Daylight Saving Time 2024: When Will Clocks ‘Fall Back’ in the US?
As the colder months approach, many citizens across the United States will soon experience more daylight in the mornings and darker evenings as daylight saving time (DST) comes to an end.
Daylight saving time involves setting the clock forward by an hour each spring, commencing on the second Sunday in March and concluding on the first Sunday in November. However, this has not always been the practice.
This year, DST will end on Sunday, November 3, granting most people in the US an additional hour of sleep.
In the US, daylight saving time typically begins on the second Sunday of March, which in 2024 fell on March 10. At 2 am local time, clocks were set forward by an hour for the majority of the US population.
On November 3, 2024, daylight saving time will come to an end at 2 am local time, enabling everyone to “fall back” and enjoy an extra hour of rest. The process will repeat the following year on Sunday, March 9, 2025.
Despite most states in the US observing daylight saving time, a few exceptions exist. Arizona, the Navajo Indian Reservation, and Hawaii do not follow DST, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Additionally, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands also do not adopt the practice.
The concept of daylight saving time dates back to Benjamin Franklin’s proposal in 1784 but did not achieve consistent implementation until 1966 with the creation of the Uniform Time Act. This act mandated the adherence to DST unless an entire state received an exemption through unanimous agreement.
Although there have been various periods in US history where daylight saving time was observed, including during World War II as “War Time,” the Uniform Time Act ensured that all states adjusted their clocks concurrently. The Department of Transportation suggested that DST could improve public safety and energy conservation, although subsequent evaluations showed minimal impact post-DST implementation.
The current DST schedule in the United States was introduced in 2007, setting the start on the second Sunday of March and the end on the first Sunday of November. Previously, it occurred from the last Sunday of April to the last Sunday of October, marking a 238-day yearly practice period.
While most clocks automatically adjust for DST changes, some appliances may require manual updates. Certain devices possess a DST on/off function that necessitates activation for time adjustments.
In recent years, dissatisfaction with daylight saving time has grown, leading several states to propose bills to abolish clock changes. The Senate passed The Sunshine Protection Act in March 2022, aiming to establish permanent DST across the US. Although the bill reached the House in March 2023, it is yet to be ratified.
As discussions around the future of daylight saving time continue, citizens await potential reforms to this long-standing tradition in timekeeping.