US Clocks Fall Back November 1 as Congress Weighs Permanent Change

Millions of Americans will return to standard time on November 1, 2026, when daylight saving time ends across most of the United States. Under the current federal schedule, clocks will move back one hour at 2 a.m., making it 1 a.m. again and extending the overnight period by an hour.

The change applies to states including Michigan, Ohio, Georgia and Texas. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November and resumes on the second Sunday in March.

Most smartphones, computers and internet-connected devices will update automatically. Residents may need to adjust analog clocks, alarm clocks, household appliances and vehicle displays manually.

The November transition provides an additional hour overnight but also shifts sunset approximately one hour earlier by the clock. The change does not reduce the total amount of daylight available; seasonal changes in Earth's orientation already shorten daylight hours during autumn and winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

Federal lawmakers are also considering legislation that could eventually eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes. However, the existing schedule remains in effect while the proposal awaits further action in the Senate.

The US House passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, also identified as H.R. 139, by a vote of 308-117 on July 14, 2026. The Senate received the bill on July 15 and referred it to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

As of October 5, the committee and the full Senate had not scheduled a vote, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The legislation would make daylight saving time permanent for most states that currently observe it, subject to the bill's provisions and existing exemptions.

Texas has also taken steps toward maintaining daylight saving time throughout the year. House Bill 1393, known as the Texas Time bill, passed the state Legislature and was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2025. The measure cannot take effect unless federal law changes to permit states to adopt permanent daylight saving time.

In Austin, the earliest winter sunset currently occurs around 5:31 p.m. in December, while the latest winter sunrise falls around 7:30 to 7:45 a.m. If permanent daylight saving time takes effect, those times would shift approximately one hour later, producing sunsets around 6:31 p.m. and sunrises around 8:30 to 8:45 a.m.

Georgia would likewise remain on daylight saving time throughout the year if the federal proposal became law in its current form. For now, residents in Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta, Athens and Columbus must follow the existing November transition.

Daylight saving time has a long history in the United States. Germany and Austria first adopted the practice in 1916 during World War I to conserve resources, and the United States followed in 1918. Congress later established a national framework through the Uniform Time Act of 1966, with the current March-to-November schedule taking effect in 2007.

Benjamin Franklin is often associated with the concept because of a satirical letter he wrote in 1784 advocating earlier waking to make better use of morning sunlight. He wrote, "Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing." His suggestion preceded the modern system by more than a century.

Not every US jurisdiction observes daylight saving time. Hawaii and most of Arizona remain on standard time year-round, as do American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Michigan lawmakers have also considered ending seasonal clock changes. The state House approved legislation in 2021 that could potentially end the practice, but Michigan continues to follow the federal schedule.

Daylight saving time is intended to align more daylight with evening activities, and supporters have cited possible benefits for traffic safety and pedestrian activity. However, researchers have questioned the extent of its energy savings, while critics have raised concerns about sleep disruption and other health effects associated with changing clocks.

Under the current federal schedule, daylight saving time will begin again on March 14, 2027, when clocks move forward one hour at 2 a.m. Unless federal law changes before then, most Americans will continue switching between daylight saving time and standard time twice each year.