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Daylight Saving Time 2026: When Does the Time Change?

daylight saving time scrabble tiles with a traditional black alarm clock set for 2:00
Image Credit:
SIAATH/Shutterstock
Written By: Jess Sullivan Digital Editor

In 2026, Daylight Saving Time starts on Sunday, March 8, when we “spring forward,” and ends on Sunday, November 1, when we “fall back.” The Sun keeps its own schedule, but most of the United States adjusts its clocks twice a year.

We move clocks ahead one hour in spring and back one hour in fall—losing an hour, then gaining it back. Keep the date chart below handy, check which places skip the change, and discover why farmers shouldn’t get the blame!

Daylight Saving Time Dates for 2026

“Spring forward, fall back” is a simple way to remember which direction the clock moves.

Time changeDateWhat happens
Spring forwardSunday, March 8, 2026Clocks move ahead 1 hour; we lose an hour
Fall backSunday, November 1, 2026Clocks move back 1 hour; we gain an hour

The time changes at 2:00 A.M., when most people are asleep. Consider changing your clocks before bed on Saturday, October 31, to avoid confusion in the morning!

When Does Daylight Saving Time Start in 2026?

Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2:00 A.M. local time. The clock moves forward to 3:00 A.M., and we lose one hour.

After the change, sunrise and sunset happen about an hour later by the clock. The Sun’s schedule doesn’t change, of course. We just change how our time matches up with daylight.

When Does Daylight Saving Time End in 2026?

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2:00 A.M. local time. The clock moves back to 1:00 A.M., and we gain one hour.

After this change, sunrise and sunset are about an hour earlier by the clock. That means brighter mornings and darker evenings.

Learn more about when DST ends in 2026 and the clocks go back. 

When Does Daylight Saving Time Start and End Each Year?

Under current U.S. law, Daylight Saving Time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. All times below are local.

  • Daylight Saving Time starts on the second Sunday in March.
  • Daylight Saving Time ends on the first Sunday in November.
YearDaylight Saving Time BeginsDaylight Saving Time Ends
2026Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 A.M.Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 A.M.
2027Sunday, March 14 at 2:00 A.M.Sunday, November 7 at 2:00 A.M.
2028Sunday, March 12 at 2:00 A.M.Sunday, November 5 at 2:00 A.M.
2029Sunday, March 11 at 2:00 A.M.Sunday, November 4 at 2:00 A.M.

Do All States Observe Daylight Saving Time?

No. Most of the United States observes Daylight Saving Time, but Hawaii and most of Arizona do not. One notable exception in Arizona is the Navajo Nation—they do observe Daylight Saving Time.

The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

For the latest on proposals to stop changing the clocks, see Will We Ever Stop Changing the Clocks? The Fight Over DST.

Why Do We Have Daylight Saving Time?

Daylight Saving Time changes how our daily schedules line up with the Sun, so we can use seasonal daylight differently throughout the year.

The United States started using Daylight Saving Time in 1918 during World War I to help reduce the use of electricity.

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 set a national schedule for Daylight Saving Time. Congress changed the dates again in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Since 2007, Daylight Saving Time has started on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday in November.

And let’s debunk a common myth: Daylight Saving Time wasn’t created for farmers! In fact, many farmers opposed it when it was introduced—their work followed the Sun, while markets and transportation followed the clock.

Did you know? Benjamin Franklin, the father of the modern almanac, wrote a satirical essay in 1784 about how rising with the sun could help save money on candles.

Is It “Daylight Saving” or “Daylight Savings” Time?

Daylight Saving Time is the correct term. There’s no “s” at the end of “Saving.”

Still, lots of people say “Daylight Savings Time” in everyday conversation, so you’re not alone if you do!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do we gain or lose an hour during Daylight Saving Time?
    When Daylight Saving Time starts in spring, we set the clocks forward and lose an hour. When it ends in fall, we set the clocks back and gain an hour.
  • What time do the clocks change?
    Clocks change at 2:00 A.M. local time in most of the United States, a time when few people are working, traveling, or doing business. 
  • Will my phone change automatically for Daylight Saving Time?
    Most smartphones, computers, and other devices that are connected to the internet update themselves if you have them set to update date, time, and time zone automatically.
    You might still need to change the time by hand on things like appliances, cars, or wall clocks.
  • Does Canada change clocks on the same day as the United States?

    Some parts of Canada still change their clocks on the same schedule as the United States. However, provinces and territories set their own time rules, and several of them stopped changing clocks in 2026.

    British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories will not turn their clocks back on November 1, 2026. Yukon and Saskatchewan also use one time year-round.

