DST Start 2023: US and Canada
By Anne Buckle and Mathew Gundersen. Published 17-Feb-2023. Changed 6-Mar-2023
Most of the United States and Canada start Daylight Saving Time (DST) on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
March 6, 2023: Permanent DST Bill Reintroduced in Congress
Florida’s Senator Marco Rubio has reintroduced the bill to make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent in Congress.
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2023 proposes that after springing forward one hour on March 12, the clocks will not be set back in November but remain permanently on DST.
The striped areas will start Daylight Saving Time on March 12, 2023.
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Spring DST: the ultimate Monday?
People in areas that observe DST will set their clocks forward one hour from 02:00 (2 am) to 03:00 (3 am) local time on March 12, 2023.
Standard time, also known as winter time, will resume on Sunday, November 5, 2023.
Most of Europe starts DST two weeks later, on March 26, 2023.
Affects Most of the US
The following areas do not change their clocks:
- Hawaii and most of Arizona.
- The US dependencies American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Marina Islands, the US Minor Outlying Islands, and the US Virgin Islands.
Canada: DST Change
In Canada, clocks will change in almost all areas except:
- Yukon (on permanent DST since 2020)
- Some areas in British Columbia
- Most of Saskatchewan
- Southampton Island
- Some locations in Québec east of 63° west longitude (e.g., Blanc-Sablon)
Many States Want to Remove DST
In the US, 19 states have enacted legislation or passed regulations for permanent DST. Currently, the law only allows states to opt out of DST but not follow it year-round.
The first step on the way to permanent DST came in March 2022 when the US Senate approved the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021. The legislation allows for permanent DST in the US from 2023.
However, for the bill to become law, allowing states to observe DST year-round, it must also be approved by the House of Representatives and signed into law by the President.
Mexico Removed DST in 2022
Most of Mexico doesn’t have DST. The North American country chose to permanently remove DST in October 2022. However, the change caused both confusion and problems along the US border.
As a result, northern Mexican border towns, such as Tijuana and Juárez (Ciudad Juárez), have aligned with the US and Canada and will start DST on March 12, 2023.
The states of Sonora and Quintana Roo remain unchanged and don’t change their clocks.
Other Locations That Change
Also starting DST on March 12 are Cuba, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and Thule Air Base in Greenland.
Set Clocks Back or Ahead?
Daylight Saving Time (DST) shifts the local sunrise and sunset times forward one hour, resulting in more evening daylight. To remember which way to set your watch, keep in mind one of these sayings: “spring forward, fall back” or “spring ahead, fall behind.” The clocks spring ahead (= losing one hour) in the spring when DST starts and fall behind one hour (= gaining one hour) when DST ends in the fall.