Millions of Americans gained an hour of sleep this weekend when the biannual time change commonly known as daylight saving time ended for 2026. Most of the United States “went back” an hour when clocks changed at 2 a.m. Sunday.
Here’s what to know about what’s officially known as Daylight Saving Time at the end of the year:
What is Daylight Saving Time and why do we have it?
Daylight saving time is the time of year, from March to early November, when the majority of the United States operates one hour ahead of standard time.
This decision effectively “saves” an hour of daylight first thing in the morning and adds it to the evening in spring and summer, when days are longest. During the fall and winter months, when days are shorter, the United States returns to standard time, with daylight earlier in the morning.
For example, in Boston on Saturday, before the time change, the sun rose at 7:16 a.m. and set at 5:39 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. On Sunday, returning to standard time, sunrise will be at 6:17 a.m. and sunset at 4:37 p.m.
United States adopted for the first time daylight saving time in 1918 during World War I in an effort to save fuel after Europe implemented its own time change, according to the Congressional Research Service. After the war, Congress repealed the clock change but gave states the option of continuing to observe it.
During World War II and the energy crisis of the 1970s, Congress introduced year-round daylight saving time in the United States, again with the goal of reducing energy consumption. These experiences did not last long.
After the war, the United States let states and municipalities decide for themselves whether and when to maintain DST. (Congress did not establish a uniform start and end for the time change until 1966.) In the 1970s, continuous DST was stopped before reaching the 10-month mark.
Will the United States switch to year-round daylight saving time?
Earlier this year, legislation to once again extend daylight saving time throughout the year cleared a major hurdle in Congress. The bill, called the Sunshine Protection Act, passed the House in July and went to the Senate. The legislation would also allow states to eliminate DST altogether before the law takes effect.
President Trump, who supports the bill, accused a fellow Republican, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, of delay legislation. Mr. Trump even posted what he said was Cotton’s cellphone number on social media and urged people to call the senator to express their support for the measure.
In response, Cotton noted that Congress had previously tried permanent daylight saving time, only to revert to the semi-annual time change “once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter.”
Time is running out for the Senate to take action on the bill. The legislation and any other bills awaiting approval in Congress are set to expire in early January when the new class of lawmakers are elected Tuesday midterm elections takes office.
If the bill dies, efforts to change daylight saving time will have to start again and be approved by the House and Senate before they can be submitted to the president.
Has the time changed today?
Yes, the time changed at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday.
For 2026, the end of daylight saving time has arrived during the night after Halloween, giving revelers an extra hour to enjoy late-night costume parties — or an extra hour of sleep to recover from their fun.
But for parents of young children, the time change may have been more of a gimmick than a treat, potentially disrupting their children’s sleep schedules until they adjust.
What day and time did DST end in November 2026?
Daylight Saving Time officially ended at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 1.
Americans are “going back” on the first Sunday in November since 2007, when daylight saving time was last changed. took effect. A 2005 law moved the end date to the last Sunday in October.
Do we lose or gain an hour when daylight saving time ends?
Most Americans gained an hour when daylight saving time ended, making up for the hour they lost when the clocks “went forward” in March.
When will DST start again in 2027?
Daylight saving time is scheduled to begin in 2027 on Sunday, March 14 at 2 a.m. local time. The time change begins on the second Sunday in March, which falls at a very late date next year because the month begins on a Monday. In 2026, daylight saving time started March 8.
The start date was also changed in 2007 to extend the duration of daylight saving time, which previously began on the first Sunday in April.
Which states don’t use daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time is observed in all states except Hawaii and most of Arizona. The Navajo Nation, located in part of Arizona, observes the time change to stay the same time as its communities in the neighboring states of New Mexico and Utah, according to the tribe.
The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also do not observe DST.
Will my phone automatically switch to Daylight Saving Time?
Phones should change overnight to show the correct time if they are set to update automatically.
Apple, Google, and Samsung have support pages with instructions for changing the clock on their devices. Carriers like Simple Mobile and Straight Talk have also posted steps online for checking settings on other phones.
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