Delaware time zone and daylight saving time

Eastern Time Next clock change: Nov 1

Wilmington, UTC−4Sunrise 7:27 a.m. · Sunset 6:04 p.m. · 10 h 36 min of daylight

Delaware at a glance

Time zone
Eastern
Daylight saving time
Observed. UTC−4 in summer, UTC−5 in winter.
Upcoming clock changes
  • Sunday, November 1, 2026: clocks fall back
  • Sunday, March 14, 2027: clocks spring forward
  • Sunday, November 7, 2027: clocks fall back
  • Sunday, March 12, 2028: clocks spring forward
Each change happens at 2:00 a.m. local time.
Permanent daylight time law
Enacted in 2019 (with conditions). It needs federal approval before it can take effect.

All of Delaware uses Eastern Time and observes daylight saving time: UTC−4 in summer and UTC−5 in winter.

Time zones in bordering states

Delaware and all three of its neighbours use Eastern Time, so the time is the same across every border, all year.

Select a state on the map to see its time zone details.

Time zone map of Delaware and surrounding states. Each state is a link to its page.Counties are shaded by time zone. Hatched counties are split between two zones; dotted areas do not observe daylight saving time.New JerseyPennsylvaniaDistrict of ColumbiaMarylandVirginia

Current time in each zone

  • Eastern
  • Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey: same time all along the border, including across the Delaware River and Bay.

What permanent time would mean for Delaware

Ending clock changes would mean keeping one time all year: either permanent daylight time or permanent standard time. Here’s how each would shift sunrise and sunset in Wilmington.

Permanent daylight time

Later winter mornings

8:20 a.m.

Sunrise on the shortest day, December 21 (now 7:20 a.m.).

Winter sunset: 5:41 p.m. (now 4:41 p.m.).

Permanent standard time

Earlier summer evenings

7:34 p.m.

Sunset on the longest day, June 21 (now 8:34 p.m.).

Summer sunrise: 4:34 a.m. (now 5:34 a.m.).

Times for Wilmington, calculated for 2026. Actual sunrise and sunset can differ by a few minutes with terrain and weather.

Delaware and permanent daylight time

In 2019, Delaware enacted a law (Senate Bill 73, signed by Governor John Carney on August 12, 2019) that takes a different route from most states. Instead of waiting for Congress to allow permanent daylight time, it directs the governor to ask the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to move Delaware into the Atlantic Time zone, without daylight saving time. That would keep Delaware’s clocks where they are in summer all year.

The request can only be made once Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland each pass the same kind of law. Delaware is among the 19 states the Congressional Research Service lists as having enacted a permanent daylight time law; its three neighbours are not. New Jersey had a permanent daylight time bill (Assembly Bill 1703) pending as of March 2026, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Any switch to permanent daylight time would need Congress to act first. The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July 2026, and it is now with the Senate.

Common questions

What time zone is Delaware in?

All of Delaware uses Eastern Time and observes daylight saving time.

Didn’t Delaware pass a law to stop changing clocks?

Delaware passed a law in 2019, but it depends on Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland doing the same, and on federal approval to move Delaware into the Atlantic Time zone. Until then, clocks keep changing.

What would moving to Atlantic Time mean?

Atlantic Standard Time is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Kept all year, it would match Eastern Daylight Time, so Delaware’s clocks would stay where they are in summer.

Sources: U.S. Department of Transportation (49 CFR Part 71); Congressional Research Service; Congress.gov; National Conference of State Legislatures.

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