While the majority of states in the US change their clocks twice a year to better take advantage of daylight, some have opted not to. While many states and territories have chosen to switch to daylight saving time (DST), some have chosen to stick with standard time all year round.
Which States Don’t Change Their Time for Daylight Savings?
Hawaii: This island state does not observe daylight saving time. It is well-known for its tropical climate and remote location. Its closeness to the equator means that there is little year-round variation in the number of daylight hours, negating the need to change the clocks.
Territories of the United States Not Changing Their Clocks
Puerto Rico As a Caribbean territory, Puerto Rico is situated at a latitude akin to Hawaii, where there is little seasonal variation in the amount of daylight. It does not observe daylight saving time as a result.
Guam: This American territory in the Pacific is also perpetually on standard time. Similar to other island nations, there is not enough variation in the daytime hours to warrant shifting the clocks.
American Samoa: Located in the South Pacific, this U.S. territory observes standard time without making clock changes, much like Guam and Puerto Rico.
U.S. Virgin Islands: Because there is little change in daylight hours, these Caribbean islands also do not observe daylight saving time.
Justifications for Not Using Daylight Saving Time
States and territories that opt out of DST observe it for both geographical and pragmatic reasons. There is no benefit to changing the clocks in areas close to the equator, like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam, because there is minimal difference in the amount of sunlight throughout the year.
In Arizona, the weather is the main factor. The state experiences exceptionally high summertime temperatures. Maintaining standard time helps cut down on heat exposure and the demand for air conditioning, both of which increase energy usage.
The Navajo Nation: An Arizonan Exception
It’s interesting to note that the Navajo Nation, which includes portions of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, observes daylight saving time even though the state of Arizona does not. The Navajo Nation decided to observe daylight saving time in order to be consistent with other parts of its territory that are outside of Arizona and do observe the time change, which is why there is an exception.
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Prospects for Daylight Saving Time in the Future
Even though certain governments and territories have chosen not to observe daylight saving time, the issue of whether it is still beneficial is still up for dispute on a national level.
Though such changes require federal permission, there have been attempts in recent years to make daylight saving time permanent in certain states.
The varying requirements and geographical circumstances of the nation’s states and territories are reflected in the disparities in daylight saving time implementation across the board. More exceptions or perhaps a change in the way time is controlled nationwide could occur in the future.
