When Do the Clocks Change in the United States?

What Happens, and When

US clocks go forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November, at 2:00 am local time in each zone. Because each zone switches at its own 2:00 am, the change rolls across the country over several hours rather than happening at once.

Phoenix, Honolulu do not change at all, so the gap between there and the rest of the United States is different in summer and winter.

Which Time Differences Move on Nov 1, 2026

A clock change is only interesting because of what it does to the gap between you and everyone else. These are the differences from the United States before and after the change — note that a gap only moves if the other side does not change on the same date.

6 of these 6 differences move on the day.

Why the United States Does Change Its Clocks

The current March-to-November schedule dates from the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which lengthened daylight saving by about a month. Arizona and Hawaii opt out entirely. The Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight time permanent, has passed the Senate but never the House.

The practical consequence is that every time difference involving the United States shifts by an hour on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Anything recurring — a standing call, an automated report, a flight connection — is worth checking across that date, particularly against countries that change on a different day or not at all.

To see the exact gap between any two places on any date, use the time zone converter, or the meeting planner for a whole group at once.

Cities Affected

Clock Changes by State

The federal rule sets the dates, but not who follows them. 2 states ignore the change entirely and stay on standard time all year, and 14 more are split across two time zones, so one half of the state does not read the same as the other. Pick a state for its exact dates, what the change does to sunrise and sunset there, and which of its neighbours are on a different clock today.

Stays on standard time all year: Arizona, Hawaii.

Split across two time zones: Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Alaska.