In the United States, daylight saving time ends at 2 AM local time on Sunday, 1 November 2026, when clocks fall back one hour to 1 AM. Federal law sets the end on the first Sunday in November, a rule from the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that took effect in 2007. Europe and the UK fall back earlier, on 25 October 2026.
Key takeaways
- US daylight saving time ends at 2 AM on Sunday, 1 November 2026: clocks go back to 1 AM, and that hour repeats (NIST).
- The first-Sunday-in-November rule has applied since 2007 under the Energy Policy Act of 2005; before that, clocks fell back on the last Sunday in October.
- The UK and the European Union fall back on the last Sunday in October, which in 2026 is 25 October.
- Hawaii, most of Arizona and the US territories stay on standard time all year (NIST).
- In Encinitas, California, the sun’s highest point moves from 12:33 PM to 11:33 AM on the clock between 31 October and 1 November 2026.
When does daylight saving time end in 2026?
US clocks go back from 2 AM to 1 AM local time on Sunday, 1 November 2026, so that day has 25 hours.
NIST gives the 2026 period as 8 March to 1 November, both at 2 AM local time. Federal law (15 U.S.C. § 260a) sets the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, dates the Energy Policy Act of 2005 moved from the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October, effective 2007.
When do clocks change in Europe and the UK?
The UK and the EU fall back on the last Sunday in October: 25 October 2026. GOV.UK gives the time as 2 AM, when clocks return to 1 AM.
Because the US changes a week later, New York is four hours behind London, not five, from 25 October to 1 November 2026.
Which US states don’t change their clocks?
Hawaii and most of Arizona stay on standard time all year. The Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona does observe daylight saving time, NIST notes, while American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands skip it.
A state may opt out only by staying on standard time; Arizona was first, in 1968, the Congressional Research Service notes.
Did Benjamin Franklin invent daylight saving time?
No. Franklin’s 1784 letter to the Journal de Paris, later called “An Economical Project,” was a satire about candles and late sleepers, not a plan to move clocks.
The Franklin Institute explains that he urged Parisians to change their sleep schedules to save candles and lamp oil, with mock rules such as a tax on shuttered windows and cannon at sunrise.
Who first proposed changing the clocks?
George Vernon Hudson in New Zealand (1895) and William Willett in England (1907) made the first serious proposals to shift clocks with the seasons.
Hudson, an entomologist and post office shift worker, proposed a seasonal shift to the Wellington Philosophical Society in 1895, for more daylight after work. It was largely ridiculed; New Zealand first observed daylight saving time in 1927.
Willett, a London builder, self-published The Waste of Daylight, dated July 1907, which opens:
“Everyone appreciates the long light evenings. Everyone laments their shrinkage as the days grow shorter…”
He proposed advancing clocks 20 minutes on each of four Sundays in April and reversing them on four Sundays in September. He died in 1915, a year before Britain adopted summer time.
How did daylight saving time come to the United States?
War brought it. Germany adopted daylight saving time in 1916 to save fuel in World War I, Britain followed within weeks, and the US in 1918.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1916 | Germany adopts daylight saving time; Britain follows in May |
| 1918 | Act of 19 March sets US standard time and summer time; summer time repealed after the war over President Wilson’s veto |
| 1942–45 | Year-round “War Time” from 9 February 1942 to the last Sunday in September 1945 |
| 1966 | Uniform Time Act: last Sunday in April to last Sunday in October; states may opt out only as a whole |
| 1974–75 | Year-round daylight time from 6 January 1974 during the oil embargo; standard time restored 27 October 1974 to 23 February 1975 |
| 1986 | Start moves to the first Sunday in April |
| 2007 | Energy Policy Act of 2005 takes effect: second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November |
Dates from the Congressional Research Service and NIST.
The CRS records that the 1974 trial was hotly debated: supporters cited lighter winter evenings, while farmers objected and many worried about children leaving for school in the dark. For how the 1918 law set US time zones, see When Did Time Zones Start in the US? The Day of Two Noons.
What does falling back do to the clock and the sun?
From 1 November 2026 the sun rises, peaks and sets an hour earlier by the clock.
Encinitas, California, home of Owaves, across the 2026 change (rounded to the minute):
| Encinitas, 2026 | Sun up | Sun highest | Sun down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 31 October (PDT) | 7:07 AM | 12:33 PM | 5:58 PM |
| Sunday 1 November (PST) | 6:08 AM | 11:33 AM | 4:57 PM |
The NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences says light and dark have the biggest influence on circadian rhythms, so the earlier darkness by the clock is worth planning around. More on clocks against the sky: Why Did Ten Days Vanish in 1582? The Gregorian Calendar.
