Countdown to January 1, 2027
Updated November 6, 2026 · Edited by the JanuaryCalendar.com team
The live countdown below shows how many days are left until January 1, 2027. The new year begins at midnight local time, so it reaches the world over 26 hours, starting in Kiribati at UTC+14 and ending in the UTC−12 zone.
- Target date
- January 1, 2027
- Starts at
- 12:00 a.m. local time
- First to celebrate
- Kiribati (UTC+14)
- Last inhabited places
- American Samoa, Niue (UTC−11)
- Time span
- 26 hours
Time left until January 1, 2027
Counting down to midnight, January 1, 2027, in your local time zone.
What day of the week is New Year's Day
New Year's Day 2027 falls on Friday, January 1, 2027, and New Year's Day 2028 falls on Saturday, January 1, 2028. In the US, January 1 is a federal holiday: when it lands on a Saturday, federal employees get Friday, December 31 off, and when it lands on a Sunday, the holiday is observed on Monday, January 2.
In 2027, the US federal holiday is observed on Friday, January 1, 2027. The New Year's Day page lists the US and UK holiday dates for every year, and January bank holidays covers other countries.
Where the new year arrives first and last
Kiritimati (Christmas Island) in Kiribati's Line Islands uses UTC+14, the earliest time zone on Earth, so it is among the first inhabited places to reach January 1. Kiribati moved the Line Islands from UTC−10 to UTC+14 at the start of 1995 so the whole country shares one calendar date.
Samoa made a similar move in 2011, skipping December 30 to switch to the west side of the International Date Line. It now celebrates a full day before neighboring American Samoa.
The last inhabited places to see the new year are American Samoa and Niue at UTC−11. The uninhabited US islands of Baker and Howland, in the UTC−12 zone, are the last places on Earth where January 1 begins, 26 hours after Kiritimati.
| Place | Time zone in January | New year arrives (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Kiritimati, Kiribati | UTC+14 | 10:00, December 31 |
| Auckland, New Zealand | UTC+13 (daylight time) | 11:00, December 31 |
| Sydney, Australia | UTC+11 (daylight time) | 13:00, December 31 |
| Tokyo, Japan | UTC+9 | 15:00, December 31 |
| New Delhi, India | UTC+5:30 | 18:30, December 31 |
| London, UK | UTC+0 | 00:00, January 1 |
| New York, US | UTC−5 | 05:00, January 1 |
| Los Angeles, US | UTC−8 | 08:00, January 1 |
| Honolulu, US | UTC−10 | 10:00, January 1 |
| Pago Pago, American Samoa | UTC−11 | 11:00, January 1 |
| Baker and Howland islands (uninhabited) | UTC−12 | 12:00, January 1 |
New Year's Eve facts
- Times Square ball drop: a ball has been lowered from One Times Square in New York on New Year's Eve since 1907. It starts its descent at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time and reaches the bottom at midnight. The drop was suspended in 1942 and 1943 because of wartime dimouts.
- Auld Lang Syne: the song sung at midnight in many English-speaking countries comes from a poem Robert Burns wrote down in 1788.
- Hogmanay: the Scottish name for New Year's Eve. Scotland also keeps January 2 as a bank holiday.
- Twelve grapes: in Spain, many people eat one grape for each of the 12 chimes at midnight.
Year-end planning checklist
- Print a January calendar for the wall or fridge and set up a new planner before the first week of the year.
- Copy birthdays, anniversaries, renewals and recurring bills from the old calendar into the new one.
- Check the January holidays that change school, work and delivery schedules.
- Gather tax documents. In the US, the fourth-quarter estimated tax payment for 2026 is due Friday, January 15, 2027, and employers must furnish W-2 forms by Monday, February 1, 2027. See January tax deadlines and confirm the dates with the IRS.
- Review subscriptions and memberships that renew on January 1.
- Plan any January challenge in advance, such as Dry January.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the new year start?
The new year starts at midnight, 12:00 a.m. local time, on January 1. Each time zone reaches it in turn, so celebrations move west around the world over 26 hours.
Which country celebrates New Year first?
Kiribati is first. Its Line Islands, including Kiritimati, use UTC+14 and reach midnight at 10:00 UTC on December 31, which is 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time in New York.
Where is the last place to celebrate New Year?
The last inhabited places are American Samoa and Niue at UTC−11, which reach midnight at 11:00 UTC on January 1. The uninhabited Baker and Howland islands, at UTC−12, are the very last.
When does the Times Square ball drop?
The ball begins its descent at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 31 and reaches the bottom at midnight. The tradition began on New Year's Eve 1907.
What happens if New Year's Day falls on a weekend?
In the US, a Saturday New Year's Day is observed by federal employees on Friday, December 31, and a Sunday one on Monday, January 2. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the bank holiday moves to the following Monday.