When should you set your clocks back? See when daylight saving time ends in 2026 across the PNW

Daylight saving time ends in early November, bringing an extra hour of sleep and noticeably earlier sunsets to much of the Pacific Northwest.

In 2026, daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 1. Most people in Oregon and Washington will turn their clocks back one hour as the region returns to standard time.

Here’s what to know about the upcoming time change.

When does daylight saving time end in 2026?

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1.

At that point, clocks move backward one hour to 1 a.m. The change is commonly called “falling back.”

For most of Oregon and all of Washington, the change means moving from Pacific Daylight Time to Pacific Standard Time.

Most phones, computers, and other internet-connected devices should update automatically. Clocks in vehicles, on appliances, and other devices may need to be changed manually.

Do we gain or lose an hour when daylight saving time ends?

We gain an hour when daylight saving time ends.

Moving the clocks backward creates a 25-hour Sunday and shifts an hour of daylight from the evening to the morning.

That means sunrise will arrive earlier by the clock on Nov. 1, but so will sunset.

What will the time change mean in the Pacific Northwest?

The biggest difference for many Pacific Northwest residents will be how early darkness arrives.

Days are already getting shorter throughout October as the region moves toward the winter solstice. Ending daylight saving time makes the change feel more abrupt by shifting sunset an hour earlier on the clock.

For travelers and anyone planning hikes, scenic drives, or other outdoor activities, that means less evening daylight to work with after the time change.

Daylight will continue decreasing until the winter solstice on Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Oregon and Washington passed legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, so why are we still setting our clocks back?

Oregon and Washington both passed legislation in 2019 supporting a move to permanent daylight saving time. Seven years later, Pacific Northwest residents are still changing their clocks twice a year.

So, what happened?

The biggest hurdle is federal law. States can choose to stay on standard time year-round, but they cannot make daylight saving time permanent without a change at the federal level.

That’s why Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t change their clocks. Those states remain on standard time rather than daylight saving time.

Washington’s 2019 legislation called for year-round daylight saving time if federal law changes to allow it. Oregon passed similar legislation that year, although the Oregon law includes additional requirements involving neighboring states.

Oregon has also considered several proposals involving permanent standard time.

Those efforts have not eliminated the 2026 time change, so PNW residents should still plan to turn their clocks back in November.

Does all of Oregon follow Pacific Time?

No. Most of Oregon is in the Pacific Time Zone, but a portion of eastern Oregon observes Mountain Time.

The time zones differ, but daylight saving time still ends at 2 a.m. local time on Nov. 1 in areas that observe it.

Washington is entirely within the Pacific Time Zone.

When does daylight saving time start again?

Daylight saving time returns Sunday, March 14, 2027.

Clocks will move forward one hour at 2 a.m. local time, beginning another period of later sunsets.

Until then, the Pacific Northwest will remain on standard time through the darkest months of fall and winter.