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Leap Year Calculator

Quickly check if any given year is a leap year according to the Gregorian calendar rules.

Quick Answer

A year is a leap year if it is divisible by 4, except century years, which must also be divisible by 400. So 2024 and 2000 are leap years, but 1900 and 2100 are not.

2026 is not a leap year — the next one is 2028. Enter any year above to check, and see recent and upcoming leap years.

Leap Year Calculator

Check if a year is a leap year.

How Leap Years Work

A leap year is a calendar year that contains an additional day added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or seasonal year. Because the Earth's orbit around the sun takes approximately 365.2425 days, a "leap day" is added to the calendar every four years to compensate for the fractional day.

The Rules for Leap Years

According to the Gregorian calendar, which is the standard calendar in most of the world, a year is a leap year if it satisfies the following rules:

  • Rule 1: The year must be evenly divisible by 4.
  • Rule 2: However, if the year can be evenly divided by 100, it is NOT a leap year...
  • Rule 3: ...unless the year is also evenly divisible by 400. In that case, it IS a leap year.

Examples:

  • 2024: Is divisible by 4 but not by 100, so it's a leap year.
  • 1900: Was divisible by 4 and 100, but not by 400, so it was NOT a leap year.
  • 2000: Was divisible by 4, 100, and 400, so it WAS a leap year.

Why Do We Have Leap Years Anyway?

A year isn't exactly 365 days long. The Earth actually takes about 365.2425 days to orbit the Sun. That extra quarter of a day might not seem like much, but over time, it adds up! Without an adjustment, our calendar would slowly drift out of sync with the seasons. A leap year, with its extra day (February 29th), is the clever solution to keep our calendar on track.

I created this simple calculator to instantly tell you if any given year is a leap year based on the established rules.

A Special Shout-Out to the "Leaplings"

If your birthday is on February 29th, welcome to one of the most exclusive clubs on the planet! Do you age four times slower than the rest of us? Do you only get presents every four years? (I certainly hope not!)

While you only get to celebrate on your *actual* birth date quadrennially, most "leaplings" I know just pick February 28th or March 1st to party during the common years. This calculator can at least tell you when your next "real" birthday is coming up!

The Rules for Determining a Leap Year

It's not as simple as "every four years." The Gregorian calendar, which is the standard calendar for most of the world, uses a more precise set of rules to stay accurate:

  • Rule 1: The year must be evenly divisible by 4.
  • Rule 2: However, if the year can also be evenly divided by 100, it is NOT a leap year...
  • Rule 3: ...UNLESS the year is also evenly divisible by 400. In that case, it IS a leap year.

Examples in Action

  • The year 2024 is a leap year because it is divisible by 4 but not by 100.
  • The year 1900 was NOT a leap year because it was divisible by 100 but not by 400.
  • The year 2000 WAS a leap year because it was divisible by 400.

This calculator automates these rules for you. Just type in a year and see the result!

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