Boston’s clocks fall back this weekend—and Sunday’s sunset will arrive before 5 p.m.
Halloween weekend comes with an extra hour on the clock this year, but Boston’s evening daylight is about to take a hit.
Daylight saving time ends Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2 a.m., when clocks move back one hour to 1 a.m. For Bostonians, that means a potential extra hour of sleep—and a noticeably earlier sunset.
If you’re planning a Sunday afternoon walk along the Charles or a golden-hour stroll through Back Bay, you’ll want to head out earlier: Boston’s sunset will arrive at approximately 4:37 p.m.
When do clocks change in Boston?
The change happens overnight between Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1—right after Halloween.
At 2 a.m., clocks return to 1 a.m., repeating that hour and marking the switch from Eastern Daylight Time to Eastern Standard Time. Think “fall back,” not “spring forward.”
For anyone keeping an old-school alarm clock, that’s your reminder to move it back an hour before heading to bed Saturday.
What time will the sun set after the clocks change?
Here’s where the difference becomes hard to miss. Boston’s sunrise and sunset will shift as follows:
- Saturday, October 31: Sunrise at 7:16 a.m.; sunset at 5:39 p.m.
- Sunday, November 1: Sunrise at 6:17 a.m.; sunset at 4:37 p.m.
The brighter morning is the trade-off for losing that late-afternoon light. The clock change doesn’t suddenly remove an hour of daylight; it shifts when that daylight falls on our schedules, while the days continue their seasonal shortening.
In other words, that weekend coffee-and-foliage walk might need to become a morning outing rather than a late-afternoon plan.
When will clocks spring forward again?
Boston’s next clock change is scheduled for Sunday, March 14, 2027, at 2 a.m., when clocks move forward an hour and daylight saving time begins again.
Until then, consider this your cue to make the most of those earlier daylight hours—and check the sunset time before heading out with your camera.
