The arrival of fall is set for Sunday morning, while the conclusion of Daylight Saving Time is still more than six weeks away. Daylight Saving Time will officially end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3, 2024, when clocks will be set back one hour, theoretically providing an extra hour of sleep.
Since the summer began on June 20, the length of daylight has been gradually decreasing. The last sunset occurring later than 7 p.m. took place on Tuesday, and by the end of September, sunset will happen around 6:40 p.m. The reduction in daylight will continue daily until the winter solstice on December 21, which occurs at 4:19 a.m. After that date, the days will gradually start to get longer until reaching the summer solstice on June 20, 2025.
Once standard time is reinstated in November, sunrise will shift to approximately one hour earlier each morning. For example, on November 2, sunrise in New Jersey will occur around 7:29 a.m., with sunset at about 5:53 p.m. The following day, sunrise will be at 6:30 a.m., but sunset will be much earlier, at 4:52 p.m. Consequently, while many will make their evening commutes back home in darkness throughout November, their morning journeys will benefit from increased daylight.
Daylight Saving Time commenced on Sunday, March 10, 2024, and runs until November 3, 2024, totaling 238 days. Since 2007, it has been observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Clocks will move forward again on March 9, 2025, 126 days after they fall back.
The origins of Daylight Saving Time can be traced back to English architect William Willett, who proposed the clock change in 1907. His idea for utilizing daylight more efficiently was first hinted at by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, when he suggested a tax on window shutters after sunrise to encourage the use of natural light over candles.
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 made Daylight Saving widespread in the U.S. Initially, it ran from the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, with states having the option to opt out. In 1986, the timeframe changed to run from the first Sunday in April through the last Sunday in October, and then again in 2006, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 established it from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Notably, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not participate in Daylight Saving Time. Additionally, U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam also do not observe it. Indiana did not fully adopt Daylight Saving until 2006.
Eighteen states have instituted legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, with California voters approving year-round Daylight Saving. However, such changes require federal approval. In March 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act aimed at eliminating the biannual clock changes, but it has not yet been voted on by the House of Representatives.
Daylight Saving Time is acknowledged in about 70 countries, primarily in North America, Europe, and parts of South America and New Zealand, while countries like China, Japan, and India do not observe it. The start and end dates for Daylight Saving Time vary globally, with Europe beginning on the last Sunday of March and concluding on the final Sunday of October.