Leap Year Calculator

Check if a year is a leap year and learn about leap year rules.

How It Works

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Select a Year
Choose any year from the dropdown menu to check if it's a leap year
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Get Results
View whether it's a leap year and see the next three upcoming leap years
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Plan Ahead
Use the future leap year information for long-term date planning

Why Use Our Leap Year Calculator

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Quick Year Verification
Instantly check if any year is a leap year with our accurate calculator.
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Future Planning
Find the next three upcoming leap years to help with long-term date planning.
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Educational Tool
Learn about leap year rules and why they're important for our calendar system.
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Date Accuracy
Ensure precise date calculations by knowing which years have 366 days.

Why Do We Need Leap Years?

The Earth takes approximately 365.2422 days to orbit the Sun. Without leap years, our calendar would drift about 6 hours each year, or about 24 days per century. Leap years help synchronize our calendar year with the solar year.

The current leap year system was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 when he reformed the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar is now the internationally accepted civil calendar.

Interesting Leap Year Facts

  • Leap Year Babies: People born on February 29 are sometimes called "leaplings" or "leap year babies"
  • February 30: Sweden once had a February 30 (in 1712) due to a calendar correction
  • Tradition: In many European countries, women can traditionally propose marriage to men on leap days
  • Olympic Games: Summer Olympic Games are held during leap years

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do leap years occur?

Leap years typically occur every 4 years. However, years divisible by 100 are not leap years unless they are also divisible by 400. This means that while 2000 was a leap year, 1900 was not, and 2100 will not be.

What happens to people born on February 29?

People born on February 29 typically celebrate their birthdays on February 28 or March 1 in non-leap years. Legally, most jurisdictions recognize March 1 as their official birthday in non-leap years.

Why are centuries special in leap year calculations?

Century years (those ending in 00) are not leap years unless they are divisible by 400. This refinement to the leap year rule makes the Gregorian calendar more accurate, as it accounts for the fact that the solar year is slightly less than 365.25 days.