Updated July 31, 2026, 8:57 a.m. ET
The twice-a-year clock change isn’t over yet.
Despite President Donald Trump’s support to keep daylight saving time permanent, years of legislative debate and growing public frustration with the practice, Americans are still expected to turn their clocks back this fall when the temporary time change comes to an end.
Unless both chambers of Congress pass legislation, most clocks in most of the United States will “fall back” one hour on Sunday, Nov. 1, continuing a tradition many Americans say they’re ready to leave behind.
Here’s what you need to know about when the clock will “fall back” in 2026.
When does daylight saving time end in 2026?
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks move back one hour to 1 a.m.
The shift marks the return to standard time and gives Americans an extra hour of sleep, while also bringing earlier sunsets and more morning daylight through the winter months.
Daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
Why are Americans still changing their clocks?
The answer is simple: Congress hasn’t changed the law.
Lawmakers from both parties have spent years pushing proposals to either make daylight saving time permanent or eliminate the twice-annual clock change altogether. While several bills have advanced, including the Sunshine Protection Act of 2022 passed by the U.S. Senate, none have made it across the finish line.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill in July to make daylight saving time permanent, but it faces an uphill battle in the Senate. Trump is personally calling politicians urging them to support it. “Hopefully the Senate’s going to approve that one.”
But despite support from the president and some lawmakers, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has questioned whether the measure has enough votes to pass the upper chamber.
Do all states observe daylight saving time?
No.
Several states and U.S. territories do not observe daylight saving time and stay on standard time year-round:
- Hawaii
- Most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation)
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. Virgin Islands
Most of the rest of the country continues to switch between daylight saving time and standard time each year.
Americans are increasingly ready to stop the clock changes
Polls suggest many Americans are tired of adjusting their clocks twice a year.
A 2023 YouGov survey found that 62% of Americans favored eliminating the twice-yearly clock changes. Meanwhile, a January 2025 Gallup poll found that 54% wanted to end daylight saving time, with 48% preferring year-round standard time and 24% favoring permanent daylight saving time.
What do experts say?
Many sleep and health experts argue that changing clocks twice a year disrupts the body’s natural rhythm.
Erik Herzog, a biology and neuroscience professor at Washington University in St. Louis and former president of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, previously told USA TODAY that permanent standard time would be the healthiest option.
Herzog said clock changes disrupt circadian rhythms, the body’s internal clock that regulates sleep and other biological functions. The spring time change, when clocks move forward an hour, is especially tough on the body and has been linked to increases in heart attacks and car crashes.
Will daylight saving time end anytime soon?
For now, Americans should plan on another clock change this fall.
While Congress continues debating whether to make daylight saving time permanent or end seasonal clock changes altogether, no change has become law. That means most of the country will still set clocks back one hour on Nov. 1, extending a tradition that many voters, health experts and even the president say they’re ready to leave behind.
Contributing: Reuters; Bart Jensen, Zachary Schermele, Jorge L. Ortiz, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Emily DeLetter, Julia Gomez, Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.