Discover the best rides to admire the fall foliage this year
Pack your hiking boots and your pumpkin spice coffee! We’re hitting the road to highlight some amazing fall getaways from USA TODAY’s 10 Best team.
Scott L. Hall, USA TODAY
Autumn is just around the corner and with it the end of this year’s summer time.
In November, millions of Americans will set their clocks back, marking the end of Daylight Saving Time in 2024. The controversial practice of “setting forward” and “setting back” clocks has been observed in most states for decades.
Because of current daylight saving time, most Americans lose an hour of sleep on the second Sunday in March and gain an hour on the first Sunday in November.
Here’s what you need to know about the end of daylight saving time in 2024.
When does daylight saving time end? When will the clocks go back in 2024?
In 2024, daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 3, at 2 a.m.
Why do we gain an hour in November?
In November we gain an hour so that it is light longer in the mornings. When we set the clocks to spring in March, the idea is that it is light longer in the evenings in summer.
In the Northern Hemisphere, September 22nd is the autumn equinox and marks the beginning of fall.
Why do we have daylight saving time?
In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the duration of daylight saving time, which runs from March to November.
Daylight saving time begins each year on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
The Department of Transportation said daylight saving time saves energy, prevents traffic accidents and reduces crime. The Department of Transportation has been monitoring time zones and consistent daylight saving time observance since the railroad industry first adopted time standards.
Which countries have abolished daylight saving time?
Not all U.S. states and territories participate in Daylight Saving Time.
Hawaii and Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) do not observe daylight saving time. This also applies to the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Who introduced daylight saving time?
Benjamin Franklin is often cited as the first pioneer of daylight saving time, proposing the idea of daylight saving time in his 1784 essay “An Economic Project.” However, the idea was not seriously considered until more than a century later, when British architect William Willetts vehemently advocated for it.
The current daylight saving time format was proposed in New Zealand by entomologist George Hudson.
In 1895, he recommended a two-hour time change because he wanted more daylight for insect hunting after work during the summer.
Will daylight saving time end in Ohio?
The Ohio House of Representatives Committee on State and Local Government passed House Concurrent Resolution 7 in October 2023, calling on Congress to pass the Sunshine Uniformity Act. This bill would make daylight saving time permanent and end the biannual tradition of changing the clocks.
State Reps. Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria) and Bob Peterson (R-Sabina) sponsored the bill.
According to the resolution passed by the Ohio House of Representatives, switching to permanent daylight saving time would increase the number of hours of sunshine in the evenings during the winter months, thereby preventing mental health problems, Creech said.
However, the bill did not pass the U.S. House of Representatives and President Joe Biden did not sign it, making it law.
Is this summer time or daylight saving time?
While “Daylight Savings” is often pronounced with an “s,” the correct term is “Daylight Saving Time,” since this method saves on daylight saving time.
Emily DeLetter, a trends news reporter for USA Today, contributed to this story.