    Other parts of Canada, including most of Ontario and Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, continue to observe seasonal time changes.

Calendar
Sources
  1. U.S. Navy Office — Daylight Saving Time
  2. U.S. Department of Transportation — Daylight Saving Time
  3. U.S. Library of Congress — Daylight Saving Time (DST)
  4. U.S. Department of Transportation — Uniform Time
  5. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — Daylight Saving Time Rules

About The Author

Jess Sullivan

Jess Sullivan

Digital Editor

As Digital Editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Jess is dedicated to bringing readers content that is accurate, clear, useful, and engaging. She has years of experience crafting written communications ...

Read more from Jess Sullivan

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Comments

<span>Alice Gilliam</span> Sun, 03/09/2025 - 00:52
I am old now but I remember my daddy said he didn’t care what the government did about the time because he knew it was 12pm when the sun is straight above our head. He was a farmer and a carpenter and I always thought he was very smart.
<span>John</span> Sat, 03/08/2025 - 23:25
The alarm I use is on my phone, which automatically compensates for DST. I wonder what happens if I set it for 2:30AM tomorrow morning.
<span>Nick</span> Mon, 03/10/2025 - 03:42
I keep DST disabled on my phone. I have Android. There is a menu with all the standard time zones listed explicitly by GMT offset. Electronic systems should keep reoccurring events at the same time. Well designed systems do. They usually do so by storing the time internally in GMT. In such systems, the local time is used for display only. DST is a unit conversion and means that the same time starts being denoted by a different number. Some electronic systems use a floating time, which means that no time zone is specified. In such systems, DST can cause events to happen at a different time that is denoted by the same number. If your phone uses a floating time and you set an alarm to a number that is skipped over due to the unit conversion, the alarm will probably not ring.
<span>Kay</span> Sat, 03/08/2025 - 08:19
March 2025, President Trump wants to stop it, but says nobody can agree upon direction. Why not just split it? Half hour only? Then neither is stuck in the dark or excess light for more than 30 minutes.
<span>Laurie</span> Mon, 03/03/2025 - 18:30
I understand why dairy farmers might object because you know cows don’t milk themselves, but why do chickens take three weeks to adjust?
<span>Myriam Pierre</span> Tue, 01/14/2025 - 23:51
The politicians are now so obsessed with making Daylight Savings Time permanent.Their argument is that energy is saved,crime goes down,and that children exercise more.Not true.They also want to make us believe that they will provide us with practically 24 hour sunlight.What about animals like raccoons that only come out at night?I don't think this legislation will be easily resolved or passed, even with them stating that more people want Daylight Savings Time year round.Farms still exist.It just goes to show that when you only talk to businesses and not your constituents, disarray is the result.
<span>Leslee Smug</span> Mon, 11/18/2024 - 15:43
If it's dark i sleep..easy peasy. I used to hate driving to duty in the dark. It was creepy although by the time i got to the base the sun was coming up and that was kinda cool....pretty. As a kid i hated dst. I suffered from depression and back then we, as a country, depression was only for the seriously ill..now we know we're creating in in most of the population...how much because of screwing with everyone's sleep cycles.. pick one, standard time, and leave it alone. I think the constant flip flopping back and forth is ultimately worse than finally adjusting even to what you may not like. When will politicians ever start representing the constituents...oh yeah, 2025, Trump. Did you know he only needs about 3 hours sleep a night??? I wish.
<span>Janete</span> Wed, 03/05/2025 - 07:41
Same here. I grew up in Brazil and have 5 siblings. I don’t know how on earth on my pre-teens years I was the only to get up at 6:00 am to go to school ( my siblings school started at noon). My father also got up to go to work, and I felt depressed, 1st bc he was too quiet, second bc he put the radio on news, it was sad and cold. I guess I felt my father’s pain. Till today I don’t like news in the morning, rather listen to Bossa Nova. I also developed depression as a teenager, but I hide it from my family bc it was a big stigma back then. I had 2 episodes of depression in US during my adult life, that was treated with medication. I decided to strengthen myself spiritually, since then no more depression 🙌 ( developing hobbies like bike riding and study philosophy also helped). Btw, light savings changes doesn’t bother me bc my sleep patterns is a mess anyway… but I am figuring out to control this issue without meds. Namaste 🙏 🌸🫶🎶
<span>James</span> Mon, 03/03/2025 - 12:56
This comment aged poorly
<span>Beth G.</span> Sat, 11/02/2024 - 23:05
DST needs to die in a fire. It messes with circadian rhythm and throws our bodies into disarray. If people want more daylight to do things in the summer, get up earlier.