diff --git a/pandas/io/common.py b/pandas/io/common.py
index c147ae9fd0aa8..05542d596e961 100644
--- a/pandas/io/common.py
+++ b/pandas/io/common.py
@@ -148,9 +148,9 @@ def urlopen(*args, **kwargs):
     Lazy-import wrapper for stdlib urlopen, as that imports a big chunk of
     the stdlib.
     """
-    import urllib.request
+    from urllib.request import Request, urlopen as _urlopen
 
-    return urllib.request.urlopen(*args, **kwargs)
+    return _urlopen(Request(*args, **kwargs))
 
 
 def is_fsspec_url(url: FilePathOrBuffer) -> bool:
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ def get_filepath_or_buffer(
     compression: CompressionOptions = None,
     mode: ModeVar = None,  # type: ignore[assignment]
     storage_options: StorageOptions = None,
+    headers: Dict[str, Any] = {},
 ) -> IOargs[ModeVar, EncodingVar]:
     """
     If the filepath_or_buffer is a url, translate and return the buffer.
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@ def get_filepath_or_buffer(
             raise ValueError(
                 "storage_options passed with file object or non-fsspec file path"
             )
-        req = urlopen(filepath_or_buffer)
+        req = urlopen(filepath_or_buffer, headers=headers)
         content_encoding = req.headers.get("Content-Encoding", None)
         if content_encoding == "gzip":
             # Override compression based on Content-Encoding header
diff --git a/pandas/io/json/_json.py b/pandas/io/json/_json.py
index ef684469dffbb..e75e8d166215e 100644
--- a/pandas/io/json/_json.py
+++ b/pandas/io/json/_json.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from io import BytesIO, StringIO
 from itertools import islice
 import os
-from typing import IO, Any, Callable, List, Optional, Type
+from typing import IO, Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Type
 
 import numpy as np
 
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ def read_json(
     compression: CompressionOptions = "infer",
     nrows: Optional[int] = None,
     storage_options: StorageOptions = None,
+    headers: Dict[str, Any] = {},
 ):
     """
     Convert a JSON string to pandas object.
@@ -527,6 +528,10 @@ def read_json(
         a file-like buffer. See the fsspec and backend storage implementation
         docs for the set of allowed keys and values.
 
+    headers : dict, optional
+        HTTP headers that are passed to urlopen. Allows to specify the User-Agent
+        in case the urllib User-Agent is blocked for example
+
         .. versionadded:: 1.2.0
 
     Returns
@@ -614,6 +619,7 @@ def read_json(
         encoding=encoding,
         compression=compression,
         storage_options=storage_options,
+        headers=headers,
     )
 
     json_reader = JsonReader(
diff --git a/pandas/io/parsers.py b/pandas/io/parsers.py
index dd3588faedf7a..7db96657f6b8f 100644
--- a/pandas/io/parsers.py
+++ b/pandas/io/parsers.py
@@ -352,6 +352,10 @@
     a file-like buffer. See the fsspec and backend storage implementation
     docs for the set of allowed keys and values.
 
+headers : dict, optional
+    HTTP headers that are passed to urlopen. Allows to specify the User-Agent
+    in case the urllib User-Agent is blocked for example
+
     .. versionadded:: 1.2
 
 Returns
@@ -432,9 +436,14 @@ def _read(filepath_or_buffer: FilePathOrBuffer, kwds):
         encoding = re.sub("_", "-", encoding).lower()
         kwds["encoding"] = encoding
     compression = kwds.get("compression", "infer")
+    headers = kwds.get("headers", {})
 
     ioargs = get_filepath_or_buffer(
-        filepath_or_buffer, encoding, compression, storage_options=storage_options
+        filepath_or_buffer,
+        encoding,
+        compression,
+        storage_options=storage_options,
+        headers=headers,
     )
     kwds["compression"] = ioargs.compression
 
@@ -599,6 +608,7 @@ def read_csv(
     memory_map=False,
     float_precision=None,
     storage_options: StorageOptions = None,
+    headers: Dict[str, Any] = {},
 ):
     # gh-23761
     #
@@ -686,6 +696,7 @@ def read_csv(
         infer_datetime_format=infer_datetime_format,
         skip_blank_lines=skip_blank_lines,
         storage_options=storage_options,
+        headers=headers,
     )
 
     return _read(filepath_or_buffer, kwds)
diff --git a/pandas/tests/io/test_common.py b/pandas/tests/io/test_common.py
index ede8d61490778..d216024b2fa33 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/io/test_common.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/io/test_common.py
@@ -417,3 +417,11 @@ def test_is_fsspec_url():
     assert not icom.is_fsspec_url("random:pandas/somethingelse.com")
     assert not icom.is_fsspec_url("/local/path")
     assert not icom.is_fsspec_url("relative/local/path")
+
+
+def test_urlopen_headers():
+    headers = {"User-Agent": "Pandas 1.1.0"}
+    # this returns the User-Agent
+    url = "http://ifconfig.me/ua"
+    r = icom.urlopen(url, headers=headers)
+    assert r.read().decode("utf-8") == headers["User-Agent"]