While most of the United States follows the practice of Daylight Saving Time (DST), Utah and one other state have opted to skip it. For many, this may seem unusual, but there’s a very simple reason behind this decision. The main reason why Utah, along with Hawaii, doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time boils down to geography and practicality. Let’s break it down.
Why Utah Doesn’t Do Daylight Saving Time
Geographical Location
Utah is situated in such a way that the benefits of shifting the clocks forward and back aren’t as necessary as in other states. Daylight Saving Time was originally introduced to make better use of daylight during the longer days of the year, typically benefiting agricultural regions. However, Utah already gets plenty of daylight in the summer months, and the difference in sunset times from one season to another isn’t as extreme as in other places.
Lack of Need for the Time Change
The state of Utah doesn’t have a huge agricultural dependence that requires early evening daylight, and for most of its residents, the benefits of adjusting the clocks twice a year aren’t as pronounced. By sticking with standard time, Utah avoids the disruption of switching clocks, and people are able to stick to a more natural rhythm year-round.
The Other State: Hawaii
Hawaii also does not follow DST, and the reason is quite similar. Hawaii’s location near the equator means that the amount of daylight it receives throughout the year is relatively constant. In other words, there’s no significant shift in daylight hours between summer and winter, so there’s no practical need for DST. Hawaii simply doesn’t gain much by shifting the clocks and has decided to stick to the standard time year-round.
So, Utah and Hawaii both don’t follow Daylight Saving Time because their geographic locations make the time change unnecessary. The sun rises and sets at roughly the same times throughout the year, so there’s no real need for the hassle of adjusting the clocks twice a year. It’s just one of those simple decisions based on practicality and the way the environment works, and it’s something that most people in these states are perfectly happy with.
SOURCES
[1] https://www.fox13now.com/news/politics/bill-stopping-the-constant-clock-change-of-daylight-saving-time-advances-in-utah-legislature
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS2rqP9OM2g
[3] https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/usa/utah
[4] https://www.reddit.com/r/Utah/comments/1ij4tli/utah_house_passes_bill_to_end_daylight_saving_time/
[5] https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/usa/salt-lake-city
