Inauguration Day 2029

When is the next inauguration?

The next presidential inauguration is the 61st, on Saturday, January 20, 2029. It follows the presidential election held the previous November. Congress normally meets in joint session on January 6 to count the electoral votes, and the president-elect is sworn in at noon Eastern Time on January 20.

The main ceremony is traditionally held on the West Front of the US Capitol, a location first used for Ronald Reagan's first inauguration in 1981. Earlier inaugurations were usually held on the Capitol's East Front.

Why is Inauguration Day January 20?

The date comes from the 20th Amendment, ratified on January 23, 1933. It ends the terms of the president and vice president at noon on January 20, and it moved the start of each new Congress to January 3. Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska championed the change to shorten the "lame duck" period between the November election and the start of the new term.

Before then, presidents were inaugurated on March 4, the date in 1789 when the government under the Constitution began operating. George Washington took his first oath later that spring, on April 30, 1789, in New York City. Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inauguration, on March 4, 1933, was the last held in March; his second, on January 20, 1937, was the first on the new date.

What happens when January 20 is a Sunday?

The 20th Amendment fixes the start of the term, not the date of the celebration. By custom, when January 20 falls on a Sunday, the president takes the oath privately that day and repeats it at a public ceremony on Monday, January 21. This happened in 1957 (Dwight D. Eisenhower), 1985 (Ronald Reagan) and 2013 (Barack Obama). After 2013, the next inauguration year in which January 20 is a Sunday is 2041.

The custom does not apply to Saturdays. Richard Nixon's second inauguration in 1973 and George W. Bush's first in 2001 were both held on Saturday, January 20. January 20, 2029, is also a Saturday.

A Sunday shift puts the public ceremony on the third Monday in January, which is MLK Day. The 2013 ceremony fell on MLK Day, as did the Monday inaugurations of 1997 and 2025.

Is Inauguration Day a federal holiday?

Only in and around Washington, D.C. Under 5 U.S.C. 6103(c), Inauguration Day is a legal public holiday for federal employees and District of Columbia government employees who work in:

• The District of Columbia
• Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland
• Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia
• The cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia

When January 20 is a Sunday, the law makes the day of the public ceremony the holiday instead. When it is a Saturday, as in 2029, OPM guidance gives no substitute Friday off. Everywhere else, Inauguration Day is a normal working day: federal offices outside the area, post offices, banks and stock markets keep regular hours unless January 20 falls on a weekend or on MLK Day. Private employers set their own policies.

Schedules can change, so confirm with the specific office or business; federal employees can check the Office of Personnel Management's guidance.

What happens on Inauguration Day

• Vice president's oath: the vice president is sworn in first, shortly before noon, at the same ceremony.
• Presidential oath: at or near noon, the president recites the oath set out in Article II of the Constitution: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." The Constitution does not say who administers it, but it is usually the Chief Justice of the United States.
• Inaugural address: the new president's first speech in office follows the oath.
• Luncheon: the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies hosts the new president and vice president at the Capitol.
• Parade: the inaugural parade travels along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.
• Balls: inaugural balls are held in the evening, a tradition dating to James Madison's first inauguration in 1809.

Notable inauguration facts

• Longest address: William Henry Harrison delivered an address of about 8,400 words on March 4, 1841, the longest on record. He died one month later.
• Shortest address: George Washington's second inaugural address, in 1793, was 135 words.
• Moved indoors: a blizzard moved William Howard Taft's 1909 ceremony into the Senate Chamber, and extreme cold moved Ronald Reagan's 1985 and Donald Trump's 2025 ceremonies into the Capitol Rotunda. The 1985 parade was canceled, and the 2025 parade was replaced by an indoor event at Capital One Arena.
• First in Washington: Thomas Jefferson's 1801 inauguration was the first held in Washington, D.C.
• Wartime: Franklin D. Roosevelt's fourth inauguration, in 1945, took place at the White House.

Inauguration Day dates 2021–2041

The table lists each inauguration from 2021 to 2041 with its weekday and number.

For other dates this month, see the January holidays list, the January 20 page or a printable January 2027 calendar.

Related

• January 20
• MLK Day
• January holidays
• New Year's Day
• January facts
• January 2027 calendar