How many days are in February? February has 28 days in a common year and 29 days in a leap year. It's the only month whose length changes, and the shortest month of the year. Here's why.
To see any February, open the February calendar.
28 or 29?
- Common year: February has 28 days.
- Leap year: February has 29 days — the extra day, 29 February, is called the leap day.
2026 is a common year, so February 2026 has 28 days. The next leap year is 2028, when February will have 29.
Why is February the odd one out?
The leap day is added to February for historical reasons going back to the Roman calendar, where February was the last month of the year and the natural place to make adjustments. When Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, February kept its role as the month that absorbs the extra day — and it stayed the shortest.
This is why the leap day lands on 29 February rather than at the end of any other month. See why a leap year happens.
The leap-year rule
A year is a leap year if it is divisible by 4 — except century years, which must be divisible by 400. So:
- 2024, 2028, 2032 → leap years (February has 29 days)
- 2025, 2026, 2027 → common years (February has 28 days)
- 2000 → leap year (divisible by 400)
- 1900, 2100 → not leap years (divisible by 100 but not 400)
Quick answers
How many days are in February? 28 in a common year, 29 in a leap year.
How many days are in February 2026? 28 days — 2026 is not a leap year.
Why does February have 28 days? For historical reasons from the Roman calendar, where February was the last month and absorbed calendar adjustments.
When does February have 29 days? In a leap year — the next is 2028.