What is the formal name for America250’s 250th-anniversary observance?

The formal name for America250’s 250th-anniversary observance is the United States Semiquincentennial.

“Semiquincentennial” combines terms meaning half of five hundred, or 250 years. The observance marks the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

America250 is the public-facing name associated with the congressional, nonpartisan United States Semiquincentennial Commission. Congress established the commission in 2016 to plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate commemorative activities leading up to the anniversary.

The name can be confused with “bicentennial,” which means a 200th anniversary and described the nationwide observances in 1976. “Sesquicentennial” means 150 years, while “centennial” means 100 years. The 2026 event is therefore a semiquincentennial, not another bicentennial.