National Pizza Month, Explained

Published on October 14th, 2023
Updated on September 9th, 2026

31 days, one mission: more pizza. Here’s your 2026 guide.

Mmm…pizza. Nothing unites quite like a piping hot pizza pie with bubbly cheese and a perfectly charred crust. Looking for a quick and easy dinner, a game day fan favorite feast, or the perfect party meal? Order up a hot and fresh pizza!

Every day should be pizza day. Whether you like classic cheese pizza pie with red sauce, a white cheese slice, or superlative Sicilian squares, there’s a perfect pizza for every pizza fan.

What is National Pizza Month?

National Pizza Month is an annual, monthlong celebration of pizza observed every October in the United States. Pizza Today magazine publisher Gerry Durnell founded the observance in October 1984, choosing the month because it was when his magazine debuted — and Congress made it official in 1987, giving pizza its own federally recognized month. (Not every food gets that honor. Pizza earned it.)

Americans take the assignment seriously: there are now more than 75,700 pizzerias across the U.S. (IBISWorld, 2025), pulling in nearly $50 billion a year in sales. There’s a Chicago pizza museum devoted entirely to the food, a pizza coalition that advocates for the industry, and a magazine that covers it year-round. Pizza even gets a second holiday all to itself, National Pizza Day, every February 9.

During National Pizza Month, pizzerias across the country roll out deals and promotions, making it the easiest excuse all year to try a new style or order in more than usual.

When Does National Pizza Month 2026 Start and End?

National Pizza Month 2026 runs the full month — every single day from Thursday, October 1 through Saturday, October 31, 2026. That’s 31 straight days, always in October, never December or any other month, no matter what the internet tells you.

Is National Pizza Month the Same as National Pizza Day?

Nope, different holidays, different math. National Pizza Month is the marathon: all 31 days of October. National Pizza Day is the sprint: one single day, every February 9. Both are excellent excuses. Only one of them lets you stretch it out for a full month.

What is the Biggest Pizza Day of the Year?

Halloween (October 31) is the single biggest pizza day of the year, with Super Bowl Sunday taking second. Both fall right at the tail end of National Pizza Month, which means the last week of October is peak pizza season twice over. (See also: Top Pizza Delivery Days.)

The other 30 days hold their own too: about 1 in 8 Americans eats pizza on any given day, and there are more than enough regional styles to work through a new one daily all October long, from classic cheese to Sicilian squares to bar pies.

How to Observe National Pizza Month

The best way to observe National Pizza Month is by eating pizza — ideally more than one kind. There are 34 million ways to order pizza, once you count every combination of size, crust, sauce, cheese, and topping. Crust us. We’ve got hundreds of options, including gluten-free and vegan. The crustodians of pizza love, we ship pizza styles from coast to coast, including:

Read More: The Ultimate Guide to Regional Pizza Styles