Illinois lawmakers failed to make daylight saving time a year-round reality in 2026—so yes, Chicagoans will once again gain an hour of sleep in the fall and lose it back in the spring.
The most direct proposal, House Bill 1400, would have made daylight saving time Illinois’ permanent statewide time. But it was sent back to the House Rules Committee on March 27 and did not advance into law.
Illinois also considered an opposite-direction proposal—Senate Bill 2926—that would exempt the state from daylight saving time and keep it on standard time instead; it remained in the Senate Assignments Committee.
The Chicago takeaway
For now, Chicago remains on the familiar schedule:
- Clocks are scheduled to fall back at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
- That means Chicago will return from Central Daylight Time to Central Standard Time, moving sunset roughly an hour earlier by the clock.
So, no, Illinois is not about to claim a permanent 5 p.m.-plus winter sunset.
Illinois isn’t alone when it comes to daylight saving time
Illinois is part of a larger national stalemate.
Nexstar’s legislative tracking identified Illinois among the states that tried and failed to establish permanent daylight saving time in 2026, alongside Alaska, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Virginia and West Virginia.
Meanwhile, the U.S. House passed the federal Sunshine Protection Act in July 2026, but the Senate has not yet acted. Until Congress passes a measure and it becomes law, Illinois’ clock-changing routine remains intact.
