When Does Daylight Saving Time Start in Minnesota in 2026?
It may only be January, but it won't be long until there's much more sunshine each day here in Minnesota.
Minnesota Is Already Gaining Daylight After the Winter Solstice
While we have seen more snow early this winter throughout much of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we've also seen some cold temps, too. In fact, there have been just enough now that the holidays are done that many of us are now trudging through January while setting our sights on longer days filled with warmer weather and more sunshine.
And, as it turns out, it won't be that long until we have longer days here in the Bold North. You might have noticed that the sun is already setting later in the afternoon than it did in December. In fact, according to MPR Meteorologist Paul Huttner, by mid to late January, the Gopher State will have gained nearly 32 minutes of daylight each day since December 21st.
In fact, the North Star State is gaining daylight at the rate of about 2 minutes a day, and that amount will increase in February to 3 minutes a day, Huttner says. But things really change when Daylight Saving Time kicks in. So, just when is that set to happen in Minnesota in 2026?
When Does Daylight Saving Time Start in Minnesota in 2026?
You might have heard about a proposal that would have made Daylight Saving Time, where we move our clocks ahead one hour in the spring and then back again in the fall, permanent. USA Today says the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill (the Sunshine Protection Act) that would have done just that in 2022.
But that act didn't pass the U.S. House of Representatives and wasn't signed into law. Meanwhile, President-elect Trump has favored eliminating Daylight Saving Time and said it's something he'd work on during his second term, though we haven't seen anything yet. To make it happen, Congress would need to introduce a new bill, which would then need to pass both the House and Senate before the incoming president could sign it into law-- something that's not all that likely to happen.
ALSO INTERESTING: 6 Minnesota Counties Now Rank as Some of the Snowiest in the Entire Country
Daylight Saving Time Dates for Minnesota in 2026
So for right now, we're still set to 'spring ahead' this March (and lose an hour of sleep) and 'fall back' again this November (when we get that hour back), just as we have every year since 1918, when Congress first adopted the Standard Time Act, which created Daylight Saving Time. Time And Date has this year's details:
Daylight Saving Time officially begins in Minnesota at 2:00:00 am on Sunday, March 8, 2026, when clocks move ahead one hour. Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour later on Mar 8, 2026 than the day before. There will be more light in the evening and less light in the morning.
We'll remain on Daylight Saving Time until Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2:00:00 am, when clocks are turned backward one hour, and we revert to Daylight Standard Time, which will complete the 108th year we've made such a change.
Meanwhile, speaking of changes, keep scrolling to see how some familiar corporate logos have changed over the years, as well-- and see how many you can identify.
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