Date format reference
United States Date Format
The common numeric date format in United States is MM/DD/YYYY.
Date Time Encyclopedia answer, with calculation details and assumptions below.
Month-first numeric dates are common in everyday US writing. For example, Thursday, July 16, 2026 can be written as 7/16/2026 in the en-US locale.
Snapshot
United States Date Format
The common numeric date format in United States is MM/DD/YYYY.
Month-first numeric dates are common in everyday US writing. For example, Thursday, July 16, 2026 can be written as 7/16/2026 in the en-US locale.
- Country
- United States
- Common pattern
- MM/DD/YYYY
- Locale example
- 7/16/2026
- Locale code
- en-US
Method
Country pages summarize common everyday numeric date order and show a locale-formatted example using Intl date formatting.
Avoiding date ambiguity
United States Date Format is useful when a numeric date could be read in more than one order. Month-first and day-first formats can conflict in international communication.
Compare country formats
Country format pages show common local patterns and examples so ambiguous dates can be rewritten more clearly.
Related Lookups
FAQ
What is the common date format in United States?
The common numeric date pattern shown here is MM/DD/YYYY.
Can official or formal formats differ?
Yes. Government, standards, and ISO contexts may use stricter formats such as YYYY-MM-DD.