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U.S. Daylight Saving Time · Next Spring Forward

When Does Daylight Saving Time Start in 2027?

Under the current U.S. federal rule, daylight saving time is scheduled to start on Sunday, March 14, 2027, at 2:00 a.m. local time in places that observe it. At 2:00 a.m., clocks move forward one hour to 3:00 a.m.—the spring-forward change.

Quick answer: the United States starts daylight saving time on the second Sunday in March. The exact date changes each year, but the local clock change is 2:00 a.m. → 3:00 a.m. in participating areas.
Next U.S. startMarch 14, 2027Second Sunday in March
Clock change2:00 → 3:00 a.m.Spring forward one hour
Applies whereMost U.S. statesArizona, Hawaii & territories have exceptions
See the Countdown DST Start Dates DST by State
Find the next clock change, state exceptions, legal status or a related U.S. time-zone reference.
Popular: Daylight Saving Time When DST Ends DST by State States Without DST Is DST Ending? U.S. Time Zones

Daylight Saving Time Start at a Glance

Everything you need for the next U.S. spring-forward change: the exact date, what happens at 2:00 a.m., which places are exceptions, future dates and the current legal status.

DATE

Next Start Date

See the scheduled U.S. DST start and the next several spring-forward dates.

View the dates → LIVE

Live Countdown

Track the time remaining until the next U.S. daylight saving time start.

Open countdown details → +1

2:00 → 3:00 AM

See exactly what happens to the clock when daylight saving time begins.

See the spring forward → US

State Exceptions

Check Arizona, Hawaii, the Navajo Nation and U.S. territories that do not follow the usual rule.

Check exceptions → LAW

Is the Change Still Happening?

See the latest reviewed federal status and the Sunshine Protection Act context.

See legal status → ⇄

Compare the Clock Change

Compare the spring-forward transition across major U.S. time zones.

Compare zones →

When U.S. Clocks Spring Forward

The federal start rule is local-time based. In participating U.S. areas, the clock jumps from 2:00 a.m. standard time to 3:00 a.m. daylight time on the same Sunday.

Explore U.S. time zones →
U.S. ZoneBefore the ChangeAfter the ChangeLocal StartCurrent Status
Eastern TimeEST · UTC−05:00EDT · UTC−04:002:00 → 3:00 a.m.—
Central TimeCST · UTC−06:00CDT · UTC−05:002:00 → 3:00 a.m.—
Mountain TimeMST · UTC−07:00MDT · UTC−06:002:00 → 3:00 a.m.—
Pacific TimePST · UTC−08:00PDT · UTC−07:002:00 → 3:00 a.m.—
Alaska TimeAKST · UTC−09:00AKDT · UTC−08:002:00 → 3:00 a.m.—
What Happens at 2:00 AM? DST by State Time Zone Chart

Where the U.S. Start Rule Applies—and Where It Does Not

Most U.S. locations follow the March start rule, but the major exceptions matter. Use these shortcuts for the time-zone and state references behind the spring-forward change.

Spring ForwardEastern TimeEST changes to EDT in participating areas.→ Spring ForwardCentral TimeCST changes to CDT in participating areas.→ Spring ForwardMountain TimeMST changes to MDT where DST is observed.→ Spring ForwardPacific TimePST changes to PDT in participating areas.→ Major ExceptionArizonaMost of Arizona does not observe DST.→ No DSTHawaiiHawaii does not spring forward.→ 50-State ReferenceDST by StateSee the rule and exceptions state by state.→ Exception GuideStates Without DSTFocus on Arizona, Hawaii and important nuances.→

Daylight Saving Time Start Dates: 2026–2031

Under the current federal rule, U.S. daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Future dates below assume that rule remains unchanged.

