Feb. 21, 2026, 11:25 a.m. CT
The sun has been rising earlier and setting later every day, almost shy of the 7 a.m. sunrise.
But that will be coming to an end in only a short amount of time.
Daylight Saving Time will push the sun out an hour longer in March, with the sun not setting until 7:30 p.m. and later. Here’s what to know about the time change and if you should set your clock to change.
When will Daylight Saving Time begin in 2026?
Daylight Saving Time will begin at 2 a.m. March 8, 2026, the second Sunday in March. Clocks will be set forward one hour, leading to sunrise and sunset coming an hour later.
Most digital clocks on smartphones, TV, computers, may change on their own, requiring no extra help. Whereas your kitchen and your coffee pot may need manual adjustment.
When did Daylight Saving Time end in 2025?
Daylight Saving Time ended Nov. 2, 2025, the first Sunday in November. Clocks were set back one hour, making sunrise and sunset each an hour earlier.
What is Daylight Saving Time?
Daylight Saving Time, often called daylight savings time, is when “daylight” begins an hour later in the morning and lasts an hour longer in the evening, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The clock change allows the hour of daylight to stay coordinated with the time most people are active outside. Daylight saving time is supposed to save energy, since during the warmer months, the majority of people will be outside and not home, which saves energy.
When is the spring equinox in 2026?
The vernal equinox, marking the first day of spring, is at 9:46 a.m. CDT on March 20, 2026.
Sunshine Protection Act makes no movement
At the start of 2025, Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, introduced the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, which would make daylight savings time the new and permanent standard time for the U.S.
This bill would also allow states with areas that already do not currently observe the time change to choose standard time as the new time.
There are two states in the U.S. that do not observe daylight saving time, being Hawai’i and Arizona. The territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also do not.
Since being introduced last January, the bill has not made any movement through the chambers.