How can you ease the fall-back change?
Keep your wake time the same by the new clock and get outdoors in morning light. These are everyday habits, not treatment for a sleep disorder.
The University of Louisville’s sleep disorders center suggests early-morning natural light, your regular wake time, no caffeine or nicotine late in the day, your usual exercise, and not worrying, since anxiety about sleep can itself cause insomnia. If you’re sensitive, shift bedtime and wake time about 10 minutes a day ahead of the change. See also How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule: Anchor, Light, 15 Min and Regular Wake Times for Midterms: What a 2026 Study Says.
Is the US going to stop changing the clocks?
Not yet: as of October 2026 the federal rule is unchanged, and views on what should replace it differ.
On 14 July 2026 the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act (H.R. 139), which would make daylight saving time permanent, by 308 to 117, the House Clerk’s roll call shows; the Senate had not voted on it as of October 2026, the Sleep Foundation reports. The bill’s sponsors cite more evening daylight and an end to the twice-yearly switch. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, in a 2020 statement and a 2023 update endorsed by groups including the Sleep Research Society, favors permanent standard time, saying it aligns best with circadian biology. States may already choose year-round standard time; year-round daylight time would need Congress.
Your day on My BodyClock
The day above on My BodyClock is a fall-back week in Encinitas: wake at 6:30 AM by the new clock, a walk soon after sunrise, focused work, lunch outside, a walk before the early sunset, an early home-cooked dinner, dimmer lights from 9 PM and lights-out at 10 PM. The wake time stays put while the sun moves.
Build your version in Owaves: My BodyClock on the App Store or join the Android waitlist, and find your Body Clock Type with the quiz.
FAQ
What time do the clocks go back in November 2026?
At 2 AM local time on Sunday, 1 November 2026, US clocks go back to 1 AM, so the hour from 1 AM to 2 AM happens twice.
Do we gain or lose an hour when daylight saving time ends?
You gain an hour: the day of the change is 25 hours long. From then on, sunrise and sunset both arrive an hour earlier by the clock.
Did Benjamin Franklin invent daylight saving time?
No. His 1784 letter to the Journal de Paris was a satire about saving candles by rising with the sun. Moving the clocks was first proposed by George Vernon Hudson in 1895 and William Willett in 1907.
Sources
- NIST. Daylight Saving Time (DST). https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst
- Cornell LII. 15 U.S. Code § 260a. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/260a
- GOV.UK. When do the clocks change? https://www.gov.uk/when-do-the-clocks-change
- Congressional Research Service (Heidi G. Yacker). Daylight Saving Time, 17 December 2002. https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/98-99.html
- The Franklin Institute. Did Ben Franklin Invent Daylight Saving Time? https://www.fi.edu/benjamin-franklin/daylight-savings-time
- Alex Casey. The local bug enthusiast who invented daylight saving. The Spinoff, 5 April 2025. https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/05-04-2025/the-local-bug-enthusiast-who-invented-daylight-saving
- New Zealand Government. History of daylight saving in NZ. govt.nz. https://www.govt.nz/browse/recreation-and-the-environment/daylight-saving/history-of-daylight-saving-in-nz/
- William Willett. The Waste of Daylight (July 1907), WebExhibits transcription. https://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/willett.html
- Royal Museums Greenwich. British Summer Time and daylight saving. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/british-summer-time-bst-daylight-saving
- US House Clerk. Roll Call 238, H.R. 139, 14 July 2026. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026238
- House Committee on Energy and Commerce. House Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent, 14 July 2026. https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/house-passes-legislation-to-make-daylight-saving-time-permanent
- Sleep Foundation. Latest Updates on Daylight Saving Time in 2026. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/latest-updates-daylight-saving-time-legislation-change
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine. New Position Statement Supports Permanent Standard Time, 31 October 2023. https://aasm.org/new-position-statement-supports-permanent-standard-time/
- UofL Health. It’s “Fall Back” Time: Tips for Dealing with Time Changes, 30 October 2024. https://uoflhealth.org/articles/its-fall-back-time-tips-for-dealing-with-time-changes/
- NIGMS, NIH. Circadian Rhythms. https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms
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