In most of the United States, daylight saving time (DST) is the part of the year when clocks are set one hour ahead of standard time. In 2026, DST began on March 8 and ends on November 1. In spring, clocks skip from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.; in fall, they move from 2 a.m. back to 1 a.m., repeating that hour. These are US dates and rules; other countries follow different schedules, and some do not change clocks.
What is the difference between daylight saving time and standard time?
Standard time is the clock setting in effect when the seasonal one-hour advance is not in use. During DST, clocks are one hour ahead of standard time. The change adjusts civil time relative to daylight; it does not change the Sun or the amount of daylight in a day. Sunrise and sunset appear about an hour later by the clock during DST, while the actual seasonal change in daylight continues gradually with the date.
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| What to compare | Standard time | Daylight saving time |
|---|---|---|
| Clock setting | The baseline setting for the time zone. | One hour ahead of standard time. |
| Placement of daylight | Compared with DST, an hour of daylight is shifted back toward morning. | An hour of daylight is shifted from morning toward evening. |
| US seasonal change | Begins when clocks move back in fall; ends when clocks move ahead in spring. | Begins in spring and ends in fall, subject to local exceptions. |
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes the spring transition as moving one hour of daylight from morning to evening, and the fall transition as moving it back toward morning. The seasonal clock rule does not create or remove daylight.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhen do clocks change in the US?
For most of the United States, DST began Sunday, March 8, 2026, and ends Sunday, November 1, 2026. Under the federal schedule, clocks move ahead at 2 a.m. local standard time on the second Sunday in March and move back at 2 a.m. local daylight time on the first Sunday in November. Because the change is made on local clocks, it is not one simultaneous UTC transition across the country.
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| Transition | What the clock does | Effect on that local calendar day |
|---|---|---|
| Spring: standard time to DST | At 2 a.m., clocks jump ahead to 3 a.m.; the 2 a.m. hour is skipped. | One fewer clock hour. |
| Fall: DST to standard time | At 2 a.m., clocks go back to 1 a.m.; the 1 a.m. hour happens twice. | One extra clock hour. |
NIST says current US rules keep DST in effect for 238 days, or about 65% of the year. This is the calendar duration of the rule, not a measure of energy saved.
Which US places do not observe daylight saving time?
States may exempt themselves from DST under the Uniform Time Act. States that do observe it use the federally mandated start and end dates. The US Department of Transportation lists Hawaii, most of Arizona, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands as places that do not observe DST. The Navajo Indian Reservation is an exception within Arizona and does observe it. Local boundaries can matter, so check the rule for your specific jurisdiction.
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Do phones, computers, and clocks change automatically?
Most current phones and computers ordinarily update automatically when configured with the correct time zone and kept up to date. NIST explains that operating systems use UTC time information together with local time-zone and DST rules to display local time. Keeping the operating system current helps ensure it has the applicable rule updates.
Radio-controlled clocks can apply DST rules using the WWVB time signal, according to NIST. If one shows the wrong time after a change, check that it has synchronized recently and that its time-zone setting is correct. If you live somewhere that does not observe DST and the clock has an automatic DST setting, disable that feature. Older clocks with fixed transition dates may require manual adjustment or manufacturer guidance.
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Do other countries change clocks on the same dates?
No. Clock-change schedules differ by country, and some countries do not observe seasonal clock changes at all. As one example, most of Europe began DST on March 29 in 2026, three weeks after the US and Canada. That date is an illustration, not a complete calendar for every European jurisdiction. Use local official guidance for dates and exceptions outside the United States.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does daylight saving time save energy?
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended the US DST period with energy-consumption reduction as its rationale. The cited NIST material does not establish a quantified energy-saving outcome, so the law’s rationale should not be taken as a measurement of how much energy the rule saves.
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