Pennsylvania, along with Hawaii, does not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST) due to a straightforward and practical reason: geographic location. Both states fall outside the typical regions where DST provides the most benefit.
Pennsylvania’s Position
Pennsylvania is situated far enough east in the Eastern Time Zone that the additional daylight in the evening during DST doesn’t significantly enhance daily activities. The state experiences sunrise and sunset times that already offer a decent amount of daylight, making the extra hour shift less useful for residents.
Hawaii’s Unique Location
Hawaii, on the other hand, is located closer to the equator, where the length of days remains relatively consistent year-round. Because the time difference between standard time and daylight saving time wouldn’t result in much of a practical difference, Hawaii opts to stay on standard time all year.
In short, these two states choose not to observe DST because the benefits don’t align with their geographic conditions and natural daylight patterns.
