Check if a year is a leap year or not.
A leap year checker instantly determines whether any year is a leap year following the Gregorian calendar rules. Leap years add an extra day (February 29th) to keep our calendar synchronized with Earth's orbit around the sun. This tool helps you verify leap year status for any year, past or future, understanding one of the most important calendar calculations.
A leap year is a year with 366 days instead of the standard 365 days. The extra day (February 29th) corrects the difference between the calendar year (365 days) and Earth's actual orbital period (approximately 365.2425 days). Key facts about leap years:
The Gregorian calendar uses three rules to determine leap years:
| Year | Divisible by 4? | Divisible by 100? | Divisible by 400? | Leap Year? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Yes | No | No | ✅ Yes |
| 1900 | Yes | Yes | No | ❌ No |
| 2000 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 2023 | No | No | No | ❌ No |
| 2100 | Yes | Yes | No | ❌ No |
Calendar Accuracy: Without leap years, our calendar would gradually shift in relation to Earth's orbit and seasons, causing spring to occur on different dates over centuries.
Historical Precision: Ancient civilizations struggled with calendar accuracy before leap years were introduced, leading to seasonal confusion and agricultural problems.
Software Development: Programmers must account for February 29th in date calculations, database logic, and scheduling systems.
Astronomical Alignment: Leap years keep the vernal equinox (spring) aligned with March 20-21, maintaining seasonal accuracy.
Statutory Concerns: People born on February 29th (leaplings) have unique legal and birthday-related situations occurring only every 4 years.
Pattern: In a 400-year cycle, there are 97 leap years and 303 regular years. This pattern repeats precisely.
Frequency: Approximately 24% of years are leap years (97 out of 400).
Next century century with no leap years: Year 2100 will not be a leap year (divisible by 100 but not 400). The following non-leap century year will be 2200.
Recent leap years: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024
Future leap years: 2028, 2032, 2036, 2040, 2044, 2048, 2052
Appearance: February 29th (or "Leap Day") appears only in leap years, making February 29 days instead of 28.
Leap Day Babies: People born on February 29th are sometimes called "leaplings" or "leap year babies." They experience birthdays only every 4 years.
Legal Status: In some jurisdictions, leap day babies celebrate birthdays on February 28th or March 1st in non-leap years for legal purposes.
Probability: Only about 1 in 1,461 people are born on February 29th.
Historical Events: Many historical events occur on February 29th, but the holiday is celebrated differently depending on location and year.
Earth doesn't orbit the sun in exactly 365 days - it takes about 365.2425 days. Without leap years, the calendar would gradually shift forward (approximately 1 day every 4 years), causing seasons to occur on different dates over centuries. Leap years correct this drift and keep calendar aligned with Earth's orbit.
Yes. Although 2000 is divisible by 100, it's also divisible by 400, so it IS a leap year. It was the last leap year of the 20th century and had February 29th.
No. Year 2100 is divisible by 4 and 100, but NOT by 400, so it's not a leap year. It will only have 365 days, with February having just 28 days. The next century leap year will be 2400.
Leap day babies (born February 29th) have birthdays only every 4 years. On non-leap years, they typically celebrate on either February 28th or March 1st, depending on personal preference or legal requirements.