diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 7793ba31b7f24..9f7bcf26866a2 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ Standard library changes
 
 #### Dates
 
+* The `Dates.periods` function can be used to get the `Vector` of `Period`s that comprise a `CompoundPeriod` ([#39169]).
 
 #### Statistics
 
diff --git a/stdlib/Dates/docs/src/index.md b/stdlib/Dates/docs/src/index.md
index 975c08711fc19..9f48b70b8fb5c 100644
--- a/stdlib/Dates/docs/src/index.md
+++ b/stdlib/Dates/docs/src/index.md
@@ -747,6 +747,7 @@ Dates.Period(::Any)
 Dates.CompoundPeriod(::Vector{<:Dates.Period})
 Dates.value
 Dates.default
+Dates.periods
 ```
 
 ### Rounding Functions
diff --git a/stdlib/Dates/src/periods.jl b/stdlib/Dates/src/periods.jl
index 8d81262af19ec..2af634bdf104c 100644
--- a/stdlib/Dates/src/periods.jl
+++ b/stdlib/Dates/src/periods.jl
@@ -196,6 +196,13 @@ struct CompoundPeriod <: AbstractTime
     end
 end
 
+"""
+    Dates.periods(::CompoundPeriod) -> Vector{Period}
+
+Return the `Vector` of `Period`s that comprise the given `CompoundPeriod`.
+"""
+periods(x::CompoundPeriod) = x.periods
+
 """
     CompoundPeriod(periods) -> CompoundPeriod
 
diff --git a/stdlib/Dates/test/periods.jl b/stdlib/Dates/test/periods.jl
index f4dd65d0efd2a..81aacd1a9e54b 100644
--- a/stdlib/Dates/test/periods.jl
+++ b/stdlib/Dates/test/periods.jl
@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ end
     @test isequal(d - h, 2d - 2h - 1d + 1h)
     @test sprint(show, y + m) == string(y + m)
     @test convert(Dates.CompoundPeriod, y) + m == y + m
+    @test Dates.periods(convert(Dates.CompoundPeriod, y)) == convert(Dates.CompoundPeriod, y).periods
 end
 @testset "compound period simplification" begin
     # reduce compound periods into the most basic form