DAYS BETWEEN DATES

Ask how many days are between March 1 and March 3 and you'll get two different right answers. The difference is 2 days — that's what this calculator shows, and it's what deadlines, interest and rental periods use. But if you're counting the days themselves ("how many days will I be there?"), the answer is 3, because both ends count. Whenever a contract says "within 30 days," it means the difference; whenever a hotel counts nights, it means the difference too — the inclusive count is for days you'll actually be present.

This tool excludes Saturdays and Sundays to give a working-day count, which is what most project plans mean. But it does not know about public holidays — and the U.S. has around eleven federal ones, plus state-level days. If a legal or shipping deadline is defined in "business days," check whether a holiday falls inside your window; each one pushes the real date one day further out.

"Three months from now" is ambiguous by up to three days, because months run from 28 to 31 days. That's why loans, insurance policies and legal notices are almost always written in days — and why this calculator gives you the day count as the primary answer, with an approximate month figure only as a sanity check.

A number of days is only useful if it changes what you do today. Saving for something dated? Divide the amount by the days remaining to get your daily pace — and see what it grows to in our free high-yield savings calculator. Need the date itself rather than the gap? Use the add or subtract days tool.