Kentucky

Daylight saving time ends soon for Kentuckians. How much earlier will the sun set?

Daylight saving time will soon come to an end, and although the days have grown shorter since the summer solstice in June, the shift is about to get much more noticeable.

To sum it up, the time shift will go into effect at 2 a.m. Sunday, after which it will appear sunrise and sunset occur an hour earlier. The change is likely to disrupt your sleep schedule, and the end of daylight saving time has even been linked with a jump in certain types of car accidents.

Daylight saving time was first made a legal requirement in 1966 with the adoption of the federal Uniform Time Act, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Although most Americans support ending the practice, it’s remained persistent, largely because ending daylight saving time would require Congressional action.

Individual states don’t have authority to make daylight saving time permanent, and there are only two states, Hawaii and Arizona, that have never participated because of how much sunlight they get.

Here’s a look at how much shorter the day will appear to get after daylight saving time ends Sunday, plus how much actual daylight we’ll lose each day afterwards.

Sunset times in Lexington after daylight saving time ends

In Lexington, according to the global online clock Time and Date, after the time changes early Sunday, the sun will appear to set about an hour earlier at 5:34 p.m.

Likewise, sunrise will seem to occur an hour earlier, with it occurring at 8:06 a.m. Saturday and then 7:07 a.m. Sunday.

Below is a breakdown of how much daylight we’ll continue to lose after daylight saving time ends Sunday.

The days will continue to shorten until the shortest day of the year, Dec. 21, the winter solstice. After that point, the days will gradually get longer. So if you feel starved of sunlight, hold out for that date and consider some ways to cope if you’re experiencing seasonal affective disorder.

Select sunrise/sunset times in Lexington for the month of November, per Time and Date, include the following:

  • Nov. 5: 7:07 a.m., 5:34 p.m.

  • Nov. 6: 7:08 a.m., 5:33 p.m.

  • Nov. 7: 7:09 a.m., 5:32 p.m. (Election Day)

  • Nov. 8: 7:10 a.m., 5:31 p.m.

  • Nov. 9: 7:11 a.m., 5:30 p.m.

  • Nov. 10: 7:12 a.m., 5:29 p.m.

  • Nov. 12: 7:15 a.m., 5:28 p.m.

  • Nov. 19: 7:22 a.m., 5:23 p.m.

  • Nov. 23: 7:26 a.m., 5:21 p.m. (Thanksgiving)

  • Nov. 25: 7:28 a.m., 5:20 p.m.

  • Nov. 30: 7:33 a.m., 5:18 p.m.

Here are some sunrise and sunset times in December:

  • Dec. 1: 7:34 a.m., 5:18 p.m.

  • Dec. 5: 7:38 a.m., 5:17 p.m.

  • Dec. 10: 7:42 a.m., 5:18 p.m.

  • Dec. 15: 7:46 a.m., 5:19 p.m.

  • Dec. 21: 7:50 a.m., 5:21 p.m.

On Christmas Day, sunrise in Lexington will occur at 7:51 a.m. and sunset at 5:23 p.m.

Do you have a question about Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Let us know via the Know Your Kentucky form below or by email at ask@herald-leader.com.

Aaron Mudd
Lexington Herald-Leader
Aaron Mudd was a service journalism reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader, Centre Daily Times and Belleville News-Democrat. He was based at the Herald-Leader in Lexington, and left the paper in February 2026. Support my work with a digital subscription
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