Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26, 2026, but Maryland public school Thanksgiving break dates are not identical across every local school system. In our current 2026-2027 data, listed Thanksgiving breaks range from Monday, November 23 through Monday, November 30, depending on the district.
The most common Maryland Thanksgiving break pattern is Wednesday, November 25 through Friday, November 27, 2026. The table below lists Thanksgiving break dates for all 24 Maryland local public school systems, with each district name linked to the full calendar page.
Quick Answer
| Question | 2026 answer |
|---|---|
| Is there one statewide Maryland Thanksgiving break? | No. Each local school system publishes its own calendar. |
| Thanksgiving Day 2026 | Thursday, November 26, 2026 |
| Earliest listed break start | Monday, November 23, 2026 |
| Latest listed break end | Monday, November 30, 2026 |
| Most common break window | Wednesday, November 25 - Friday, November 27, 2026 (16 school systems) |
| Data status | All 24 district calendars in our current 2026-2027 data are marked official. |
Maryland Thanksgiving Break 2026 Dates by School District
| School system | Thanksgiving break dates listed | Region | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany County Public Schools | Thursday, November 26, 2026 - Monday, November 30, 2026 | Western Maryland | Official |
| Anne Arundel County Public Schools | Monday, November 23, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Central Maryland | Official |
| Baltimore City Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Central Maryland | Official |
| Baltimore County Public Schools | Thursday, November 26, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Central Maryland | Official |
| Calvert County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Southern Maryland | Official |
| Caroline County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Eastern Shore | Official |
| Carroll County Public Schools | Thursday, November 26, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Central Maryland | Official |
| Cecil County Public Schools | Thursday, November 26, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Eastern Shore | Official |
| Charles County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Southern Maryland | Official |
| Dorchester County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Eastern Shore | Official |
| Frederick County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Capital Region | Official |
| Garrett County Public Schools | Thursday, November 26, 2026 - Monday, November 30, 2026 | Western Maryland | Official |
| Harford County Public Schools | Thursday, November 26, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Central Maryland | Official |
| Howard County Public School System | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Central Maryland | Official |
| Kent County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Sunday, November 29, 2026 | Eastern Shore | Official |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | Thursday, November 26, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Capital Region | Official |
| Prince George's County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Capital Region | Official |
| Queen Anne's County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Eastern Shore | Official |
| Somerset County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Eastern Shore | Official |
| St. Mary's County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Southern Maryland | Official |
| Talbot County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Eastern Shore | Official |
| Washington County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Western Maryland | Official |
| Wicomico County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Eastern Shore | Official |
| Worcester County Public Schools | Wednesday, November 25, 2026 - Friday, November 27, 2026 | Eastern Shore | Official |
Thanksgiving Break Date Patterns Across Maryland
Most Maryland school systems in this dataset begin Thanksgiving break on Wednesday, November 25, 2026. A smaller group lists only Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday as the formal break, while Anne Arundel County lists the full week.
| Thanksgiving break start date | Number of school systems |
|---|---|
| Monday, November 23, 2026 | 1 |
| Wednesday, November 25, 2026 | 16 |
| Thursday, November 26, 2026 | 7 |
End dates are more concentrated. Most districts end the listed Thanksgiving break on Friday, November 27, 2026. Allegany and Garrett list Monday, November 30, while Kent includes the weekend through Sunday, November 29.
| Thanksgiving break end date listed | Number of school systems |
|---|---|
| Friday, November 27, 2026 | 21 |
| Sunday, November 29, 2026 | 1 |
| Monday, November 30, 2026 | 2 |
For planning, remember that a listed Friday end date usually still connects to the weekend of November 28-29. Families should also check whether the Monday after Thanksgiving is a teacher workday, student holiday, or regular return day in their specific district.
Early Dismissal and Makeup Day Notes
Thanksgiving week often includes more than the named break dates. Several Maryland calendars list early dismissal days before the holiday, and a few include conditional makeup language around the same week.
| School system | Thanksgiving week planning note |
|---|---|
| Allegany County Public Schools | November 25 is listed as a three-hour early dismissal before Thanksgiving Break begins November 26. |
| Baltimore County Public Schools | November 25 is listed as a three-hour early dismissal before the November 26-27 Thanksgiving Holiday. |
| Carroll County Public Schools | November 25 is listed as an early dismissal before Thanksgiving Holiday. |
| Charles County Public Schools | November 24 is listed as a two-hour early dismissal before the November 25-27 Thanksgiving Holiday Break. |
| Dorchester County Public Schools | November 24 is listed as a half day for students before the November 25-27 Thanksgiving Break. |
| Frederick County Public Schools | November 24 is listed as a two-hour early dismissal before the November 25-27 Thanksgiving Break. |
| Garrett County Public Schools | November 25 is listed as a three-hour early dismissal before Thanksgiving Break begins November 26. |
| Harford County Public Schools | November 25 is listed as a three-hour early dismissal before the November 26-27 Thanksgiving Break. |
| Howard County Public School System | November 23 and November 24 are listed as three-hour early dismissals before the November 25-27 Thanksgiving Break. |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | November 23, November 24, and November 25 are listed as early release days before the November 26-27 Thanksgiving Break. |
| Somerset County Public Schools | November 23 and November 24 are listed as conditional makeup days before the November 25-27 Thanksgiving Break. |
| Washington County Public Schools | November 25 is listed as a possible additional makeup day, so families should recheck the district calendar if weather closures occur. |
These notes matter because a district with a short formal Thanksgiving break can still have reduced instructional time earlier in the week. For childcare, after-school coverage, travel, and shared custody planning, check both the break label and the surrounding early dismissal or conditional dates.
Why Some Calendars Say Thanksgiving Holiday
Most Maryland school systems in the current 2026-2027 data use the label "Thanksgiving Break." A few use "Thanksgiving Holiday" or "Thanksgiving Holiday Break."
In this guide, those labels are grouped together because they answer the same planning question: when are students away from a regular school schedule for Thanksgiving week?
| Calendar label in district data | School systems |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving Break | 20 |
| Thanksgiving Holiday | 3 |
| Thanksgiving Holiday Break | 1 |
The label can still matter when you compare the guide with a district PDF. If the official calendar separates an early dismissal, professional day, or possible makeup day from the named Thanksgiving break, this page keeps that distinction in the planning notes instead of folding every surrounding date into the break range.
Compare Thanksgiving Break With Other Key Dates
If you are comparing Thanksgiving week across two districts for travel, custody schedules, a move, or childcare, use the Maryland school calendar comparison page. The comparison page shows Thanksgiving break alongside the first day of school, winter break, spring break, and the last day.
You may also want to review Maryland School Start Dates 2026-2027, Maryland Winter Break 2026-2027, and Maryland Spring Break 2027 if you are planning the full school year.
How This Table Was Prepared
The dates in this guide come from the 2026-2027 calendar data currently used on Maryland School Calendar district pages. All 24 listed calendars are marked official in the current site data.
For more detail on our review process, see How We Collect and Organize Maryland School Calendar Dates. If you need to understand status labels, see Official, Draft, and Projected School Calendars. You can also review the site's calendar source notes.
School systems can revise calendars after publication because of weather closures, emergency changes, board action, or updated official documents. For final planning, always confirm dates with the latest official school system source.