It's that time of year again when the end of the day suddenly seems much closer.
Daylight saving time is coming to an end next week, meaning the sun will seem to go down an hour earlier each day, and that hour of sunlight is instead given to the morning.
For a city like Atlanta, with more than a million commuters, it means workers who may have been driving into the city in the dark may have a brighter drive in the morning, but will be coming home in the dark for the next few months.
Here's what to know about the end of daylight saving time in Atlanta.
When should I change my clock for daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time will officially end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026.
Clocks will "fall back" and be reset to 1 a.m., giving an extra hour back to Georgians. Smartphones, computers and other devices
that are connected to the internet will likely update their time on their own, including if your phone is used to set an alarm.
But other appliances like an oven, microwave or older digital alarm clock may not make the change on their own and will need to be changed manually in the morning.
What time will sunset be in Atlanta after daylight saving time?
Prior to Nov. 1, Georgians have been enjoying a sunset time after 7 p.m. Atlanta now won't see a sunset time that late until the spring.
Sunset times have already started to occur before 7 p.m., but with the time change sunset will occur before 6 p.m. in November.
On Nov. 1, for example, sunset will be at about 5:45 p.m. By Nov. 30, sunset in Atlanta will be earlier than 5:30 p.m., meaning many commuters making their way home from work will be doing so in the dark.
Will daylight saving time become permanent?
Congress is on its way to changing the United States to permanent daylight saving time, but there are still a few steps.
In July, the House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 that would make daylight saving time the standard all year, meaning there would be no clock changes at all.
If made permanent, the time would stay the same as it is right now, as opposed to "falling back" in November and "springing forward" in March.
The legislation was passed along to the Senate but has not undergone a vote. If passed by the Senate, the bill would still need to be signed by President Trump before becoming law.
When do clocks spring back?
Clocks will return to daylight saving time on March 14, 2027, pending any changes to the national legislation.
If the legislation is passed, states will undergo one more clock change this spring before staying at that time for the foreseeable future.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When does daylight saving time end? No more 7 p.m. sunsets in Atlanta
