Do clocks go back tonight? Everything to know for daylight saving time - USA Today

Rewind those clocks. Daylight saving time is almost over.

Despite President Donald Trump's efforts over the past few months and growing public support for ending clock changes, the Sunshine Protection Act, which would eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes, remains stalled while the Senate is in an extended election recess.

This means that most Americans will turn their clocks back one hour on Nov. 1, per usual.

The current law on daylight saving time − Uniform Time Act of 1966 − was enacted under President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration and only the Congress has the authority to change it, though the U.S. Secretary of Transportation oversees its administration under federal law. For now, neither has changed it.

Here's what you need to know about when daylight saving time ends and when to change the clock.

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 change marks the return to standard time and gives Americans an extra hour of sleep. It also brings earlier sunsets and more morning daylight as winter approaches.

Under current law, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

The answer is simple: Congress has not yet changed the law.

The Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes, passed the House in July by a 301-117 vote. But the legislation has stalled in the Senate, the final hurdle before it could reach Trump's desk.

Lawmakers left Washington before taking up the measure, leaving the existing system intact.

Trump has repeatedly urged Congress to end the twice-yearly clock change and keep the nation on daylight saving time year-round.

Most recently, on Monday, Oct. 26, Trump criticized the Senate for not passing the Sunshine Protection Act that would end the twice-yearly clock changes.

"The United States Senate is letting the Daylight Saving Bill die, when a vast Majority of the Country want it," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "Most people are demanding light in the evening, but ALL want not to change their clocks anymore."

The Sunshine Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, passed the House in July but has since failed to clear the Senate, the last step before it lands on Trump’s desk for final sign-off.

Despite Trump's support, several Senate Republicans remain unconvinced.

Sen. Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, has said that while he dislikes changing clocks, Congress previously experimented with permanent daylight saving time only to reverse course after many Americans objected to extremely late winter sunrises.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has also expressed skepticism, telling Politico on Oct. 5 that there is "no clear path forward" for legislation to make daylight saving time permanent.

Sen. Roger Wicker, of Mississippi, raised similar concerns, citing safety issues in northern and rural states where children could be waiting for school buses in darkness during winter mornings.

That opposition has become a significant obstacle for legislation that appeared to have momentum earlier this year.

Polls suggest many Americans support ending the practice.

A 2023 YouGov survey found 62% of Americans favored ending the time changes. A January 2025 Gallup poll similarly found that 54% wanted to eliminate the practice.

Yet Americans remain divided on what should replace it.

Some support permanent daylight saving time, which would provide more daylight in the evening. Meanwhile, others favor permanent standard time, which would bring more morning sunlight during winter months.

The debate gained additional attention in March 2025 when Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, then leading Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), conducted a poll on X asking users whether they preferred clocks staying an hour earlier or later if the changes were eliminated.

More than 1.3 million users responded, with 58% favoring later daylight and 42% preferring earlier daylight.

While many Americans agree they dislike changing clocks twice a year, experts remain divided on whether permanent daylight saving time is the answer.

Sleep researchers generally agree that switching clocks can disrupt circadian rhythms and affect sleep. Many experts argue that permanent standard time would be healthier than permanent daylight saving time because it aligns more closely with the body's natural clock.

Christopher Barnes, a professor at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business, said daylight saving time's appeal often comes from the promise of brighter evenings.

"A lot of people seem to like daylight saving time because there is more daylight available in the evening, and they envision themselves having many evening barbecues outside that they may enjoy," Barnes told USA TODAY.

But he warned that permanent daylight saving time could create long-term circadian misalignment for many Americans.

"The high prevalence of permanent circadian misalignment that permanent daylight saving time would produce would be bad for sleep and health outcomes," Barnes said, adding that sleep disruptions are linked to lower workplace engagement, reduced performance, diminished creativity and other negative effects.

Some groups across the country have also opposed making daylight saving time permanent.

Ski resort operators have urged senators to reject the notion, arguing darker winter mornings would create safety risks for workers, delay ski lift openings and hurt mountain communities that depend on winter tourism.

Some religious communities also oppose permanent daylight saving time.

Rabbi Josh Joseph of the Orthodox Union said many Jewish religious practices are tied to sunrise and sunset, which determine prayer times and observances. Later winter sunrises could make morning prayers more difficult, particularly in parts of the Midwest and Mountain West.

Some Muslim communities have raised similar concerns because certain daily prayers must be completed by dawn.

The education sector also has its concerns. A new study by online education platform K-12 found kids would commute in the dark every winter morning in 94% of the nation's largest school districts, should DST become permanent. This raised alarm among parents, who did not want their children to head to school before sunrise, with support for permanent DST dropping from 45% to 36%.

Several states and U.S. territories remain on standard time year-round:

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@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.