congress's adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, rather than the later date when the document was signed or the date when the Revolutionary War ended.
The anniversary is commonly called the United States Semiquincentennial, a term meaning a 250th anniversary. The national observance is also widely branded America250. Communities, museums, historic sites, and civic organizations have planned programs around the anniversary year.
July 4 is the date printed on the Declaration of Independence and the date traditionally celebrated as Independence Day. The document was debated and approved in early July 1776, while the formal engrossed parchment was signed primarily on August 2. That distinction explains why the anniversary date is not August 2.
The 2026 observance follows earlier major national anniversaries, including the centennial in 1876 and the bicentennial in 1976.