New York (& DC) School Holidays
 

I am looking for a site that lists the school holidays for New York and DC. One would think it would be pretty easy to find something that gives me approximate school dates so I can plan a holiday when US schools will be in session, but it isn't! Can anybody steer me in the right direction or give me some dates of the summer holidays. Thanks.

I just googled school calendar for each area. Hope this is helpful.

School districts in the surrounding areas will have their own calendars, with different dates. So even though the DC kids may be in school during certain dates, the Virginia kids might not be.

Just because the schools are in session does not mean the NYC will not be crowded. Last year there were 50 million visitors and there are always some sort of events going on. I would rather face millions of screaming children than the opening session of the UN in September.

Another thought: Could it be that school vacations in other areas encourage families to come to New York and/or Washington, D.C. during those periods? In other words, these cities may be crowded because of school vacations in other locations!!!!

In NYC public schools (grades K through 12) are closed from late June through after Labor Day (the first Monday in Sept). Suburban districts are usually similar. Colleges may vary depending on their semester configuration.

Have no idea of DC - since school holidays differ throughout the country (here education is all local - federal gov't has little to do with it).

and agree that the city is packed with tourists - except Jan and Feb - so kids being on vacation should not be your determining factor. (In NYC by far the bulk of the kids live in outer boroughs - not Manhattan - although from middle school on they may visit during the summer,

Generally schools in the DC area will be on summer break early to mid June through August. That can vary a week or so on either end. In DC, April tends to be very busy with the Cherry Blossom Festival activities and May is the primary month for school field trips.

I think September & October are great months to be in both cities. Still warm with longer days but the brutal heat & humidity **usually** have diminished.

I was in NYC last September over Labor Day and my visit wasn't affected by the opening of the UN (or I didn't know it was!) But thanks, Adu, for the tip for future visits to check the calendar for that. In DC you'll frequently encounter multiple streets blocked to traffic while a government or visiting dignitary's motorcade passes. But it's typically a very short term thing.

UN Sessions aren't over Labor Day Weekend. They typically take a full week and dozens of heads of state are in the city, staying at their various embassies (to the UN not to the US) and there are numerous street closings and massive traffic gridlock anyplace on the east side - from the upper 70s down to the 20s - and the west side is full of local traffic avoiding the east side. It's OK if you are sticking with subway or foot - but street traffic is a bear - esp on the days the POYUS is in town.

The UN session opens after Labor Day, but that is but one event. This year it is September 18. From late April through May there are also all sorts of class trips to NY and then there is the Marathon, The US Open, conventions, Fleet Week, weekly parades and street fairs from April to September and then Thanksgiving.

Christmas week culmnainating in New Year's Eve is a time to head for a cave as well.

MissGreen, I think what you're missing is that schools in the DC area take their students to the museums and monuments when they are in session; this is true in NYC, too, of course, but I am less familiar with how crowded things get there as a result. I'm afraid you can't reliably avoid large groups of school kids in DC: they are either on summer or spring break trips with their school, church or social (think Boy Scouts) groups; or they are on school-sponsored day trips. That said, IMO spring break and summer are the most crowded times of year at museums and monuments in DC.

I think you may be overthinking the school vacations thing. Either city is going to be crowded except in Jan/Feb - when there are good reasons not to be here (blizzards, ice, sleet and windchills near zero). Fine if you want to do indoor things - but IMHO the best time to visit either city is late April through early June.

Thanks for all the replies. I understand things will be busy and always are however my MO is to try and not travel during school holidays e.g. around Australia, Fiji and Asian countries I try and avoid all Australian School holidays. I just prefer to try and avoid US or wherever if I am travelling there. In my mind I will think I have avoided the crowds even if I haven't!

I would definitely try to avoid the "spring break season" (unfortunately, it's not one particular week, but the weeks around Easter) in DC -- that's one time 8th graders from all over the country descend on DC on school field trips.

As the kids say "whatever."

You are welcome for providing the school calendars for NYC and DC.