Tonight is the night we’ll move our clocks forward one hour.
The arrival of daylight saving time means we’ll “spring forward” from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday, March 8.
Yes, this is the time change that means we’ll lose an hour of sleep.
➤ Daylight saving time is this Sunday. Start prepping your dog, kids, now
When you head to work Monday morning, March 9, it will be darker, so plan your morning commute accordingly and watch for students at bus stops.
Days will get longer, though, until the summer solstice on June 21.
➤ Search for sunrise and sunset times where you live
Here’s what you should know.
Do we move our clocks forward this weekend?
Yes. Daylight saving time starts the second Monday in March.
When does time change 2026?
Daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 8. We will move our clocks forward one hour at 2 a.m.
Well, we’ll do that for any clocks that don’t do it for us.
‘Spring forward, fall back’ helps us remember
Using the phrase “spring forward, fall back” helps us remember which way to turn our clocks, assuming you have some that don’t automatically change.
➤ Daylight saving deals for spring forward in March 2026. List of stores
We move clocks forward one hour in the spring — March 8 this year — and back one hour in the fall — Nov. 1 this year.
When does daylight saving time 2026 end?
Daylight saving time ends 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.
When is daylight saving time 2026?
Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m., Sunday, March 8, 2026, and ends at 2 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026.
Daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
Countdown to start of daylight saving time 2026
Didn’t Florida vote to stay on daylight saving time?
Florida was the first state that wanted to make daylight saving time permanent.
To make that happen requires a bill to be passed by both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and then signed into law by the president. Despite repeated attempts over the years, that hasn’t happened and it doesn’t look like it’ll happen again this year.
Staying on standard time option that doesn’t require congressional approval
The alternative to keeping daylight saving time is to make standard time permanent. This can be done by each individual state, which would have to pass a law and notify the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“The state would just need to let DOT and the rest of the world know that they no longer observe DST, if that is the decision,” the DOT said in an email.
Staying on standard time is a state decision and does not require congressional approval or a law signed by the president.
What’s the difference between daylight saving time and standard time?
Daylight saving time brings later sunrises and sunsets, which means more time for outdoor activities after work. The flip side is darker mornings for commuters and school children.
Standard time brings earlier sunrises and sunsets, which some argue increases safety in the mornings for school children and is more in line with our biological circadian rhythms.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the American Medical Association, and the National Sleep Foundation have all urged for a change to year-round standard time.
Americans divided on whether to make daylight saving or standard time permanent
A 2025 Gallop poll found 54% of Americans wanted to end the practice of repeatedly changing our clocks but can’t agree on which to make permanent.
Forty-eight percent preferred standard time all year while 24% wanted permanent daylight saving time.
The shift of which time Americans prefer to make permanent has changed over the years. In 1999, 73% favored making daylight saving time permanent.
Daylight Act of 2026 splits the difference. Will it gain traction?
On Feb. 4, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fl-17) introduced the Daylight Act of 2026 to split the difference, permanently shift U.S. time zones forward 30 minutes ahead of today’s standard time, and leave them there all year.
➤ Half daylight saving? How a new proposed time change would work
By pushing the time zones forward by 30 minutes, Floridians would experience more daylight in the evening hours all year, and darker mornings, but neither would be as abrupt a change as we experience now with daylight saving time.
It also would stop the twice-annual changing of time with its associated physical and psychology stress.
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which is where it remained on March 4.
What happened to the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025?
Don’t count on Congress signing off on the Sunshine Protection Act anytime soon. The act would make daylight saving time permanent across the U.S.
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Jan. 3, 2025.
It’s still there, as of March 4.
The Senate version of the bill was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Jan. 7, 2025.
It’s still there, as of March 4.
Both bills would make daylight saving time the new, permanent time.
Poll: Should Congress make daylight saving time permanent?
Is it daylight saving time or Daylight Savings Time?
It’s daylight saving time, no s and no capital letters.
Contributing: C. A. Bridges, USA Today Network-Florida
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://heraldtribune.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: When is the time change? Daylight saving time almost here
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
