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

The official name for America’s 250th anniversary celebration is the United States Semiquincentennial.

The term combines “semi,” meaning half, with “quincentennial,” meaning a 500th anniversary. Together, they describe a 250th anniversary. The commemoration is also commonly called America250 or America 250.

The anniversary centers on the founding era of the United States and the Declaration of Independence of 1776. Congress created the United States Semiquincentennial Commission in 2016 to coordinate the nationwide observance with public agencies, cultural organizations, schools, and communities.

“Bicentennial” refers to a 200th anniversary, so it describes the 1976 American celebration rather than the 2026 milestone. “Sestercentennial” and “quarter-millennium” are alternative terms, but the federal observance uses “semiquincentennial” most prominently.