For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

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

More Like This

Comments

<span>Cindy Freeman</span> Tue, 03/07/2017 - 08:13
I'm with you!
<span>Brenda Ahsan</span> Sun, 03/12/2017 - 18:47
i agree with you,i LOVE dark at 5pm !!!! i am so depressed and mad with all that daytime in the summer and sun and more heat !!!!! uugghh
<span>Linda Mock</span> Sun, 02/26/2017 - 12:18
Pick one and stay there. The old "First People" guy was right. Cutting off the top of the blanket and adding to the bottom does not give you a longer blanket. Government thinking it knows best by kidding the people. Not..... Silly....
<span>Carrie H.</span> Fri, 02/24/2017 - 14:36
I absolutely love it - I go into a funk when November comes and it gets dark at 5:00 but those long, summer nights of DST are pure joy. I'm happy that it's a longer time now with DST than it used to be. We're on 8 months of DST and only 4 mts.of Standard Time. We're gravitating toward 12 months of DST.
<span>Jenjen</span> Fri, 02/24/2017 - 08:05
I know this is stupid, but years ago, when I subscribed to TVGuide (pre computer days) on the weeks that Daylight Saving Time began or stopped the TVGuide would have, at 2:00 am in the morning a regular layout. That is, on those days there would be 24 hours of programming. Excuse me, but wouldn't there be one week of 23 hours of programming and one week of 25 hours of programming due to the time change? I actually called my local TV station and asked them about it and they gave me a nice reply but it wasn't an answer. They simply explained the logistics of Daylight Saving Time to me, which I had already understood, it was the TVGuide that confused me. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
<span>Brian Garrett</span> Sat, 03/04/2017 - 21:08
As I recall, what TV Guide used to do was ignore the fact that the clock changes at 2:00 AM (when very few stations were operating anyway, back in the day) and start the time change with Sunday morning's listings. So, if we were on standard time, all of Saturday's listings would be in standard time and the listings for Sunday morning would be the first ones in DST. So there were no 23- or 25-hour days. Listings began with 5:00 AM or whatever time the stations signed on in the morning, and continued until sign-off, so the "wee hours" of Sunday were still regarded as Saturday night. That is how the TV Guide magazine used to do it; your local paper may have done something different.
<span>Jack Grier</span> Wed, 02/22/2017 - 16:32
I hate it. The government forces me to get us an hour earlier.
<span>Michelle</span> Mon, 02/20/2017 - 19:44
Winter is no fun in Chicago since we're so far East in the central time zone, the shortest day of the year means it's full on dark at 4:30 in the afternoon here
<span>Judith Davis</span> Mon, 02/20/2017 - 11:23
I hate time changes...I am feeding my horses in the dark half of the time....or trying to get them to adjust to the change. We live in a rural area an kids ride school buses long distances, leaving and are often getting on and off off buses in the dark. And, studies show people don't use vehicles, appliances, and heating like they did when originally enacted. It is not financially as effective today.
<span>Jenjen</span> Fri, 02/24/2017 - 08:14
I think it is now, as it has always been, a matter of convenience for the "business" person rather than the rural average Joe/Jane that DST was designed to help. The business worker, as a general rule works 9-5 so an afternoon with an extra hour of sunlight for gold is just dandy. The "laborer" or rural person is, if they have a job away from home (that is not a farmer, etc.) is on the job at 7:00 a.m. and working just as the business job holder is tapping the alarm clock. Do the math. I will say that now that I'm working the "business" hours it's a bit nicer for me, personally, however, a few years ago I was working more of a "rural" type job and it was always hard to adjust to getting up, being on the road for a solid hour driving in the dark just to get to the job at 6:30. I do see the sides of both arguments and have sympathies for both. What I'm wondering is when someone is going to split the difference by a half-hour and keep it that way year round.