The 2026 time change happens on Sunday, November 1, when daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time and clocks fall back one hour to 1 a.m. That means most Americans gain an hour, as the night of October 31 into November 1 runs one hour longer. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not change their clocks.
Key Takeaways
- Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when clocks are set back one hour.
- The fall time change adds an hour, since 2 a.m. becomes 1 a.m. again.
- The schedule comes from the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which set the current dates beginning in 2007.
- Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands do not observe daylight saving time.
- Arizona’s Navajo Nation does observe daylight saving time, unlike the rest of the state.
- Daylight saving time returns on Sunday, March 14, 2027, when clocks spring forward one hour.
When Is the Time Change 2026: The Exact Moment Clocks Fall Back
The 2026 time change takes place on the first Sunday in November, which falls on November 1. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, daylight saving time in 2026 runs from March 8 at 2 a.m. local time to November 1 at 2 a.m. At that moment, clocks are set back one hour, so 2 a.m. becomes 1 a.m. and the hour from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. repeats.
The change happens at 2 a.m. in each local time zone, not at the same instant nationwide. The East Coast falls back first, and the change moves west across the country hour by hour. For most people, there is nothing to do, since phones and computers adjust automatically through their operating systems. Older or manually set clocks, including many in cars and kitchen appliances, still need to be changed by hand.
Do We Gain or Lose an Hour in November
In November, clocks fall back, so the country gains an hour. The night of Saturday, October 31, into Sunday, November 1, is one hour longer than usual, which is why the fall change is often described as an extra hour of sleep.
The reverse happens in spring. When daylight saving time begins in March, clocks spring forward one hour at 2 a.m., and that night is an hour shorter. A simple way to remember the direction is the phrase “spring forward, fall back.”
The Federal Law Behind the Daylight Saving Time Schedule
The current dates are set by federal law. Congress established them in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and the schedule took effect in 2007. Under the law, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. NIST notes that the 2005 law extended daylight saving time by about a month, with the stated goal of reducing energy consumption.
The rules have shifted several times. Daylight saving time was first established by the Standard Time Act of 1918. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 standardized the start and end dates across the country, and a 1986 law moved the start to the first Sunday in April, beginning in 1987, while the end stayed on the last Sunday in October. The 2005 law moved both dates to the current schedule. Proposals to change the system have been debated in recent years, but the federal schedule remains in effect.
Who Oversees Time Zones in the United States
Time zones and daylight saving time in the United States are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Under federal law, moving a state or an area within a state from one time zone to another requires a Department of Transportation regulation.
Which States and Territories Do Not Change Their Clocks
Not every part of the United States observes daylight saving time. According to NIST, it is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands or the state of Arizona. The Congressional Research Service also lists the Northern Mariana Islands among the places that do not observe it. These areas stay on standard time all year, so the November 1 change does not affect their clocks.
Arizona has an exception within its borders. The Navajo Nation, which extends into the state, does observe daylight saving time, while the rest of Arizona does not. Arizona became the first state to exempt itself from daylight saving time in 1968. Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, by contrast, do observe daylight saving time, even though they share the Hawaii-Aleutian time zone with Hawaii, which does not.
When Daylight Saving Time Returns in 2027
After the November 1 change, standard time remains in effect through the winter. Under the second-Sunday-in-March rule, daylight saving time will begin again on Sunday, March 14, 2027, when clocks spring forward one hour at 2 a.m. local time.
FAQs
When is the time change in 2026?
The fall time change is Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2 a.m. local time. Clocks are set back one hour to 1 a.m.
Do we gain or lose an hour in November?
Clocks gain an hour in November. When daylight saving time ends, 2 a.m. becomes 1 a.m., so the night runs one hour longer.
Do we gain an hour tonight?
The extra hour arrives overnight from Saturday, October 31, into Sunday, November 1, 2026. Clocks fall back at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday morning.
Does Arizona observe daylight saving time?
Most of Arizona does not observe daylight saving time and stays on standard time all year. The Navajo Nation in Arizona is the exception and does change its clocks.
When does daylight saving time start in 2027?
Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 14, 2027, the second Sunday in March. Clocks spring forward one hour at 2 a.m. local time.
