Ramadan 2026 in the USA: Expected Start Date, Moon-Sighting Differences, and What to Plan for This Week

Ramadan 2026 in the United States is being finalized right now through crescent-moon confirmation and the methods American Muslim communities use to mark the start of the lunar month. As of Tuesday, February 17, 2026 ET, the most common expectation across many national calendars in the USA is that the first day of fasting will be Wednesday, February 18, 2026 ET. At the same time, some communities that prioritize local or regional visibility criteria may begin fasting on Thursday, February 19, 2026 ET.

That one-day difference is normal and happens most years somewhere in the country. It’s not a scheduling mistake. It’s the result of two widely used, religiously grounded approaches arriving at slightly different outcomes for the same lunar event.

When does Ramadan start in the USA in 2026?

For most households and workplaces planning in the USA, the practical window looks like this in Eastern Time:

• Most common expected first fast: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 ET

• Common alternate first fast: Thursday, February 19, 2026 ET

• Nightly Taraweeh prayers begin the evening before the first fast

  • If the first fast is February 18: Taraweeh begins Tuesday night, February 17 ET

  • If the first fast is February 19: Taraweeh begins Wednesday night, February 18 ET

Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days, so Eid al-Fitr in the USA is most likely to fall in the window from Thursday, March 19, 2026 ET through Saturday, March 21, 2026 ET, depending on the end-of-month crescent confirmation.

Why Americans may start on different days

In the USA, the “why” usually comes down to which of these approaches a mosque or community follows:

• Calculation-based calendars: These communities use established criteria tied to astronomical data to set the month in advance. This is common for institutions that need predictable scheduling for schools, large congregations, and national programming.

• Sighting-based calendars: These communities wait for crescent visibility confirmation under their accepted rules. Some accept sighting from elsewhere; others emphasize local or regional visibility, which can shift the start one day later.

Behind the headline, the incentive is clear: certainty. Families need to arrange suhoor, school accommodations, work flexibility, and travel. Mosques need staffing, parking plans, security, volunteer rosters, nightly prayer logistics, and iftar service. A calendar method that supports early planning solves one set of problems, while a sighting-first method solves another by keeping the ritual anchored to a physical sign in the sky.

Is Ramadan tomorrow in the USA?

If you’re asking this on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 ET, then for many American Muslims the answer is likely yes: fasting is widely expected to begin Wednesday, February 18, 2026 ET. But it may still be “not confirmed” for your specific community until your local mosque or recognized authority announces its decision. If your mosque tends to follow a sighting-based approach with stricter visibility criteria, the start may be Thursday, February 19, 2026 ET instead.

Ramadan timetable in the USA: what changes city to city

Unlike the start date, daily fasting times in the USA vary dramatically by location. The farther north you are, the more your dawn and sunset times shift compared with southern cities, and even a nearby suburb can differ by a minute or two. That’s why the most reliable Ramadan timetable is the one issued by your local mosque for your exact city.

What you can plan without a city-specific chart:

• Suhoor ends at dawn

• Fasting runs from dawn to sunset

• Iftar begins at sunset

• Taraweeh is typically held after the evening prayer

A realistic second-order effect many communities see in the USA: attendance spikes on weekends and during the final ten nights, which can change parking, overflow spaces, childcare needs, and volunteer demand.

What Ramadan is and what to say: Ramadan Mubarak and Ramadan Kareem

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and a central period of worship, self-discipline, and community. Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, increase prayer and recitation, emphasize charity, and aim to improve habits and character.

Common greetings:

• Ramadan Mubarak: wishing a blessed Ramadan

• Ramadan Kareem: wishing a generous Ramadan

What we still don’t know, and what to watch next

Even if most national calendars point to February 18, 2026 ET, a few items remain unsettled until local announcements finalize them:

• Whether your specific mosque starts with the first fast on February 18 or February 19 ET

• Whether Ramadan in 2026 runs 29 days or 30 days in your community

• The exact Eid al-Fitr date your mosque will observe

What happens next: realistic scenarios and triggers

• Scenario 1: Many USA mosques begin Taraweeh Tuesday night, February 17 ET, and the first fast is Wednesday, February 18 ET, triggered by their calendar method and confirmation criteria.

• Scenario 2: Some mosques begin Taraweeh Wednesday night, February 18 ET, with the first fast Thursday, February 19 ET, triggered by their sighting-based approach.

• Scenario 3: Eid falls at the earlier edge of the March 19–21 ET window if the month completes in 29 days.

• Scenario 4: Eid shifts one day later if the month completes in 30 days.

If you want the most practical answer for planning in the USA today: prepare for the first fast on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 ET, and keep Thursday, February 19, 2026 ET as the most common alternate, then follow your local mosque’s final confirmation for your city’s timetable. Ramadan Mubarak.