Clocks move back one hour across the European Union on the night of October 24-25, 2026, and in most of the United States on November 1, 2026, marking the end of daylight saving time for both regions this autumn. The EU date is the earliest the last-Sunday-of-October rule can produce; the US follows a separate federal law. Not every device adjusts on its own.
Daylight saving time ends on two different dates this year depending on where you live. In the European Union, clocks go back one hour during the night of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October 2026: at 3:00 a.m. it becomes 2:00 a.m. again. In the United States, the switch to standard time comes a week later, on Sunday, 1 November 2026 at 2:00 a.m., when clocks fall back to 1:00 a.m.
Two regions, two different dates
The gap between the European and American dates is not new; it exists every year because the two systems are governed by separate rules. The EU has set the last Sunday of October and the last Sunday of March as its fixed changeover dates since 1998, according to the French government's public information portal, Service-Public.gouv.fr. The United States instead follows the Uniform Time Act of 1966, as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which fixes the change on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November, per the Farmers' Almanac and The Old Farmer's Almanac.
When clocks change in autumn 2026
Region
Date
Local time
Direction
European Union
Night of Oct. 24-25, 2026
3:00 a.m. → 2:00 a.m.
Back one hour
United States (most states)
Nov. 1, 2026
2:00 a.m. → 1:00 a.m.
Back one hour
Arizona (except Navajo Nation) & Hawaii
No change
—
Standard time year-round
Why the European date falls earlier than usual this year
Because 25 October 2026 is the last Sunday of the month, it is also the earliest date on which the EU's autumn switch can occur under the last-Sunday-of-October rule that has applied since 1998. The date shifts from year to year only within the final week of October, so a changeover this early happens periodically whenever the calendar places the last Sunday on the 25th.
Devices that will not update on their own
Smartphones, computers, internet routers and connected televisions generally reset themselves automatically, provided their automatic time setting is switched on. Several everyday devices do not, according to a review of the change published by Le Tribunal du Net.
Oven and stovetop clocks
Microwave clocks
Mechanical alarm clocks and radio alarms without internet connectivity
Programmable heating thermostats
Water-heater timers and garden irrigation programmers
Older car radios without GPS
Analog watches with a date display
The same report notes that smart electricity meters such as France's Linky adjust automatically, but separate programmers connected to them may still need a manual reset to avoid triggering heating or off-peak electricity schedules at the wrong hour.
Why the biannual change itself is still in place
The European Parliament voted in March 2019 to end the seasonal clock change altogether, with implementation originally planned for 2021, Service-Public.gouv.fr states. The plan stalled amid disagreements among member states over which permanent time to keep, a situation the Covid-19 pandemic also disrupted, and the government portal says the proposal to scrap the time change "is no longer on the agenda." In the United States, the current twice-yearly schedule remains federal law, with Arizona (outside the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii permanently exempt, along with territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands, according to the Farmers' Almanac and The Old Farmer's Almanac.
The 2:00 a.m. timing is deliberate: it is late enough that most bars and restaurants are closed, and early enough that the change is finished before the Sunday morning commute and church services begin.
— Farmers' Almanac
Questions
When exactly do clocks go back in Europe in 2026?
Clocks in the European Union move back one hour during the night of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October 2026, turning 3:00 a.m. into 2:00 a.m., according to Service-Public.gouv.fr.
When does daylight saving time end in the United States in 2026?
US clocks fall back one hour on Sunday, 1 November 2026 at 2:00 a.m., which becomes 1:00 a.m., according to the Farmers' Almanac and The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Which US states or territories don't change their clocks?
Arizona (outside the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii stay on standard time year-round, as do territories including Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands, per the Farmers' Almanac.
Which devices won't update automatically for the time change?
Oven and microwave clocks, mechanical alarm clocks without connectivity, programmable thermostats, water-heater and irrigation timers, older car radios and analog watches need to be reset by hand, according to Le Tribunal du Net.
Is the EU still planning to abolish the twice-yearly clock change?
A 2019 European Parliament vote to end the practice by 2021 stalled over disagreements between member states and the Covid-19 pandemic, and Service-Public.gouv.fr says the proposal is no longer on the EU's agenda.
How the world is telling it
FrenchFrench outlets and the government's own Service-Public.gouv.fr portal frame the story around practical daily-life disruption, emphasizing that 25 October 2026 is the earliest possible date for the shift since the EU's 1998 rule, and giving readers checklists of which household devices (ovens, thermostats, car radios) need a manual reset.
This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this
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