When does the time change next in 2026? Date for daylight savings and which states are changing the clocks

The next national clock change is approaching, and most Americans will need to move their clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time that morning. When the clock reaches 2 a.m., it returns to 1 a.m., effectively giving people an extra hour overnight.

The change also shifts daylight earlier. Sunrise and sunset will both occur about an hour earlier than they did the day before, bringing brighter mornings and darker evenings.

Under current federal rules, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. States that observe it must follow those federally mandated dates.

Which states will change their clocks on November 1?

Almost the entire country will make the switch. Hawaii doesn't observe daylight saving time, while most of Arizona also stays on standard time throughout the year.

The Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona is the major exception and does observe daylight saving time. That means residents in the other states, along with Washington, D.C., should expect clocks to move back one hour.

Several U.S. territories also avoid the seasonal change, including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands .

Many smartphones, computers and other internet-connected devices will update automatically. Wall clocks, ovens, microwaves and some vehicles may still need to be adjusted manually.

Why are Americans still changing their clocks?

The debate over whether the United States should continue changing clocks has gone on for years. Federal law already allows a state to exempt itself from daylight saving time and remain on standard time year-round.

What states cannot currently do on their own is switch permanently to daylight saving time. The Department of Transportation says states do not have authority to adopt permanent daylight saving time without a change in federal law.

That is why proposals passed by some state legislatures calling for year-round daylight saving time have not automatically ended the twice-yearly clock change.

Unless federal law changes before November, the existing schedule remains in effect.

The 2026 fall change comes as early as possible

November 1 is notable because it is the earliest calendar date on which daylight saving time can end under the current system. The United States moved its clocks forward on March 8, 2026.

Most states will therefore have spent nearly eight months on daylight saving time before returning to standard time.

The practical rule is straightforward as people in most of the country should turn clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday, October 31.

When they wake up on Sunday, November 1, they will have gained an extra hour, along with an earlier sunset.