Most Americans will still need to change their clocks this fall.
Daylight saving time is scheduled to end on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, when clocks across most of the United States are set back one hour and the country returns to standard time. It is the earliest possible date that the annual time change can occur.
The clocks change has become the focus of renewed debate in Washington after the U.S. House approved legislation in July that would make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes. The bill now awaits action in the Senate.
For now, however, the current schedule remains in place, meaning New Yorkers should plan to "fall back" on Nov. 1.
When does daylight saving time end in 2026?
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026.
At that moment,
clocks are turned back one hour to 1 a.m., giving people an extra hour of sleep but leading to earlier sunsets throughout the fall and winter.
Since 2007, daylight saving time has begun on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday in November.
Is it "daylight saving" or "daylight savings" time?
The correct term is daylight saving time.
While "daylight savings time" is commonly used in everyday conversation, the official name is singular because the practice is intended to save daylight.
Was daylight saving time created for farmers?
No.
Despite a long-running myth, daylight saving time was not introduced to benefit farmers.
According to historical accounts, Germany became the first nation to broadly adopt the practice during World War I in an effort to conserve fuel. The United States later adopted daylight saving time during the war, and Congress established the modern framework through the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
Do all states observe daylight saving time?
No.
Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time. The Navajo Nation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, does observe it.
Several U.S. territories also remain on standard time year-round, including:
- Puerto Rico
- Guam
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- American Samoa
- Northern Mariana Islands
Is daylight saving time ending permanently?
Not yet.
The House voted in July to approve the Sunshine Protection Act, legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide while allowing states to opt out. The measure passed with bipartisan support and was sent to the Senate.
The Senate has not yet voted on the bill, and no change has been enacted into law. As a result, clocks are still scheduled to be turned back on Nov. 1.
What would permanent daylight saving time mean for New York?
The biggest impact would occur during winter mornings.
Instead of moving back to standard time, New Yorkers would keep the same clock setting used during summer. That would result in sunrises occurring about an hour later but sunsets also occurring about an hour later during the winter months.
For Rochester, Buffalo and much of upstate New York, winter sunrises would not occur until well after 8 a.m., while evening daylight would last longer.
The amount of daylight would not change. The proposal would simply shift an hour of winter daylight from the morning to the evening.
When does daylight saving time begin again?
Unless Congress changes the law, daylight saving time will return on Sunday, March 14, 2027, when clocks move forward one hour.
The next end date is Sunday, Nov. 7, 2027.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Daylight saving time 2026: When do clocks change and fall back?
