Yes, Oregon observes Daylight Saving Time. Clocks across most of the state spring forward on Sunday, March 8, 2026, and fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026. A portion of Malheur County in the state’s southeastern corner runs on Mountain Time and stays one hour ahead of Portland year-round, though it changes clocks on those same two dates.
When Oregon Clocks Change in 2026
Oregon follows the federal schedule. At 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday of March, clocks jump ahead one hour, moving from Pacific Standard Time to Pacific Daylight Time. At 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November, they fall back to standard time.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 260a – Advancement of Time or Changeover Dates State law mirrors that schedule and forbids any county, city, or state agency from keeping a different time.2Oregon Public Law. ORS 187.110 – Standard of Time
For 2026 that puts the spring-forward on March 8 and the fall-back on November 1. Oregon spends roughly eight months of the year on daylight time and about four on standard time.
The Malheur County Exception
Most of Oregon sits in the Pacific Time Zone, but a large portion of Malheur County follows Mountain Time. The boundary is set by federal regulation and runs along the north and west lines of the county before cutting east to the Idaho border.3eCFR. 49 CFR 71.9 – Boundary Line Between Mountain and Pacific Zones Residents in that area are always one hour ahead of Portland, whether the rest of the state is on standard or daylight time.
The clocks still change on the same two Sundays. When Portland shifts from PST to PDT in March, the Mountain Time portion of Malheur County shifts from MST to MDT. The practical effect is that this corner of Oregon stays synchronized with neighboring Idaho rather than with the rest of the state.
Is Oregon Getting Rid of the Time Change?
Not yet, and not on its own. Oregon has passed and proposed several laws to end the biannual switch, but each one is tied to what California, Washington, and Congress do.
What Federal Law Allows
Any state can opt out of Daylight Saving Time and stay on permanent standard time year-round. Hawaii and most of Arizona already do.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 260a – Advancement of Time or Changeover Dates What no state can do without an act of Congress is lock its clocks in the spring-forward position on permanent Daylight Saving Time. Most of the political momentum in Oregon and along the West Coast has favored that second option, which is why the state remains stuck.
Oregon’s 2019 Law
In 2019, Oregon authorized permanent Daylight Saving Time for the Pacific Time Zone portion of the state. It only takes effect if California and Washington do the same and Congress passes a law allowing permanent DST. The statute has a sunset clause and will be repealed automatically on December 1, 2029, if those conditions are not met.2Oregon Public Law. ORS 187.110 – Standard of Time Congress has not acted, so the law is dormant.
Bills Since Then
Senate Bill 1548 in 2024 would have put Oregon on permanent standard time if California and Washington followed within 10 years. It died in committee.4Oregon State Legislature. SB 1548, 2024 Regular Session
Senate Bill 1038 in 2025 covers both directions. It would move Oregon to permanent standard time if California and Washington do the same within 10 years, or to permanent Daylight Saving Time if Congress authorizes it and both neighbors adopt it. The Mountain Time portion of Oregon is left alone under either path. As of 2026, SB 1038 has passed the Oregon Senate and sits in the House Committee on Rules.5Oregon State Legislature. SB 1038, 2025 Regular Session
The Federal Bottleneck
The Sunshine Protection Act has been introduced in Congress several times. The latest version, H.R. 139, was introduced in January 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.6Congress.gov. H.R. 139 – Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 A nearly identical Senate bill passed unanimously in 2022 but stalled in the House and expired. Federal action has been frozen since, and that is the single biggest obstacle to Oregon and the roughly 19 other states that have passed contingent permanent-DST laws.
Why Oregon Waits on Its Neighbors
Tying Oregon’s clocks to California and Washington is not just caution. If Oregon locked its clocks while its neighbors kept switching, the gap between Portland and Seattle or Portland and San Francisco would swing between zero and one hour depending on the season. That creates real problems for commuters, cross-border businesses, broadcasters, and flight schedules. Washington passed its own permanent DST law in 2019, and California voters approved a 2018 proposition giving their legislature authority to do the same. All three states are in a holding pattern, waiting on each other and on Washington, D.C.
Adjusting Your Clocks
Until the law changes, the time change is mandatory. Losing an hour in March is the more expensive mistake, because it can put you late for work, appointments, or a flight. Phones and computers update on their own, but wall clocks, oven timers, car dashboards, and standalone alarm clocks need to be reset by hand. If you live in the Mountain Time portion of Malheur County, you still change clocks on the same two Sundays, but confirm your devices are set to Mountain Time rather than Pacific.