See DST end dates →
YearDST StartsLocal Clock ChangeDST Ends
2026Sunday, March 8, 20262:00 → 3:00 a.m.Sunday, November 1, 2026
2027Sunday, March 14, 20272:00 → 3:00 a.m.Sunday, November 7, 2027
2028Sunday, March 12, 20282:00 → 3:00 a.m.Sunday, November 5, 2028
2029Sunday, March 11, 20292:00 → 3:00 a.m.Sunday, November 4, 2029
2030Sunday, March 10, 20302:00 → 3:00 a.m.Sunday, November 3, 2030
2031Sunday, March 9, 20312:00 → 3:00 a.m.Sunday, November 2, 2031
Spring Forward · One Hour

What Happens at 2:00 AM?

At the start of daylight saving time, the local clock does not pass through the 2:00–2:59 a.m. hour. It advances from the last moment before 2:00 a.m. standard time directly into 3:00 a.m. daylight time. That is why the day is one clock hour shorter.

Compare U.S. Zones How DST Works Fall Back Date U.S. Time Zones
Before1:58 AMStandard time · clock is still normal
Last minute1:59 AMThe final minute before the jump
Next hour shown3:00 AMDaylight time begins · 2:xx is skipped
After3:01 AMClocks are now one hour ahead

Spring Forward by U.S. Time Zone

The date is shared across participating U.S. zones, but the corresponding UTC moment is different because the rule is based on 2:00 a.m. local standard time.

Open the time zone converter →
Reference LocationStandardDaylightSpring-Forward ExampleLive Now
New YorkEST · UTC−05EDT · UTC−041:59 → 3:00— · —
ChicagoCST · UTC−06CDT · UTC−051:59 → 3:00— · —
DenverMST · UTC−07MDT · UTC−061:59 → 3:00— · —
Los AngelesPST · UTC−08PDT · UTC−071:59 → 3:00— · —
AnchorageAKST · UTC−09AKDT · UTC−081:59 → 3:00— · —
State & Territory Exceptions

Does Every U.S. State Spring Forward?

No. The U.S. Department of Transportation states that daylight saving time is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and most of Arizona.

HawaiiNo seasonal DST clock change.
Most of ArizonaNo DST; clocks generally remain on Mountain Standard Time.
Navajo NationAn important Arizona exception: the Navajo Nation does observe DST.
U.S. territories listed aboveNo spring-forward clock change under the current federal framework.

Spring Forward: The Six Facts That Matter

These points cover the practical questions behind “when does daylight saving time start?” without mixing the start-date intent with unrelated DST history.

01 · Date Rule

Second Sunday in March

The federal start date is defined by a recurring rule, so the calendar date changes from year to year.

02 · Local Time

The Change Happens at 2:00 AM

The start is keyed to local standard time, not one nationwide UTC moment.

03 · Direction

Clocks Move Forward One Hour

The clock jumps from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., creating a 23-hour local calendar day.

04 · Memory Phrase

Spring Forward

“Spring forward, fall back” is the common shortcut for remembering which direction clocks move.

05 · Exceptions

Not Every U.S. Location Changes

Hawaii, most of Arizona and several U.S. territories do not observe the seasonal change.

06 · Future Dates

Dates Depend on Current Law

Future spring-forward dates can be calculated from the current rule, but legislation can change the schedule.

Compare the Spring-Forward Change

Select two U.S. reference zones to compare the standard-to-daylight transition on the next scheduled DST start. Arizona and Hawaii are included to make the non-DST exceptions obvious.

1:59 AM → 3:00 AM
EST → EDT · UTC−05:00 → UTC−04:00
⇄
1:59 AM → 3:00 AM
PST → PDT · UTC−08:00 → UTC−07:00
Open Full Converter

How the U.S. DST Start Rule Works

The scheduled start can be understood with six simple rules covering the date, local time, zones, exceptions and data freshness.

01 · Federal Rule

Use the Second Sunday in March

That recurring rule determines the spring start date for participating U.S. jurisdictions.

02 · Local Clock

Change at 2:00 AM Standard Time

The transition occurs at local time, so Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific and Alaska do not switch at one shared UTC instant.

03 · One-Hour Jump

Skip Directly to 3:00 AM

The 2:00–2:59 a.m. hour is skipped on the local wall clock at the spring transition.

04 · Participation

Most of the United States Observes DST

The standard national rule applies broadly, but states can exempt themselves from observing DST under federal law.

