What is the name of the U.S. anniversary marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence in 2026?

The United States Semiquincentennial is the anniversary marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

The term semiquincentennial combines Latin-derived elements meaning half of 500, or 250. The anniversary falls on July 4, 2026, exactly 250 years after the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. America250 is the common public branding for the nationwide commemoration.

A semiquincentennial is distinct from a bicentennial, which marks 200 years, and a tricentennial, which marks 300 years. “Quarter-millennium” is another understandable description, but semiquincentennial is the formal anniversary term used for the event.

The commemoration focuses on the country’s founding, history, and continuing civic story. Its historical reference point is the Declaration’s adoption, not the later Constitution, the Revolutionary War’s final peace treaty, or the admission of the 50th state.