Current:Home > ScamsDo all Americans observe daylight saving time? Why some states and territories don't. -MoneyMentor
Do all Americans observe daylight saving time? Why some states and territories don't.
View
Date:2025-04-24 19:56:52
Millions of Americans will wake up feeling more refreshed on Sunday thanks to an extra hour of sleep gained from the ending of daylight saving time.
But the twice-annual time change observance, which begins in March and ends in November, is not observed in all U.S. states and territories.
The time change is meant to allow for more daylight in the mornings during the fall and winter and more daylight in the evenings during the spring and summer, as the Northern Hemisphere tilts either toward or farther away from the sun.
Here's what to know about the U.S. states and territories that do not observe daylight saving time.
Video:Watch the top astronomy events for November 2024
Does every state observe daylight saving time?
Not all states and U.S. territories participate in the time change.
If a state chooses to observe daylight saving time, it must begin and end on federally mandated dates, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Under the Uniform Time Act, which was established in 1966, states can exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time.
Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time. Because of its desert climate, Arizona doesn't follow daylight saving time (with the exception of the Navajo Nation). After most of the U.S. adopted the Uniform Time Act, the state figured that there wasn't a good reason to adjust clocks to make sunset occur an hour later during the hottest months of the year.
There are also five other U.S. territories that do not participate:
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. Virgin Islands
The Navajo Nation, located in parts of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, does follow daylight saving time.
Hawaii is the other state that does not observe daylight saving time. Because of the state's proximity to the equator, there is not a lot of variance between hours of daylight during the year.
When does daylight saving time end in 2024?
Daylight saving time will end for the year at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 3, when we "fall back" and gain an extra hour of sleep.
Next year, it will begin again on Sunday, March 9, 2025.
What is daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time is the time between March and November when most Americans adjust their clocks ahead by one hour.
We gain an hour in November (as opposed to losing an hour in the spring) to make for more daylight in the winter mornings. When we "spring forward" in March, it's to add more daylight in the evenings. In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox is Sunday, Sept. 22, marking the start of the fall season.
Is daylight saving time ending?
The push to stop changing clocks was put before Congress in the last couple of years, when the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, a bill to make daylight saving time permanent.
Although the Sunshine Protection Act was passed unanimously by the Senate in 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives did not pass it and President Joe Biden did not sign it.
A 2023 version of the act remained idle in Congress, as well.
In a news release Monday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio made another push in support of making daylight saving time permanent.
The senator suggested the nation "stop enduring the ridiculous and antiquated practice of switching our clocks back and forth. Let’s finally pass my Sunshine Protection Act and end the need to ‘fall back’ and ‘spring forward’ for good."
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY.
veryGood! (454)
Related
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- 2024 Olympics: Jordan Chiles’ Coach Slams Cheating Claims Amid Bronze Medal Controversy
- Pregnant Cardi B Details Freak Accident That Nearly Left Her Paralyzed
- Former Uvalde schools police chief says he’s being ‘scapegoated’ over response to mass shooting
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- US jury convicts Mozambique’s ex-finance minister Manuel Chang in ‘tuna bonds’ corruption case
- Maui remembers the 102 lost in the Lahaina wildfire with a paddle out 1 year after devastating blaze
- 2024 Olympics: Jordan Chiles’ Coach Slams Cheating Claims Amid Bronze Medal Controversy
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- Forecasters still predict highly active Atlantic hurricane season in mid-season update
Ranking
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- 'Chef Curry' finally finds his shot and ignites USA basketball in slim victory over Serbia
- Trump heads to Montana in a bid to oust Sen. Tester after failing to topple the Democrat in 2018
- Dementia patient found dead in pond after going missing from fair in Indiana, police say
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- USA Olympic Diver Alison Gibson Reacts to Being Labeled Embarrassing Failure After Dive Earns 0.0 Score
- Columbia University deans resign after exchanging disparaging texts during meeting on antisemitism
- Inter Miami vs. Toronto live updates: Leagues Cup tournament scores, highlights
Recommendation
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
Sam Edelman Shoes Are up to 64% Off - You Won’t Believe All These Chic Finds Under $75
Second person with spinal cord injury gets Neuralink brain chip and it's working, Musk says
West Virginia corrections officers plead guilty to not intervening as colleagues fatally beat inmate
Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
Protesters rally outside Bulgarian parliament to denounce ban on LGBTQ+ ‘propaganda’ in schools
2024 Olympics: Runner Noah Lyles Says This Will Be the End of His Competing After COVID Diagnosis
The Latest: With major party tickets decided, 2024 campaign is set to play out as a 90-day sprint