Clocks Turn Back Nov. 1 as Daylight Saving Time Ends
The fall time change coincides with Halloween, a rare overlap that will not recur until 2036.
By Julia Novak ·
The United States will end daylight saving time on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks turn back one hour at 2 a.m. local time. This action returns the time to 1 a.m. and grants residents an additional hour of sleep. The date marks the second and final annual time change for 2026.
This specific calendar alignment is rare. The end of daylight saving time will coincide with Halloween for the last time until 2036. The current schedule, which begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, has been in effect since 2007. President George W. Bush established this extended period through an energy bill signed into law in 2005.
The practice of shifting clocks originated in 1918 to maximize summer sunlight. The Uniform Time Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966, standardized the schedule across the country. Prior to this act, local governments determined their own time changes, which caused confusion for travelers and created regional discrepancies. For example, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia operated on different times than Washington, D.C., Cleveland, and Baltimore for five weeks each year.
Two states do not observe daylight saving time: Hawaii and Arizona. The Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona is the exception to the state's rule. U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also remain on permanent standard time. Other states may exempt themselves from the practice by passing specific state laws under the provisions of the Uniform Time Act.
Legislative efforts to abolish the time change continue in Congress. The House of Representatives voted 308-117 in July to pass the Sunshine Protection Act. The bill would allow states to make daylight saving time permanent, with an option to opt out. The House Energy and Commerce Committee previously approved the measure 48-1 in May. President Donald Trump has supported the bill, citing economic benefits for tourism and outdoor recreation. Critics have raised concerns regarding potential negative impacts on public health.
The Sunshine Protection Act is currently stalled in the Senate. The bill must pass both chambers of Congress before the president can sign it into law. A similar attempt to make daylight saving time permanent was tried in the 1970s but was reversed after less than a year due to public outcry.
Health experts link the biannual time changes to disruptions in the human circadian rhythm. Research indicates that the spring forward change, which results in a lost hour of sleep, is associated with a spike in fatal car accidents, heart attacks, and strokes in the days following the shift. The fall time change may also affect individuals with seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression linked to reduced sunlight.
