America’s 250th anniversary, known as America250, will be celebrated on July 4, 2026.
The date marks 250 years since the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The anniversary is commonly called the United States Semiquincentennial, although America250 is the principal public-facing name used for the nationwide commemoration.
The date is sometimes described as the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration, but adoption and signing were separate parts of the document’s history. Congress approved the text on July 4, while most delegates signed the engrossed parchment on August 2, 1776.
July 4 is also the United States’ annual Independence Day. The 2026 observance therefore combines the country’s yearly national holiday with a once-in-250-years milestone. The previous major anniversary was the Bicentennial on July 4, 1976, exactly 50 years earlier.