America250 marks the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence in 2026.
The anniversary counts from 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The commemoration is therefore scheduled 250 years after that founding-era event, rather than from the later ratification of the Constitution or the end of the Revolutionary War.
The celebration is formally known as the United States Semiquincentennial. America250 is the public-facing name associated with the federal commemoration and its national programs. The anniversary is centered on July 4, the date printed on the Declaration and the date Congress approved its final text.
The 2026 milestone follows the United States Bicentennial in 1976, which marked 200 years. The next major 100-year milestone will be the Tricentennial in 2076. These labels can cause confusion because “founding” may refer to several events, but America250 specifically connects the anniversary to the Declaration of Independence.