When Do the Clocks Go Back in 2026? US vs UK Dates

The clocks go back in the UK on Sunday, 25 October 2026, and in US locations that observe daylight saving time on Sunday, 1 November 2026. In each case, 2:00 a.m. becomes 1:00 a.m. local time. The dates are one week apart, so a reminder copied from another country can be wrong. [1][2]

Checked: 18 October 2026. This independent guide covers the UK and US autumn changes, not a worldwide schedule. Official dates were checked against GOV.UK, NIST and the US Naval Observatory, with Timeanddate used as an additional cross-check.

The clock reading is decorative, not the transition time.

Read the place and date together

The UK and observing US locations change on different dates. Write the city and date beside an important appointment rather than relying on a familiar time difference. The repeated hour needs particular care for overnight plans.

Unnumbered clock beside abstract UK and US map shapes in open notebook. Check the date and location; decorative clock hands do not specify the transition time.

For automatic devices, check the time zone and the automatic-time settings. For manual clocks, adjust once and keep track of which items are done. Confirm travel and work arrangements with the responsible provider when an ambiguous local time matters.

01. When do the clocks go back in 2026?

UK: 25 October. The UK returns from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time when 2:00 a.m. becomes 1:00 a.m. GOV.UK lists this as the 2026 autumn change. [1]

Generic London-style autumn street, conceptual architectural illustration. Check the date and location; decorative clock hands do not specify the transition time.

US: 1 November, where DST applies. NIST gives 2:00 a.m. local time as the transition; the US Naval Observatory independently lists 1 November as the 2026 end date. This is a local-time rule, rather than one nationwide instant across all time zones. [2][3]

Dates and transition times: GOV.UK and NIST, checked 18 October 2026. The US row applies only to locations observing DST.

02. What does “fall back” actually mean?

The clock repeats an hour instead of skipping one. When the display reaches the change point at 2:00 a.m., it returns to 1:00 a.m. An hour that has already appeared on the clock appears again. [2]

Two decorative unnumbered clocks, closed laptop and globe in US home. Check the date and location; decorative clock hands do not specify the transition time.

For a late-night plan, “1:30 a.m.” alone can therefore be ambiguous. Write the date and city with the time, and ask the organiser which occurrence is intended if a booking or shift falls within the repeated hour. This is practical planning advice, not a claim that every booking system handles the overlap in the same way.

03. Why your UK–US meeting needs another look

The UK changes a week before observing US locations. During the intervening period, a familiar transatlantic time difference may no longer match the one you used earlier in October. Do not assume that a standing conversion remains correct just because the meeting’s weekday is unchanged.

Two blank standing calendar cards a short distance apart. Check the date and location; decorative clock hands do not specify the transition time.

Open the actual calendar event for each affected date and inspect the named time zone, rather than mentally adding a remembered number of hours. A useful message to participants is: “Please confirm the local time shown for this date in your city.” If one participant’s display differs, resolve it before the meeting day.

The decorative object is not an instructional clock.

04. A four-part checklist before the change

MIQ WORKBOOK editorial checklist. Check your own device instructions and transport booking for the exact settings and schedule.

Unmarked travel ticket partly inside passport cover with watch. Check the date and location; decorative clock hands do not specify the transition time.

Check the location

Confirm the destination city and whether DST applies there. NIST identifies Hawaii and most of Arizona as exceptions; the Navajo Nation observes DST. A US state or country label alone is not always enough to establish the correct clock rule. [2]

Check devices and manual clocks separately

NIST explains that computer time-zone and DST corrections depend on the operating system. Check that the device’s time zone and automatic-time options are appropriate, and keep its software current. For a manual clock, make a short list and adjust it once; avoid changing a device manually and then having an automatic adjustment change it again. [2]

Reconfirm travel and overnight plans

Reopen the airline, railway or event organiser’s current booking details. Confirm the date, departure location and displayed local time. For overnight work or any arrangement in the repeated hour, obtain a clear written time from the responsible organiser rather than inferring a contractual rule from this article.

05. The quick answer to save

UK: Sunday, 25 October 2026. Observing US locations: Sunday, 1 November 2026. Set manual clocks back one hour and check important plans against their actual location and calendar settings.

Bedside analog clock without numerals and phone screen off. Check the date and location; decorative clock hands do not specify the transition time.

Does every US state change its clocks?

No. The US date above is for places that observe DST. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not; check the specific destination rather than treating the national date as universal. [2]

Do the clocks change the amount of daylight?

The adjustment changes the clock label assigned to daylight; it does not create extra sunlight. Timeanddate describes earlier clock-time sunrise and sunset after the UK change. For a shoot or outdoor plan, check a local sunrise-and-sunset forecast for the exact date. [4]

Sources and verification

[1] GOV.UK — When do the clocks change?

[2] NIST — Daylight Saving Time Rules

[3] US Naval Observatory — Daylight Saving Time, 2026

[4] Timeanddate — Time change 2026 in the United Kingdom

Dates and rules were checked on 18 October 2026. Images are editorial illustrations or diagrams; none is an official app screen. This article is independently written for English-speaking readers.