Daylight saving time in the United States ends on November 1 (local time). In most of the country, when the clock reaches 2 a.m. on November 1 it goes back 1 hour to 1 a.m. As a result, the time difference between Korea and the U.S. grows by one hour: from 13 to 14 hours on the East Coast and from 16 to 17 hours on the West Coast.

This article is based on Yonhap and Financial News reports (October 31) citing CBS News, and an SBS Biz report (October 30) on the new New York Stock Exchange hours in Korean time. It covers when the change happens, who is affected and what to recheck in your travel plans.

At a glance

What changes: 2 a.m. on Nov 1 becomes 1 a.m.

Under federal law, U.S. daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November, which this year is November 1. When local time hits 2 a.m., clocks go back to 1 a.m., so the 1 a.m. hour happens twice that night.

Korea does not use daylight saving time, so Korean time stays the same. Only U.S. clocks move back an hour, which means the U.S. is now one hour further behind Korea: 14 hours on the East Coast and 17 hours on the West Coast.

Where the gap with Korea changes, and where it does not

The East Coast, such as New York and Washington, goes from 13 to 14 hours, and the West Coast, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, goes from 16 to 17 hours. According to the reports, most of the country switches on the same day.

Arizona, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico and some other places do not use daylight saving time at all, so their clocks do not change. If you are going to Hawaii or Guam, the gap with Korea stays as usual. If you connect through the U.S. mainland, though, the time at your connecting airport does change.

Who this affects

It affects travelers who are on the U.S. mainland around November 1 or leaving soon, anyone who schedules calls with family, friends or business partners in the U.S., and people in Korea who trade U.S. stocks.

SBS Biz reports that the New York Stock Exchange will now open at 11:30 p.m. and close at 6 a.m. the next day, Korean time. Video calls and phone appointments between the U.S. and Korea also shift by an hour, so update your calendar.

What to do: realign your travel schedule

Times on flight tickets and hotel confirmations are usually given in the local time of that airport or hotel. If you have an airport shuttle or an early flight in the small hours of November 1, work out again when you need to move based on the new local time. Also check whether your airline app has sent a schedule change notice.

Most phones switch automatically if automatic time zone is on. Devices that do not update themselves, such as wristwatches and clocks in rental cars or hotel rooms, need to be set back an hour by hand. Resetting alarms to the new time helps avoid confusion.

Caution: ending or making DST permanent is not decided

Bills to keep daylight saving time all year, so clocks no longer change, keep coming up in the U.S. One passed the Senate in 2022 but stalled in the House; in July this year the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act, but it has not cleared the Senate. President Trump also criticized the Senate on Truth Social on the 26th.

As of this check, the law has not changed, so daylight saving time is expected to start again on the second Sunday of March next year. If the law changes, the time difference rules will change too, so wait for official announcements.

Pre-departure checklist

Travel prep related to this guide

Affiliate products picked separately from the guide above. Check options and terms on the seller’s page.

Many countriesTravel prep

An eSIM you pick by destination country

Any country, data by eSIM

Pick a country · Travelpayouts · Airalo→

This post is part of Travelpayouts · Airalo activities, and we receive a commission on purchases.