With fall officially underway and days continuing to get shorter, it won’t be much longer until clocks “fall back” for the season as daylight saving time ends.
Though failed legislation has suggested the U.S. implement permanent daylight saving time, the switch back to standard time will proceed as normal, with most states observing daylight saving time.
But when exactly will that happen?
Here’s what to know about the fall season and time change in the Chicago area:
When does daylight saving time end?
Currently, Illinois and several states across the U.S. are in daylight saving time, which began in spring. But that will soon come to an end as clocks “fall back” this season, giving residents a coveted extra hour of sleep.
But when does that happen?
The federal government mandates clocks roll back on the first Sunday of November each year. In 2024, that falls on Nov. 3.
What is daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time is a changing of the clocks that typically begins in spring and ends in fall. Under the conditions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. On those days, clocks either shift forward or backward one hour.
When not in daylight saving time, the time is known as standard time.
As it stands, Illinois shifts between the two. The “spring forward” is when the state enters daylight saving time, and the “fall back” marks a return to standard time.
According to the website Time and Date, standard time is the local time in a country or region when daylight saving time is not in use.
“More than 60% of the countries in the world use standard time all year,” the site says. “The remaining countries use DST during the summer months, generally setting clocks forward one hour from standard time.”
Which states don’t observe daylight saving time?
The annual time change will occur in Illinois and nearly every U.S. state, except two:
Arizona (although some Native American tribes do observe DST in their territories) and Hawaii.
U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, also do not observe daylight saving time.
Which is better: daylight saving time or standard time?
Sleep experts have long questioned the health of daylight saving time.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has pushed for a switch to permanent standard time for several years.
“By causing the human body clock to be misaligned with the natural environment, daylight saving time increases risks to our physical health, mental well-being, and public safety,” Dr. M. Adeel Rishi, who is chair of the AASM Public Safety Committee and a pulmonary, sleep medicine, and critical care specialist at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis, said in a statement. “Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and safety.”
Experts cited a “growing body of evidence” in recent years.
“Permanent standard time helps synchronize the body clock with the rising and setting of the sun,” Dr. James A. Rowley, president of the AASM, said in a release. “This natural synchrony is optimal for healthy sleep, and sleep is essential for health, mood, performance, and safety.”
It also mirrors similar takes from other organizations, including the National Sleep Foundation, which said “seasonal time-changes are disruptive to sleep health and should be eliminated.”
How early will sunsets get?
You may have noticed: the days are getting shorter, and the sun is setting earlier. Chicago has seen its final 7 p.m. sunset of the year, which fell on Sept. 15.
On Oct. 5, Chicago will see a sunset time of 6:24 p.m., with sunrises occurring just before 7 a.m.
In the lead-up to daylight saving time, sunsets will slowly inch earlier, with the sun eventually setting at 4:41 p.m. as DST wraps up.
By the end of November, the skies will see a sunset as early as 4:30 p.m.