05 · Exceptions

Check Arizona, Hawaii & Territories

Local DST status matters more than simply knowing the state or nominal time-zone offset.

06 · Software

Use Date-Aware IANA Time Zones

For applications and schedules, location-specific IANA zones preserve historical and future transition rules instead of hardcoding one offset.

Why the DST Start Is Local, Not One National UTC Time

The U.S. rule says the transition occurs at 2:00 a.m. local time. That means New York reaches its transition before Chicago in UTC terms, Chicago before Denver, and Denver before Los Angeles.

For software, calendars and scheduling systems, use a location-specific IANA identifier such as America/New_York, America/Chicago, America/Denver or America/Los_Angeles. A fixed UTC offset cannot represent both standard and daylight time correctly across the transition.

UTC Offsets Time Zone Abbreviations Time Zone Converter

Does DST Start on the Same Date Worldwide?

No. The March rule described on this page is the U.S. federal schedule. Other countries and regions can use different dates, different local transition times or no daylight saving time at all.

If you are coordinating an international meeting or trip, do not assume the U.S. spring-forward date is global. Compare the actual named locations for the date you care about.

World Time Zones Time Zone Difference Time Zone Meeting Planner
Visual Geography

See U.S. Time Zones & DST Exceptions on a Map

A map is most useful when the geography explains an exception: Arizona's relationship to Mountain Time, state boundaries across multiple time zones and how U.S. zones fit together before and after the spring-forward change.

U.S. Time Zone Map Time Zone Map U.S. Time Zones

Related Daylight Saving Time Answers

The start date is only one part of the seasonal clock change. These pages keep the end date, state-by-state rules and legal-status questions separate so each answer stays focused.

Core GuideDaylight Saving Time Fall BackWhen Does DST End? State RulesDaylight Saving Time by State Legal StatusIs Daylight Saving Time Ending?

Sources & Methodology

The U.S. start rule and 2026 transition dates are based on NIST's official daylight saving time guidance. U.S. observance exceptions are checked against the Department of Transportation, which regulates time zones and national DST observance. The legal-status note uses the U.S. Government Publishing Office record for H.R. 139. Future start dates are calculated from the current second-Sunday-in-March rule.

NIST — Daylight Saving Time Rules U.S. Department of Transportation — Daylight Saving Time U.S. Department of Transportation — Uniform Time GovInfo — H.R. 139, Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, Referred in Senate IANA Time Zone Database — civil-time transition data

Last reviewed: August 22, 2026 · Current U.S. 2026 DST season: March 8 at 2:00 a.m. local time through November 1 at 2:00 a.m. local time · Future dates assume the current federal rule remains in force.

Daylight Saving Time Start FAQ

When does daylight saving time start in 2027?

Under the current U.S. federal rule, daylight saving time is scheduled to start on Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 2:00 a.m. local time in areas that observe it. Clocks move forward to 3:00 a.m.

What time does daylight saving time start?

The U.S. spring transition occurs at 2:00 a.m. local standard time. At that moment, clocks advance directly to 3:00 a.m. daylight time.

Do we lose or gain an hour when DST starts?

You lose one clock hour. Because the local clock jumps from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., the spring-forward calendar day has 23 local clock hours.

When did daylight saving time start in 2026?

In participating U.S. locations, daylight saving time began on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 2:00 a.m. local time.

Which states do not observe daylight saving time?

Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe DST. The Navajo Nation in Arizona does observe it. Several U.S. territories also do not observe daylight saving time.

Is daylight saving time becoming permanent?

As of this page's August 22, 2026 legal-status review, the seasonal federal schedule remains in force. H.R. 139 passed the House in July 2026 and was referred to the Senate, but it had not become law at that review. See the dedicated legal-status page for the latest review.

Why is it called spring forward?

“Spring forward” is the memory phrase for moving clocks ahead one hour when daylight saving time begins in spring.

Is it daylight saving time or daylight savings time?

The formal term is “daylight saving time.” “Daylight savings time” is a common informal variation and is widely used in searches and everyday speech.