Millions of Americans will gain an hour of sleep this weekend as the twice-yearly clock change known as daylight saving time comes to an end in 2026. Most of the country will “fall back” when clocks move back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday.
Here’s what to know about the end of daylight saving time:
What is daylight saving time, and why do we have it?
Daylight saving time is the part of the year, typically from March through early November, when most of the United States sets its clocks one hour ahead of standard time.
The shift moves an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening during the spring and summer, when days are longer. In fall and winter, as daylight hours decline, the country returns to standard time, bringing earlier sunrises.
In Boston, for example, the sun will rise at 7:16 a.m. and set at 5:39 p.m. Saturday, before the clocks change, according to the National Weather Service. On Sunday, after the return to standard time, sunrise will be at 6:17 a.m. and sunset at 4:37 p.m.
The United States first adopted daylight saving time in 1918 during World War I in an effort to conserve fuel, after European countries introduced similar clock changes, according to the Congressional Research Service. After the war, Congress repealed the nationwide requirement but allowed states to continue observing the practice.
Congress later introduced year-round daylight saving time during World War II and again during the energy crisis of the 1970s, with the same goal of cutting energy use. Neither experiment lasted.
Following World War I, states and municipalities were largely left to decide whether to observe daylight saving time and when to make the change. Congress did not establish uniform start and end dates until 1966. During the 1970s, year-round daylight saving time was ended before it reached 10 months.
Will the U.S. move to year-round daylight saving time?
Earlier this year, legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent cleared a significant hurdle in Congress. Known as the Sunshine Protection Act, the bill passed the House in July and went to the Senate. It would also allow states to opt out of daylight saving time entirely before the measure took effect.
President Trump, who supports the legislation, accused fellow Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas of holding up the bill. Mr. Trump also shared what he said was Cotton’s cellphone number on social media and encouraged people to contact the senator in support of the measure.
Cotton responded that Congress had previously tried permanent daylight saving time, only to restore the twice-yearly clock change “once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter.”
The Senate faces a deadline to act. The legislation, along with other bills still awaiting congressional approval, is set to expire in early January when the new class of lawmakers elected in Tuesday’s midterm elections takes office.
If the bill expires, supporters will have to begin the process again, winning approval from both the House and Senate before sending it to the president.
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Did the time change today?
No. The clocks will not change until Sunday.
In 2026, daylight saving time ends overnight after Halloween, giving those attending late-night costume parties an extra hour to celebrate—or giving others an extra hour of sleep afterward.
For parents of young children, however, the clock change can be more disruptive than enjoyable, potentially throwing off sleep routines until kids adjust.
What day and time does daylight saving time end in November 2026?
Daylight saving time officially ends at 2 a.m. local time Sunday, Nov. 1.
Americans have observed the fall clock change on the first Sunday of November since 2007, when the most recent daylight saving time changes took effect. A 2005 law moved the end of daylight saving time from the last Sunday in October.
Do we lose or gain an hour when daylight saving time ends?
Most Americans will gain an hour when daylight saving time ends, restoring the hour lost when clocks “sprang forward” in March.
When will daylight saving time start again in 2027?
Daylight saving time will resume in 2027 at 2 a.m. local time Sunday, March 14. The annual spring change occurs on the second Sunday in March, which falls relatively late next year because March begins on a Monday. In 2026, daylight saving time started on March 8.
The start date was also changed in 2007 to lengthen the daylight saving period. Before then, the clocks moved forward on the first Sunday in April.
Which states don’t observe daylight saving time?
Every state observes daylight saving time except Hawaii and most of Arizona. The Navajo Nation, which extends into part of Arizona, does observe the clock change so it remains aligned with communities in neighboring New Mexico and Utah, according to the tribe.
The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also remain on standard time year-round.
Will my phone change for daylight saving time automatically?
Most phones will update overnight and display the correct time if their automatic date and time settings are enabled.
Apple, Google and Samsung provide instructions for adjusting clock settings on their devices. Mobile carriers, including Simple Mobile and Straight Talk, also offer online guidance for checking time settings on other phones.
