Spring forward, fall back
In spring the clocks go forward 1 hour. You lose an hour of sleep, and evenings stay light for longer. In fall they go back 1 hour. You gain an hour, and mornings get lighter again.
Phones, computers and most watches change by themselves. Clocks in cars, ovens and microwaves usually need to be changed by hand.
When the clocks change in the US
In the United States and Canada, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. The change happens at 2:00 AM local time, so each time zone changes an hour after the one to its east.
Hawaii, most of Arizona and the US territories stay on standard time all year.
When the clocks change in Europe
In the European Union and the UK, summer time starts on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October. Every country changes at the same moment, 1:00 AM GMT, which is 2:00 AM in Central Europe.
Iceland, Turkey, Russia and Belarus don’t change their clocks.
Places without daylight saving time
- Most of Asia, including Japan, China and India
- Most of Africa
- Most places near the equator, where the length of the day barely changes
- Hawaii and most of Arizona in the United States
Questions and answers
Did the clocks change today?
The answer at the top of this page checks today’s date for the United States, Europe and your own time zone.
Do the clocks go forward or back?
They go forward 1 hour in spring and back 1 hour in fall. An easy way to remember it is “spring forward, fall back”.
What time do the clocks change?
In the United States and Canada the change happens at 2:00 AM local time. In Europe it happens at 1:00 AM GMT, the same moment in every country.
Why do we have daylight saving time?
It moves an hour of daylight from the early morning to the evening during the long days of summer. Whether it saves energy is still debated, and some places have stopped using it.
Does my phone change the time by itself?
Yes, as long as it sets the date, time and time zone automatically. Check other clocks too, like the ones in your car and kitchen.
Is daylight saving time ending for good?
There have been plans in the United States and the European Union to stop changing the clocks, but none has taken effect. This page follows the rules in use today.