Summer is officially behind us, though how far depends on on how you define summer.
- Meteorological summer ended on August 31, 2025.
- Astronomical summer lasted until September 22, 2025, the last day of the autumnal equinox.
Next up on the calendar is daylight saving time 2025, and this year’s clock change is coming sooner than in previous years.
When Does Daylight Saving Time End in 2025?
- Date: Sunday, November 2, 2025
- Time: 2:00 a.m. local time
- What happens: Clocks “fall back” one hour to 1:00 a.m.
While most Americans will gain an extra hour of sleep, it comes with noticeably earlier sunsets.
Which U.S. States Ignore Daylight Saving Time
Daylight saving time in the U.S. is federal law, standardized by Energy Policy Act of 2005 (effective 2007) and are administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Under the current federal schedule, daylight saving time start 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.
Even some Native American reservations differ: the Navajo Nation, spanning Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, observes daylight saving time to maintain consistency across its territory.
Why The U.S. Uses Daylight Saving Time
Daylight saving time is over a century old, first adopted in 1918. The goal: better align our active hours with available daylight, reduce lighting demand, and give people more post-work daylight. Originating as a wartime energy-saving measure in EuropeThe 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, daylight saving time was extended was — again with energy efficiency in mind— starting in March and ending in November. Whether it actually saves energy today is debated, as lighting and technology have evolved. The tradeoffs remain: brighter evenings versus darker mornings. Supporters appreciate after-work daylight; critics cite sleep disruption, early-morning darkness for school buses, and unhealthy effects on circadian rhythm —the 24-hour biological cycles that regulate sleep and wake patterns. The term is 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?
Possibly — but not yet. The Sunshine Protection Act, a proposal to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, passed the U.S. Senate in 2022 but stalled in the House. Similar bills have been introduced, but or 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 daylight saving time returns on the second Sunday in March.
Mark your calendars and get ready – your sleeping patterns may thank you.