By Alex Sundby
Senior Editor
Updated March 8, 2026 / 12:18 AM EST
Daylight saving time for 2026 begins early Sunday, March 8, when most Americans will set clocks forward one hour and lose an hour of sleep. The change occurs at 2 a.m. local time on the second Sunday in March, a schedule in place since 2007.
What is daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time (DST) shifts the clocks ahead one hour to move an hour of daylight from morning to evening. For example, in Boston the National Weather Service reported sunrise on the Saturday before the change at 6:09 a.m. and sunset at 5:41 p.m.; after the clocks spring forward, the sun will rise at about 7:08 a.m. and set at roughly 6:42 p.m.
When exactly does DST start this year?
DST takes effect on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2 a.m. local time. The U.S. Naval Observatory, which supplies official time to the Defense Department, notes the start date has been the second Sunday in March since the 2007 adjustment.
A brief history
Before 2007, the start date shifted over the decades: for the two decades prior it began on the first Sunday in April, and earlier rules under the Uniform Time Act of 1966 set the start on the last Sunday in April. During the 1970s energy crisis, Congress briefly tried year-round DST in 1974, starting the first Sunday in January; that was scaled back the following year, and the start date later returned to April until being moved in 2007.
Do we lose or gain an hour?
Most of the U.S. loses an hour when clocks move ahead — at 2 a.m. the time jumps to 3 a.m. The phrase “spring forward” is used even though the vernal equinox does not arrive until March 20 this year.
When does DST end in 2026?
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on the first Sunday of November, which in 2026 falls on Nov. 1. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, DST will be in effect for 238 days this year.
Why do we observe DST?
DST was first adopted in the U.S. in 1918 to conserve fuel during World War I and was again used during World War II for similar reasons, including national security considerations. Over the decades, studies have shown the energy-saving effects are minimal. A 1974 Transportation Department review found limited benefits for energy conservation, traffic safety and crime reduction, and a later Energy Department analysis after the 2007 shift estimated electricity consumption fell by only about 0.03%. The clock changes have also been linked to negative health impacts for some people.
Who does not observe DST?
Two states do not observe daylight saving time: Hawaii and most of Arizona (the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona does observe DST). U.S. territories that do not change clocks include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Will my phone update automatically?
Most smartphones will update the time automatically if they are set to do so. Apple, Google and Samsung maintain support pages to help users whose devices don’t change automatically, and carriers or device manufacturers can provide instructions for manual adjustments when needed.