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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>Kaye Swain</span> Mon, 03/05/2018 - 12:12
The changing is especially hard on the very old and the very young. There are more accidents the week after and more heart attacks. I suggest picking one (ideally, the one most natural to the sun) and sticking with it.
<span>Dot Mikado</span> Sun, 03/11/2018 - 10:15
There is no proof that there are more accidents and heart attacks due to DST changes. Somebody made that up years ago and journalists keep repeating the same drivel twice a year.
<span>Kay</span> Thu, 08/30/2018 - 08:13
Yes, DST does cause health issues and deaths, see businessinsider.com/daylight-saving-time-is-deadly-2018-3 from March 11, 2018.
<span>Samantha Gray,…</span> Fri, 03/02/2018 - 18:12
LOVE DST! I have to get up well before dawn to be in the hospital by 6:45 with my nursing students, many of whom drive an hour (sleepy) in the dark to get there on time. WE're inside most of the day, and it's lovely to have the extra light when we get out after 12 hour shifts. Keep DST! Those of us who work in the hospital look forward to it every year.
<span>Debbie Cromer</span> Thu, 10/25/2018 - 10:42
I agree - I too work in a medical office and coming to work in the dark and going home in the dark for MONTHS makes me begin to feel like a mole --:)
<span>Ane Steele</span> Fri, 03/09/2018 - 10:09
DST doesn't do anything but cause confusion with our biological clocks. The livestock still want to be tended to at the same time whether the sun is up or not, the people who drive sleepy will still do it because of not going to bed early, and when I worked in the hospital, the number of accidents increased due to the darkness. The facts are that during the summer, that "one hour" cause the electricity bills to go up because of the air conditioning used. It is blooming hot in the evenings during the summer!
<span>L Rollens</span> Sun, 10/28/2018 - 11:52
Not really, Ann. If I go out in the dark and try to milk, the cows are still bedded down and don't want to get up yet. In the summer they get up before dawn to graze while it's cool but in the winter they stay bedded down until the sun comes up and the frost starts melting. Did you ever try to get a cow up that didn't want to get up??
<span>Julie</span> Thu, 02/22/2018 - 15:52
This is absolutely the stupidest idea ever created! If people want “more daylight” at the end of a work day, STOP making the rest of us change our clocks and change YOUR work hours! Go to work an hour earlier and leave an hour earlier! My body is NOT fooled one but the entire duration of the enforced time lie because my body follows the sun time as nature intended! Leave time alone!
<span>Karen</span> Fri, 11/02/2018 - 07:01
I agree with Julie. It's just a scheme by Big Business to fake out the public. There is a Danish study that shows an alarming increase of heart attacks when the clocks are put forward. Children should not be out in the dark morning waiting for their bus. Have you seen the news on 11/1/2018? Many children killed while waiting for their bus as the sun rises later and later. 12:00 noon standard time is when the sun is overhead - why change that? Just go to work earlier and go home earlier.
<span>Gigi</span> Fri, 03/02/2018 - 08:41
DST is a ridiculous fantasy that benefits only those who work a 9 - 5 office job. I have the right to say that because I worked that schedule for 40 years and I still considered it stupid. If the only objective is to save energy it is a total failure. How can you save energy by simply changing the time your heating or air conditioning unit comes on??? Having the sun be up and shining at bedtime makes sleep patterns erratic for children and adults alike. In my opinion the loss of productivity and increase in disturbed sleep patterns every March and November impact our resources far more than changing when your heat comes on!!