When Do We Move the Clocks Forward? You Might Be Surprised

It is almost time for the annual ritual that makes people question their own intelligence, even though we have been doing it forever. Daylight Saving Time is back, and yes, we are moving the clocks forward. You might be surprised that despite the winter that started in November and seems like it's never going to end, the love to Daylight Saving time is close.

This year, we “spring forward” on Sunday, March 8, 2026. At 2:00 a.m., the clock jumps ahead to 3:00 a.m., which means we lose an hour of sleep, and gain longer light in the evening. If you are old school, you change the clocks before bed on Saturday night, March 7. If you are like most of us, your phone will do it for you, and then your microwave will sit there blinking “12:00” for the next six months as a personal attack.

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We are also at the point where there are fewer clocks to actually change. Phones, computers, tablets, smart TVs, and a lot of newer cars update automatically. Still, wall clocks, appliance clocks, and some car dashboards need the manual treatment, and that is usually when someone in the house announces, “I did the one in the kitchen,” while the oven remains completely wrong until Thanksgiving.

So why do we do this anyway?

The short version, Daylight Saving Time was meant to shift daylight to later in the day, when people are more likely to be awake and doing things. Benjamin Franklin is often credited with proposing the idea back in the 1700s, though the modern version of DST came later, including widespread use during World War I as countries looked to conserve resources.

In the United States, the rules were eventually standardized by federal law, after years of confusion from place to place. The current schedule has DST beginning on the second Sunday in March and ending on the first Sunday in November, and that is why the 2026 switch happens on March 8.

For the record, Daylight Saving Time does not create more daylight, it just moves it around. Obviously, some of you say!  Think of it like rearranging the furniture, same couch, different wall.

One more thing while you are at it, check the smoke detector batteries, and maybe the carbon monoxide detector too. It is one of those tiny tasks that is annoying until it is the best decision you made all year.