Southern hemisphere countries such as Australia and New Zealand spring forward in September and October instead.
How daylight saving time works
Daylight saving time (DST) moves the clocks one hour ahead in spring and one hour back in autumn, shifting an hour of daylight from the early morning to the evening during the longer days of summer. The phrase people remember is “spring forward, fall back”. When clocks go forward you lose an hour of sleep that night, and when they go back you gain an hour, because the same hour after midnight happens twice. ClockChange applies each region’s rule to any year, so you can see the next change, the countdown and the dates for the next decade.
The rules by region
In the United States and most of Canada, DST starts at 2:00 am on the second Sunday in March and ends at 2:00 am on the first Sunday in November. The European Union, the United Kingdom and Ireland change on the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October, all at the same instant, 01:00 UTC. That is 1:00 am in London and 2:00 am in Paris or Berlin. For a week or two each spring and autumn the gap between New York and London is therefore four hours instead of five, which catches out many meeting invitations. South-eastern Australia changes on the first Sunday in October and the first Sunday in April, and New Zealand on the last Sunday in September and the first Sunday in April.
Places without daylight saving time
Hawaii, most of Arizona, Saskatchewan and Yukon stay on standard time all year, as do Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Japan, China, India and South Korea do not use DST, and Mexico, Brazil, Russia and Türkiye have all abolished it in recent years. If you work with people in these places, the time difference changes when your own clocks change.
Getting ready for the change
Phones, computers and smart watches update automatically, but ovens, microwaves, car dashboards and wall clocks usually need changing by hand. Many people use the weekend of the clock change as a reminder to test smoke alarms. To ease the spring change, go to bed a little earlier for a few nights beforehand and get outside in the morning light afterwards. In autumn, the extra hour is a good chance to catch up on sleep, though young children and pets may wake at their usual body-clock time for a few days. Check flight, train and shift times that fall in the night of the change, because a 1:30 am departure can happen twice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I adjust to losing an hour?
Go to bed 15 minutes earlier for a few nights before the change, and get morning daylight afterwards.
Why do Australia and Europe differ?
Seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere, so summer time starts in October.
Is the time change permanent soon?
Proposals to end clock changes exist in the US and EU, but none had become law at the time of writing.
Is ClockChange free?
Yes, with no sign-up or ads.
How are dates worked out?
From each region’s current law, calculated in your browser for any year.