Daylight saving time, the yearly time change colloquially known as daylight savings, is about to start for 2026. Most Americans are thus set to lose an hour of sleep when they “spring forward” this weekend. For almost 20 years, the yearly ritual of moving clocks an hour ahead has taken place on the second Sunday of March.
When does daylight saving time start for March 2026?
Daylight saving time starts on Sunday, March 8, at 2 am local time this year. Since 2007, the start date has been on the second Sunday of March, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the official source of time for the Defense Department.
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Most of the United States will lose an hour Sunday from the changing of the clocks, as at 2 am the time jumps to 3 am. We “spring forward” ahead of the real beginning of spring, which comes with the vernal equinox on March 20.
When does daylight saving time end for 2026?
Most Americans are set to “fall back” to standard time at 2 am local time on the first Sunday of November. This year, it is on November 1. The country will be nearly six weeks into fall by that time, after the autumnal equinox on September 22.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Daylight saving time will be in effect for 238 days.
Which US states don’t change clocks?
The U.S. Department of Transportation noted that as of July 25, 2022, only Hawaii and parts of Arizona do not participate in daylight saving time. The lone exception in Arizona is the Navajo Nation.
Meanwhile, the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also do not participate.
The website noted that states may exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time by state law in accordance with the Uniform Time Act, as amended.
