Daylight saving time ends November 1 2026

Daylight saving time will end in 2026 on the earliest possible date under current U.S. law, November 1.

Most Americans will set their clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. local time that Sunday, gaining an extra hour of sleep and darker mornings. The early end is baked into the calendar because November 1 is the first Sunday in November, the fixed date Congress set in 2007. The shift returns standard time, making sunrise earlier and sunset earlier across the country.

The twice-yearly clock change started in the U.S. during World War I to save energy by extending evening daylight. Critics say it disrupts sleep, increases accidents and does little to save power today. States including California and Florida have voted to ditch daylight saving time permanently, but Congress hasn’t acted to let them do it. Meanwhile, some countries in Europe and beyond are also rethinking the practice.

If Congress doesn’t change the rules before 2026, Americans will again spring forward on March 8 and fall back on November 1. Bills to make daylight saving time permanent have stalled in the U.S. Senate, and a bipartisan House measure to let states choose has yet to get a vote. Until then, the early end in 2026 will be the new normal—unless lawmakers act.