It is currently Saturday, January 17, 2026. If you’re asking what time is it right now with daylight savings, the short answer is that the United States is currently in Standard Time. We aren't in "Daylight Time" at all. We are in the deep, dark heart of winter. Your clocks should be set to Eastern Standard Time (EST), Central Standard Time (CST), Mountain Standard Time (MST), or Pacific Standard Time (PST) depending on your longitude.
Most people get this mixed up. They think "Daylight Savings" is just the name for the time system we use. It’s not. It’s a temporary shift. Right now, in mid-January, we are living in the "natural" time—or at least the version of it that humans decided on back in the 1880s to keep trains from crashing into each other.
The sun rose late today. It’ll set early. That’s the reality of January. If you feel like it’s 5:00 PM but the sky looks like midnight, that’s not a glitch in the Daylight Savings Matrix; that’s just the tilt of the Earth’s axis doing its thing.
The Confusion Behind What Time Is It Right Now With Daylight Savings
Seriously, why is this so hard to keep track of? Every year, twice a year, we do this dance. We "spring forward" in March and "fall back" in November. Because we spend about eight months of the year in Daylight Saving Time (DST) and only four months in Standard Time, our brains have basically been rewired to think the "Saving" version is the real one.
When you ask what time is it right now with daylight savings during the winter months, you’re actually asking for a time that doesn't exist yet. We won't see DST again until the second Sunday in March.
Wait. Why do we even do this?
✨ Don't miss: Williams Sonoma Deer Park IL: What Most People Get Wrong About This Kitchen Icon
The history is messier than your junk drawer. Benjamin Franklin gets the blame a lot because he wrote a satirical essay about people in Paris wasting candles by sleeping while the sun was up. He wasn't actually proposing a law; he was being a sarcastic genius. The real push came much later from an entomologist named George Hudson. He wanted more daylight in the evenings to collect bugs. Honestly. We shift our entire societal infrastructure because a guy in New Zealand wanted to hunt beetles after work.
Then came World War I. Germany started it first to save coal. The US followed. Then we stopped. Then we started again. It wasn’t until the Uniform Time Act of 1966 that the federal government stepped in and said, "Okay, everyone, let's try to be on the same page." Even then, Hawaii and Arizona (except for the Navajo Nation) looked at the law and said, "No thanks."
Why Your Body Hates the Switch
Your circadian rhythm is an ancient piece of biological machinery. It doesn't care about the Uniform Time Act of 1966. It cares about blue light hitting your retinas in the morning.
When we are in Standard Time—where we are right now—most people actually sleep better. Dr. Beth Malow, a neurologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has argued extensively that Standard Time aligns better with our natural biology. When we shift to Daylight Saving Time in the spring, we’re essentially forcing ourselves into permanent jet lag for eight months.
Heart attacks spike. Car accidents go up. Why? Because losing that one hour of sleep in March is a massive shock to the system. But even in January, when we are "back to normal," the lack of evening light can trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). You’re basically caught between a rock and a dark place.
🔗 Read more: Finding the most affordable way to live when everything feels too expensive
Think about your morning routine. If you’re waking up at 7:00 AM right now, the sun is likely just beginning to peek over the horizon. If we stayed on Daylight Saving Time year-round—which some politicians keep trying to pass—that 7:00 AM wake-up call would happen in total pitch-black darkness for millions of Americans until almost 9:00 AM. Imagine sending your kids to the bus stop in the middle of the night. That’s the trade-off for having "more light" in the afternoon.
The Sunshine Protection Act: Is It Ever Going to Happen?
You’ve probably seen the headlines. "Permanent Daylight Saving Time is coming!"
Well, it’s been "coming" for years. The Sunshine Protection Act is a bill that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent. It passed the Senate with a rare unanimous consent in 2022, but then it stalled out in the House. Why? Because while everyone loves the idea of a 9:00 PM sunset in July, nobody wants an 8:30 AM sunrise in January.
The logistics are a nightmare.
- The Airline Industry: They hate the idea of mismatched time zones with Europe and Asia.
- The PTA: Parents are terrified of kids walking to school in the dark.
- The Sleep Scientists: They are the loudest voices against it, claiming permanent Standard Time is the only healthy option.
So, for now, we remain stuck in the loop. We are currently in Standard Time. In a few months, we will jump back into the "Saving" mode. It is a cycle of collective grogginess that shows no signs of stopping.
💡 You might also like: Executive desk with drawers: Why your home office setup is probably failing you
How to Actually Tell What Time It Is
If you are genuinely confused because your oven says one thing and your phone says another, trust the phone. Your smartphone uses Network Time Protocol (NTP) to sync with atomic clocks. It knows exactly what time is it right now with daylight savings adjustments factored in automatically.
If you are in one of the "rebel" zones:
Arizona doesn't observe DST. They stay on Standard Time all year. This means in the summer, they are effectively on the same time as California (Pacific), but in the winter, they are on the same time as Denver (Mountain). It’s confusing for everyone except people living in Phoenix.
Hawaii also ignores the switch. Their proximity to the equator means their day length doesn't change enough to justify moving the clocks. They just enjoy their tropical consistency while the rest of us fumble with our microwave settings twice a year.
Practical Steps for Living Between Time Zones
Since we are currently in Standard Time, you've likely noticed your energy levels dipping earlier in the day. The sun goes down, your brain produces melatonin, and suddenly you want to be in pajamas by 6:30 PM.
Don't fight it too hard.
- Get a Light Box: If the early sunset is killing your vibe, a 10,000 lux light box in the morning can help reset your clock.
- Check Your Smart Home: Ensure your smart lights are actually following the "astronomical" schedule (sunrise/sunset) rather than a fixed time.
- Prepare for March: Start shifting your bedtime by 15 minutes earlier starting in late February. It sounds overkill, but it makes the "spring forward" much less of a physiological car crash.
- Audit Your Clocks: If you still have a manual clock on the wall that you haven't touched since November, check the batteries. Cold weather can actually drain older batteries in clocks kept in garages or sunrooms.
We are currently in the quiet period of the time-change calendar. Enjoy the extra sleep while it lasts, because the March shift is lurking just around the corner, ready to steal an hour of your life yet again. Until then, keep your clocks exactly where they are. Standard Time is the law of the land until the spring equinox approaches.