This illustration photo shows a clock in the background of a smartphone showing the time after daylight saving time was implemented in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 2022. The US Senate advanced a bill on March 15 that would bring an end to the twice-yearly changing of clocks, in favor of a “new, permanent standard time” that would mean brighter winter evenings. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
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Is Summer over already?
It depends on how you define it.
Meteorologically, the last day of Summer was August 31. Astronomically, the last day of summer is September 22, the day the autumnal equinox occurs.
Next up on the calendar is daylight saving time (DST) – and this year’s clock change will be sneaking up sooner than in years past.
While most Americans will gain an extra hour of sleep, they come along with noticeably earlier sunsets. This year, the date will fall on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at 2:00 a.m. local time, when clocks “fall back” one hour to 1:00 a.m.
Set by federal law, the rules were standardized in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (effective 2007) and are administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Under the current federal schedule, DST begins the second Sunday in March and ends the first Sunday in November.
But not every state participates. Hawaii and most of Arizona stay on standard time year-round, as do the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. States can choose to opt out of DST by choosing permanent standard time each year, although they cannot permanently opt out of DST without an act of Congress.
Nor does every Indian reservation participate. The Navajo Nation (which spans parts of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico) does observe DST to stay aligned across its territory.
A man takes a picture of a giant model replica of a new Rolex land-dweller model, during the opening day of the “Watches and Wonders Geneva” luxury watch fair, in Geneva, on April 1, 2025. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
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Why Does America Acknowledge DST?
DST is a century-old attempt, first adopted in 1918, to better align our active hours with nature’s supply of available daylight. The idea was simple: the government would extend evening daylight during longer-day months, potentially reducing lighting demand and giving people more post-work daylight. The concept came from wartime energy-saving measures taking place in countries across Europe. After decades of local inconsistencies in which some cities observed DST, and some didn’t, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
In 2007, the season was lengthened—again with energy in mind—pushing the start to March’s second Sunday and the end to November’s first Sunday. Although whether DST meaningfully saves energy these days: as lighting and technology have improved significantly since 1918. Still, the broader tradeoff—brighter evenings vs. darker early mornings—continues to drive the conversation. With supporters citing after-work daylight, critics highlight sleep disruption, school-bus darkness, and the toll on circadian health, a term derived from the Latin phrase “circa diem,” meaning “about a day,” referring to biological variations of a 24-hour cycle.
Will The U.S. Ever Stop Changing Clocks?
Maybe—but not yet. The Sunshine Protection Act, a proposal to make DST permanent nationwide, passed the U.S. Senate in 2022 but stalled without a House vote and did not become law. Related bills have been reintroduced with no success, so for now, the status quo holds: spring forward, fall back.
After this fall’s change, the next national clock shift is scheduled for Sunday, March 8, 2026, when DST returns on the second Sunday in March.
Mark your calendars and get ready – your sleeping patterns may thank you.