How Many Days Are in Each Month?

According to the Gregorian calendar, which is the most commonly used calendar system today, a full year has 365 or 366 days, depending on whether it’s a non-leap or leap year. Each year consists of 12 months, from January to December, with varying lengths (28, 29, 30, or 31 days). So, how many days are there in each month, exactly? Let's dive into the details of each month and explore some interesting facts along the way.

How Many Days Are in Each Month?

Here’s the list of all the months in order, with January kicking off the year, and how many days each month has in a typical year:

1. The year's first month: January (31 days)
2. The second month: February (28 days in a non-leap year and 29 days in a leap year)
3. The third month: March (31 days)
4. The fourth month: April (30 days)
5. The fifth month: May (31 days)
6. The sixth month: June (30 days)
7. The seventh month: July (31 days)
8. The eighth month: August (31 days)
9. The ninth month: September (30 days)
10. The tenth month: October (31 days)
11. The eleventh month: November (30 days)
12. The twelfth month: December (31 days)

In total, that gives us 365 days in a regular year (or non-leap year) and 366 days in a leap year.

The Impact of Leap Years

Have you ever heard the term “Leap Year?” We bet you have!

Leap years are a unique feature of the calendar that affects the number of days within a year. Every four years, an extra day is added to February (Feb 29th), making it 29 days long instead of 28.

So, how do you know if a year is really a leap year?

You can figure out whether a certain year is a leap year by dividing it by 4. If it’s divisible by 4, like 2024, 2012, or 2008, then it is a leap year. That means February 2024, 2012, and 2008 are 29 days long.

However, it’s worth noting that this rule does not apply for all the end-of-century years, even if the year is divisible by 4. To be more specific, a year is still a non-leap if it is, well, divisible by 100 but not 400. For instance, 2000 was a leap year, but 1900 was not.

Tips for Remembering How Many Days Are in Each Month: The Knuckle Method

It can be challenging to exactly remember how many days are in each month, but there are a few tricks to help. One of the most popular methods is the knuckle method; here’s how to use your hand’s knuckle to know exactly how many days in each month with ease:

• Make a fist and use the knuckles and spaces between them to count the months.
• Start with your left hand and assign January to the first knuckle, February to the space between knuckles, March to the second knuckle, and so on.
• Each knuckle represents a 31-day month (January, March, May, July, August, October, and December), and each space, of course, represents a month with fewer than 31 days.
• When you reach the end of your left hand, move to the first knuckle on your right hand and continue.

Another way to find out the number of days in a specific month is to head to our Calendar or use time calculator options like 'How Many Days in a Month'.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which months have 31 days?

In any given year, there are always 7 months with 31 days, including December, October, August, July, May, March, and, of course, January.

Which months have 30 days?

Annually, there are always 4 months with 30 days, including June, April, November, and September.

What is the average number of days in a month?

There are 365 days in a year, divided by 12 months, which means the average month has approximately 30 days and 10 hours (since a day has 24 hours) or approximately 30.437 days.

How can I remember how many days are in each month?

In addition to the knuckle technique mentioned above, you can also use the following catchy rhyme to identify how many days are in each month easily:

“Thirty days hath September,

April, June, and November;

All the rest have thirty-one,

Except for February alone,

Which has twenty-eight in fine,

Until leap year gives it twenty-nine.”

In conclusion, now that you have a better understanding of the Gregorian calendar and how many days in each month, you'll be better prepared to plan and organize your time. Whether it's through the knuckle trick or a catchy rhyme, you'll never be left guessing how long a month lasts again!