What is the official name for America250’s 250th-anniversary celebration?

America250’s 250th-anniversary celebration is called the United States Semiquincentennial.

“Semiquincentennial” combines “semi-,” meaning half, with “quincentennial,” meaning a 500th anniversary. Together, the term describes 250 years. The commemoration marks the anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence and is also promoted under the shorter America250 name.

The celebration is sometimes confused with a bicentennial, which marks 200 years, or a sesquicentennial, which marks 150 years. The United States’ bicentennial took place in 1976, so the 2026 event occurs half a century later.

The U.S. Semiquincentennial falls on July 4, 2026. America250 is the public-facing initiative associated with the national commemoration, while the United States Semiquincentennial Commission was created to help coordinate it.