The United States’ 250th anniversary is designated as July 4, 2026.
The date commemorates July 4, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The anniversary is therefore tied to Independence Day rather than to the date fighting began or the date the Constitution was ratified.
The 2026 observance is commonly called the United States Semiquincentennial and is also branded through the America250 initiative. The word “semiquincentennial” refers to half of five hundred years, or 250 years.
A common mix-up is July 2: Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776, but the Declaration was formally adopted on July 4. Independence Day has been celebrated on July 4 since the early national period, making that the established anniversary date.