British Columbia Stays on Daylight Time as Washington Falls Back: A One-Hour Border Gap for the First Time in 52 Years
On November 1, 2026, residents of Seattle, King County, Washington, turned their clocks back one hour to standard time as usual, but Canada's British Columbia did not follow: after its final spring-forward on March 8, the province is keeping daylight saving time permanently. For the first time in 52 years, British Columbia and Washington are one hour apart; the two had last differed for four months in 1974 under a temporary policy. The gap will last until the United States returns to daylight time on March 14, 2027.
For cross-border travelers, crossing the U.S.-Canada border now also means moving clocks one hour ahead. British Columbia passed permanent daylight time legislation in 2019, backed by a survey of 223,000 residents in which more than 90% supported ending twice-yearly clock changes, and in March the province decided to proceed without waiting for neighboring U.S. states.
Washington also passed a permanent daylight time law in 2019, but federal law requires congressional authorization, so it has never taken effect. On July 14, the U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight time permanent nationwide, by 308 votes to 117; the bill was referred the next day to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland of Washington has voiced support.
(Source: KING 5)
Source: KING 5
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Photo: 图：美加边境和平拱门与排队过关的车流，位于华盛顿州与卑诗省交界。RGB2 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Traffic at the Peace Arch border crossing between Washington and British Columbia. By RGB2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
