Below are the 2026 Equity & Index Options Expiration (OPEX) dates, along with VIX Expiration dates.
Note that VIX standard options expiration is the Wednesday that is 30 days before the third Friday of the following month’s SPX options expiration (OPEX).
A download of all expirations from 2020 to 2026 is available here.
All 2026 Expiration Dates
| Month 2026 | Standard Options Expiration | VIX Standard Expiration | VIX Last Trading Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2026-01-16 | 2026-01-21 | 2026-01-20 |
| February | 2026-02-20 | 2026-02-18 | 2026-02-17 |
| March | 2026-03-20 | 2026-03-18 | 2026-03-17 |
| April | 2026-04-17 | 2026-04-15 | 2026-04-14 |
| May | 2026-05-15 | 2026-05-20 | 2026-05-19 |
| June | 2026-06-19 | 2026-06-17 | 2026-06-16 |
| July | 2026-07-17 | 2026-07-22 | 2026-07-21 |
| August | 2026-08-21 | 2026-08-19 | 2026-08-18 |
| September | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-15 |
| October | 2026-10-16 | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-20 |
| November | 2026-11-20 | 2026-11-18 | 2026-11-17 |
| December | 2026-12-18 | 2026-12-16 | 2026-12-15 |
Why is the VIX Expiration 30 Days Before SPX’s Monthly Expiration?
The CBOE Volatility Index is designed to measure the market’s expectation of volatility over the next 30 calendar days because that maturity represents the most liquid, stable, and economically meaningful point on the S&P 500 Index options curve.
Instead of reflecting past movement, VIX uses current SPX option prices to calculate a constant 30-day forward variance estimate, interpolating between nearby expirations to keep that maturity fixed. Thirty days is long enough to smooth short-term noise but short enough to capture real event risk, making it the most practical benchmark for pricing forward equity volatility.
