Daylight Savings 2026: When is the Daylight Savings Time

Daylight saving 2026 time, often known as the yearly time shift, is planned to begin in 2026, which means most Americans will lose an hour of sleep as they “spring forward” this weekend.

For nearly two decades, the second Sunday of March has seen the annual ritual of shifting clocks an hour forward.

What is Daylight Savings Time 2026?

By moving the clocks forward an hour, daylight saving time essentially shifts one hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. According to the National Weather Service, sunrise in Boston on Saturday, the day before the time change, will be at 6:09 a.m. and sunset at 5:41 p.m.

On Sunday, once the clocks are changed, the sun will rise at 7:08 a.m. and set at 6:42 p.m.

What day and time does daylight saving time start for March 2026?

This year, daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m. local time. Since 2007, the commencement date has been set for the second Sunday of March, according to the United States Naval Observatory, the Defence Department’s official timekeeper.

For the two decades before 2007, daylight saving time began on the first Sunday in April. Before 1987, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established the start date as the final Sunday of April.

According to the Congressional Research Service, during the 1970s energy crisis, Congress chose to experiment with year-round daylight saving time, which began on the first Sunday of January 1974.

The experiment did not continue a full year, as the country returned to standard time in October and then resumed daylight saving time on the final Sunday of February in 1975. After 1975, the commencement date was moved back to April.

Do we lose or gain an hour for daylight saving time in March?

On Sunday, most of the U.S. will lose an hour due to the clock change, with time shifting from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. “Spring forward” ahead of the vernal equinox on March 20, which marks the beginning of spring.

When will daylight saving time end in 2026?

Most Americans will “fall back” to standard time at 2 a.m. local time on the first Sunday of November, which this year falls on November 1. The country will be nearly six weeks into autumn after the autumnal equinox on September 22.

Daylight saving time will be in force for 238 days, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a government institution that sets the official time in the United States.

Why do we have daylight saving time?

Daylight saving time was initially implemented in the United States in 1918 to preserve gasoline during World War I, according to the Congressional Research Service. It was employed for the same purpose during World War II, as well as to “promote national security and defence,” according to the Defence Department.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the Transportation Department determined in 1974 that it had modest benefits in terms of energy conservation, traffic safety, and violent crime reduction.

The Energy Department discovered that after daylight saving time began earlier in 2007, electricity consumption decreased by 0.03%. The time shift has also been linked to certain detrimental health consequences.

Which states don’t observe daylight saving time?

Only two states, Hawaii and Arizona, do not follow daylight saving time, except for the Navajo Nation in the Grand Canyon State’s northeast. American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands do not alter their clocks.

Will my phone change the time for daylight saving automatically?

If your phone is set to update automatically, it should update itself with the time change. Apple, Google, and Samsung have support pages for those who require help adjusting the time on their smartphones, and Straight Talk and Tracfone provide instructions for Motorola users.