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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>Nick</span> Mon, 03/10/2025 - 04:36
My clock isn't changing either. It's stupid to change what a clock says. Changing clocks does not cause sleep deprivation. Daylight saving time is a unit conversion, and a very stupid one. I keep daylight saving time disabled on my devices.
<span>My Name</span> Sat, 03/23/2024 - 17:33
Wasn't this supposed to be stopped? It's not healthy and should stay as it is now on winter saving time, as biometheo is better this way for the health.
<span>Will Brenton</span> Mon, 03/11/2024 - 13:51
You have your dates wrong. Clocks don’t go forward until the 31st March
<span>Frank Arbusto</span> Sun, 03/10/2024 - 06:13
I eagerly await the change in time.. the opportunity to spend more time outdoors later in the summer evenings is what I enjoy most..keep it the way it is!! FBA
<span>Nick</span> Mon, 03/10/2025 - 18:12
The time does not and cannot change. You can spend more time outdoors later in the summer evenings without stupidly setting clocks wrong. It's stupid to change what a clock says. Changing what a clock says does not change how late it stays light outside. What a clock says is arbitrary, so it's stupid to number the times differently. Changing what a clock says has absolutely no effect on how the sun moves and is only a unit conversion, meaning that the time is simply denoted by a different number. It's especially stupid to change what a clock says right after Halloween because Halloween specifically is when it is because it gets dark so early, so it's obvious that it does not get dark a lot earlier right after Halloween and therefore it's also obvious that daylight saving time is just stupid people setting clocks wrong. Halloween is definitely in the dark part of the year. It's excessively confusing for a clock to be set differently on Halloween than in the rest of the dark part of the year. Absolutely do not keep it the way it is!
<span>S Dickson</span> Sat, 03/09/2024 - 10:21
That was such a great article. It educated not only myself but my 12 yr old son as well. Thank you for sharing.
<span>Iris</span> Wed, 03/06/2024 - 05:21
I've never understood the need for changing the clocks. People go about their day regardless. They wake at a certain time, and you don't "lose" sleep (you still get your typical 8 hours,) but you DO change *when* you sleep. And that really messes with people. And businesses. How much revenue is lost due to lost productivity because employees oversleep or forget to change their clocks, and are late to work? I mean, if you want to see the sunrise, get up earlier. You want to stay up later, take a nap and stay up. When I moved to Arizona almost 20 years ago, one of the things that I loved the most is getting rid of clock changing, and it's the main thing I'll miss if I ever move away. The scientists can argue for whichever is better, but just pick one and stick with it. People will adapt, businesses will adapt... The sun doesn't adapt. Nature (including plants and cows, lol) doesn't adapt. We've come too far from our connection to Nature. Including our own natures, like circadian rhythms. And not everyone has the same circadian rhythm either!! Look up "Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder" in the DSM and you'll see that some people don't fit in the 9-5 world. So it likely won't matter which is chosen. But science is VERY clear about one thing: The yo-yo effect of changing is damaging. No matter which is picked, someone is going to get bent. But with the current system, everyone gets bent. Pick one and stick with it.
<span>Kay</span> Sat, 03/08/2025 - 08:21
Why do they not just split it since nobody agrees on direction? Half hour. Neither is stuck for more than 30 minutes in excess darkness or with excess light.
<span>Nick</span> Mon, 03/10/2025 - 04:53
A half hour difference is actually a terrible idea for many reasons. A half hour difference matches neither of the time zones with which people are already familiar, meaning that people will have to become familiar with yet another time zone. The GMT offset is not an integer, which makes conversions harder. Electronic devices generally have poor support for nonstandard time zones. One of the time zones with which people are already familiar should be kept. Also, how a clock is set does not change whether people have excess darkness or excess light. The only difference is how the times are numbered, which is arbitrary and is a matter of units of measurement.
<span>Mona</span> Tue, 03/05/2024 - 11:57
The sun tells the time for us, if we pay attention. High Noon was is all the old westerns for a reason. I have never understood the need to change the clocks and force everybody to comply. Adapt yourself to the hours you want. Close your business earlier in the summer if you want to recreate instead of work. But soon, we are looking forward to having all the kids stand out in the dark to wait for the school bus because somebody wants to play in the afternoon. Way to go, selfish people! My father was a dairyman, and he never changed his watch. He delighted when someone asked him for the time, and he gladly gave it to them, then chuckled. Most businesses can change their hours....winter hours and summer hours. Banks and the stock market are about all that cannot. But, we have internet and ATM's so it is not a problem. I do hope the lie of DST will end, and end on standard time. We have not been a 9 to 5 world for a very time.