The United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary of independence on July 4, 2026, in the America250 observance.
The anniversary marks 250 years since the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Although Congress passed the Lee Resolution declaring independence on July 2, the Declaration was approved two days later, making July 4 the date traditionally celebrated as Independence Day.
The formal name for a 250th anniversary is semiquincentennial, although alternatives such as sestercentennial and quarter millennium also appear. America250 is the commonly used name for the national commemoration organized around the milestone.
The 2026 anniversary follows the United States Bicentennial in 1976 and precedes the Tricentennial in 2076. The date is therefore both a national holiday and a major historical marker in the country’s anniversary tradition.