How many days are in the month of March

The straightforward answer is 31 days. March is one of seven months in the Gregorian calendar that always carries that count, in both common years and leap years. From the Julian reform of 1582 to the present day, no adjustment has ever shortened or lengthened March.

What changes from one year to the next isn't the total but the arrangement. March might begin on a Monday in one year and a Friday in another, shifting which weekdays fall on which dates. For Australians planning events, calculating payroll, or working out school holiday overlaps, that weekday drift often matters more than the raw number.

In the Southern Hemisphere, March carries extra weight because it marks the start of autumn. Across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, the month brings a gradual cooling after the peak heat of January and February. It's the period when cricket seasons wind down, footy codes ramp up, and many families settle back into term-time routines after the long summer break.

For quick cross-referencing across decades, the leap-years guide on this site shows how the February adjustment ripples outward. Because March's total never shifts, it serves as a stable anchor when planning projects that span multiple months.

March holds 31 days without exception

The rule that March contains 31 days is fixed in the Gregorian calendar. Unlike February, which gains an extra day every four years except in century years not divisible by 400, March stays put at 31 regardless of year type. A common year shows March with 31 days, and a leap year shows March with 31 days.

This consistency exists because the 31-day months follow a deliberate pattern: January, March, May, July, August, October, and December. The other five months carry 30 or 28 days. Memorising that sequence removes the need to check for March specifically, though glancing at a calendar never hurts when dates matter.

Where the name March comes from

The name traces back to the Latin Martius, named after Mars, the Roman god of war. In the earliest Roman calendar, March was actually the first month, and the year began with the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. January and February were added later, around 713 BCE under King Numa Pompilius, though they weren't formally placed at the start of the year until later still.

Because March was the original opening month, it carried cultural weight as the start of the Roman campaigning season. When the calendar was reorganised and January took over as month one, March retained its 31 days partly out of tradition and partly to keep the odd-even alternation of days manageable.

March means autumn in Australia

For Australians, March is when summer officially loosens its grip. Meteorological autumn in the Southern Hemisphere begins on 1 March, lining up neatly with the start of the month itself. In southern capitals like Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, and Canberra, daytime temperatures gradually settle into the low-to-mid twenties, and mornings take on a noticeable crispness.

In the northern parts of the country, including Cairns, Townsville, and Darwin, March sits within the wet season, with humid build-ups, afternoon storms, and the tail end of cyclone activity. Different regions therefore experience the month very differently, which matters when planning outdoor events or travel between states.

Australian public holidays and events in March

Several state-based holidays fall in March. Labour Day in Western Australia is observed on the first Monday, giving Perth workers a long weekend early in autumn. Canberra Day falls on the second Monday in the ACT, marking the anniversary of the capital's naming in 1913. South Australia celebrates the Adelaide Cup on the second Monday, with the famous horse race at Morphettville drawing crowds and triggering a statewide public holiday.

Cultural events cluster around this time too. Melbourne's Moomba Festival runs across the Labour Day long weekend, with locals planning their arvo around the parade route and birdman competitions down on the Yarra. In Sydney, Mardi Gras parade season often spills into early March, and Royal Easter Show preparations ramp up in the lead-up to Easter, which occasionally falls within the month.

When Easter lands inside March

Easter Sunday can fall anywhere between 22 March and 25 April. In years like 2024, Easter sits entirely within March, with Good Friday on 29 March and Easter Monday on 1 April. In other years, like 2023, Easter Sunday falls on 9 April, leaving March free of the four-day weekend.

When Easter lands in March, the impact on business day calculations is significant. Friday and Monday are non-working days for most Australian employees, reducing working days by up to two. Anyone running payroll across the March-April boundary should adjust their count accordingly. For a quick reference, this common year checklist walks through the day counts for every month.

Counting working days in March

To work out how many business days fall in March, start with 31 and subtract the weekends. A March starting on a Monday contains either 22 or 23 working days before public holidays. A March starting on a Tuesday or Wednesday contains 22, depending on the year.

Subtract any public holidays that apply to your state or territory. In Western Australia, Labour Day removes one working day. In the ACT, Canberra Day removes one. In South Australia, the Adelaide Cup removes one. Anyone taking annual leave across part of the month should adjust manually using a calendar app or spreadsheet that excludes weekends.

March weekday patterns across years

Because 31 days is one short of a five-week cycle, the first weekday of March shifts by one day each common year and by two days after a leap year. So March 2024 began on a Friday, March 2025 begins on a Saturday, and March 2026 begins on a Sunday.

This pattern matters when planning recurring events on specific dates, such as the third Thursday of every month or the last Friday of the period. Knowing which weekday March begins on lets you project forward without pulling out a calendar each time.

Quick reference tools for March planning

• Use a digital calendar app that displays the full month in landscape view to see weekends and public holidays at a glance.
• Print a March-only calendar at the start of the month and pin it somewhere visible at home or work.
• Set reminders one week ahead for March deadlines, including Easter-related cutoffs when applicable.
• Cross-check state-specific public holidays with the relevant government website before booking leave.
• Calculate working days using the dedicated tool on this site when running payroll or scheduling projects.
• Keep a small notebook for noting recurring dates like the Adelaide Cup, Canberra Day, and Labour Day in WA each year.

Use the calculator on this site to check business days for any March between 2000 and 2050. Plug in your start and end dates, and the tool returns the working day count with public holidays factored in for your selected Australian state. It's a fast way to lock in your planning without second-guessing the calendar.