Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 1, 2026, confirmed by calendar calculation as the first Sunday of November, the fixed date set under current federal law for when most of the US "falls back" one hour.
Which direction, exactly
Clocks move backward one hour, so 2 a.m. effectively becomes 1 a.m. Most people experience this as simply gaining an extra hour of sleep overnight, since the change happens in the very early morning when most clocks (smartphones and computers especially) adjust automatically.
Who this doesn't apply to
Arizona (outside the Navajo Nation, which does observe the time change) and Hawaii do not observe daylight saving time and stay on standard time year-round, so this specific change doesn't affect clocks in those two states. US territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands also generally don't observe the time change.
Practical things worth doing that week
Most phones, computers, and other network-connected devices adjust automatically and don't need manual intervention. Standalone clocks, including in some vehicles, ovens, and simpler clock radios, do need a manual adjustment. This seasonal time change is also a widely used reminder to check smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries, a habit worth keeping regardless of your opinion on the time change itself.
Is daylight saving time changing permanently any time soon
There has been periodic federal legislative discussion in recent years about ending the twice-yearly time change altogether, either by making daylight saving time or standard time permanent year-round. As of this article's publish date, no such change has taken effect, and the twice-yearly switch remains current federal law; check for any legislative update before assuming otherwise in a future year.
Why the fall change tends to feel easier than the spring one
Most people find "falling back" an hour in November easier to adjust to than "springing forward" in March, since gaining an hour of sleep is generally less disruptive to the body's internal clock than losing one. That said, the shift to earlier evening darkness that comes with the time change, not the clock adjustment itself, is what many people notice and dislike most, since it affects how much daylight remains after a typical workday regardless of how easily you personally adjust to the clock shift itself.
Bottom line
Clocks fall back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026, for most of the US, excluding Arizona and Hawaii. The change itself requires no action for most modern devices, but it's still a convenient annual trigger to check your home's safety-detector batteries.
