Daylight Saving Time 2025: When to change the clocks and everything you need to know
The Trump administration is considering eliminating the time change, and Elon Musk has called for a vote
As part of his government efficiency efforts, U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to eliminate Daylight Saving Time (DST). In speeches, he has positioned himself as a proponent of keeping standard time year-round. Currently, most of the United States follows daylight saving time for about eight months, while Arizona and Hawaii remain on standard time.
Attempts to abolish time changes have failed in Congress, including the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act. Some states have passed or proposed legislation to remain on Daylight Saving Time or Standard Time permanently, but federal approval is required. One compromise idea suggests moving clocks forward one hour in March and back 30 minutes in November, then keeping that schedule indefinitely.
Elon Musk, heading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has encouraged public debate on the issue, calling for votes on the matter. However, previous attempts to establish permanent DST, such as in 1974, failed. The debate remains unresolved due to split preferences between DST and standard time, leaving lawmakers hesitant to act.
How did daylight saving time come about?
The history of daylight saving time in the United States began with a satirical essay by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, in which he suggested that getting up early would save candles, which he did as a joke. Germany implemented it in 1916 during World War I to save fuel, and soon the rest of Europe followed suit.
The United States adopted it in 1918 with the Standard Time Act, which established five time zones and daylight saving time. However, Congress abolished it despite Woodrow Wilson’s veto, leaving each state to choose its adoption. New York influenced others to keep it because of its financial importance.
During World War II, Franklin Roosevelt established a permanent daylight saving time, called “War Time,” which lasted until 1945. Subsequent lack of regulation created disorder, leading to the Uniform Time Act of 1966, signed by Lyndon Johnson, which established uniform rules for schedules. Since then, daylight saving time has remained in place with adjustments to its duration; however, there have been trials such as 1974, when it was applied year-round.
When does daylight saving time begin in the United States?
Daylight saving time in the United States begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. This year, the date falls on March 9, 2025, while it will end on November 2.
In 2026, the changeover dates will be March 8 and November 1.
The daylight saving time changeover begins at 2:00 a.m., at which time the clocks must be set forward one hour, changing to 3:00 a.m. In the fall, the clocks are set back one hour, from 2:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Most of today’s electronic devices change the time automatically.
Which states do not follow daylight saving time in the United States?
Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are the states and territories that do not observe daylight saving time.
Will daylight saving time be permanent in the United States?
Proposals to maintain a single schedule have emerged since 2015 with the argument that the lifestyle and work patterns of modern citizens are no longer compatible with changing the clock twice a year. In Mexico, daylight saving time ceased to be used in 2022. The Trump administration has not made an official announcement suggesting that the time change will disappear.
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