Clocks across the state will “fall back” one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2025. The time change will officially return Ohio to Eastern Standard Time (EST), granting residents an extra hour of sleep and bringing earlier sunrises—but also earlier sunsets—to the state.
A Continuing Debate
The shift comes amid ongoing national and state-level legislative efforts to end the practice of changing clocks twice a year. While the Ohio House of Representatives has previously passed resolutions urging Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent—a move that would keep evening daylight later year-round—no such legislation has been passed at the federal level, which is required for states to adopt permanent DST.
Under current federal law, states like Ohio are permitted to observe Standard Time permanently, but not Daylight Saving Time.
Despite the widespread public discussion and support among some state lawmakers for a permanent time, Ohio and the rest of the nation must continue to observe the “spring forward” and “fall back” schedule until Congress acts.
For now, the extra hour on Sunday signals the official start of the darker winter months, ushering in the time when most of Ohio wakes up to daylight but commutes home in the dark. The time change will remain in effect until the next “spring forward” on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Don’t Forget to Check Your Clocks: Residents are reminded to set all manual clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday night, November 1st. Most smartphones and digital devices will adjust automatically.