Daylight saving time (DST) is the practice of advancing clocks by one hour during the warmer months so evenings have more daylight. It affects more than a billion people every year, and for anyone coordinating across time zones, knowing exactly when it changes matters — because two locations that are 5 hours apart in winter can be 6 hours apart in summer.
When does DST start and end in 2026?
United States and Canada
- Starts: Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 2:00 AM local time (clocks spring forward to 3:00 AM)
- Ends: Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2:00 AM local time (clocks fall back to 1:00 AM)
Europe (EU member states)
- Starts: Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 1:00 AM UTC (clocks spring forward)
- Ends: Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 1:00 AM UTC (clocks fall back)
When does DST start and end in 2027?
- United States and Canada: March 14, 2027 → November 7, 2027
- Europe: March 28, 2027 → October 31, 2027
Which countries observe DST?
About 70 countries observe daylight saving time. The largest groups are:
- Most of North America (US, Canada, Mexico — with some regional exceptions)
- Most of Europe
- Parts of the Middle East and South America (Chile, Paraguay, parts of Brazil)
- Australia and New Zealand (southern hemisphere — their summer is your winter)
Many countries near the equator, including Singapore, Hong Kong, and most of Southeast Asia, do not observe DST at all. That's why a Singapore ↔ New York conversion changes between 12 and 13 hours depending on the season.
How DST changes time differences
This is the part that trips people up. The UTC offset of a city on DST is different from its offset in winter. For example:
| City | Standard time offset | DST offset |
|---|---|---|
| New York | UTC-5 (EST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| London | UTC+0 (GMT) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Berlin | UTC+1 (CET) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Singapore | UTC+8 (SGT) | UTC+8 (no DST) |
New York and London are 5 hours apart in winter but only 4 hours apart in summer, because both spring forward but at different times of the month. Use the time zone converter to check the live difference between any two cities.
The 2026 transition dates at a glance
- US spring forward: March 8, 2026
- Europe spring forward: March 29, 2026
- US fall back: November 1, 2026
- Europe fall back: October 25, 2026
Because the US and Europe change on different dates, there is a few-weeks window each year where the New York ↔ London gap is different from the rest of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Does my phone change automatically? Yes — most smartphones, computers, and connected clocks update automatically using their time zone settings.
Does China observe DST? No. China abolished DST in 1991 and stays on UTC+8 (China Standard Time) year-round.
Does Australia observe DST? Partly. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland (southern states), and others observe it in their summer; Queensland and Western Australia do not.