Daylight saving time in Florida begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, when clocks move forward one hour across Miami and Key Biscayne. 

Key Biscayne residents will lose an hour of sleep this weekend as daylight saving time in Florida begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, when clocks move forward one hour.

The time change means darker mornings but longer evenings across Miami-Dade County.

For early beach walkers, runners and dog owners on Key Biscayne, sunrise will come noticeably later starting Sunday. But the tradeoff is more evening daylight for beach visits, outdoor dining and sunset walks along the shoreline.

Daylight saving time 2026: quick facts

When clocks change: Sunday at 2 a.m.

What happens: clocks move forward one hour

Sunrise in Miami Sunday: about 7:32 a.m.

Sunset in Miami Sunday: about 7:27 p.m.

Next time change: Nov. 2, when clocks fall back

There are many benefits of daylight savings time change for Key Biscayne and other coastal areas in Miami

With daylight saving time beginning Sunday, sunrise along the Key Biscayne shoreline will occur around 7:32 a.m., more than an hour later than recent mornings.

That means darker skies for early walkers, runners and cyclists heading out along the beach or through Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.

But the change also brings a benefit: longer evenings outdoors.

Sunset Sunday will be around 7:27 p.m. in the Miami area, giving residents and visitors more daylight for afternoon beach time, boating, paddleboarding and sunset views along the water.

As spring progresses, sunsets will move even later — reaching after 8 p.m. in Miami by late May.

Darker school commutes

The later sunrise also means darker mornings for school drop-offs and commuters across Miami-Dade during the next several weeks.

Morning light will gradually return earlier as spring advances.

A brief history of daylight-saving time

Daylight saving time in the United States was first introduced in 1918 during World War I to conserve energy by extending evening daylight.

The policy was discontinued after the war but returned during World War II and later became standardized nationwide under the Uniform Time Act of 1966.

Today, daylight saving time runs from March through early November, covering roughly eight months of the year.

Do all states observe daylight saving time?

Most of the United States follows daylight saving time, but two states do not observe it:

– Arizona (except the Navajo Nation)

– Hawaii

Several U.S. territories, like Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands, do not change the time and also remain on standard time year-round.

Florida lawmakers have previously proposed making daylight saving time permanent through the Sunshine Protection Act, which passed the state Legislature in 2018. However, federal law would need to change before states can adopt year-round daylight saving time.

Don’t forget smoke detector batteries

Fire safety officials often use the clock change as a reminder to check or replace batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Daylight saving time will end on Sunday, Nov. 2, when clocks move back one hour.