The very simple reason why West Virginia doesn’t do daylight saving time, along with one other state, is that these states have introduced legislation to exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time by staying on permanent standard time year-round. However, while states can opt out of daylight saving time to remain on standard time, federal law requires congressional approval for a state to observe daylight saving time year-round permanently.
West Virginia specifically has pursued legislation to keep standard time permanently or to be exempt from daylight saving time rather than adopting daylight saving time year-round. The reason is rooted in minimizing disruptions from the biannual clock changes and the related concerns about safety, health, and practicality, similar to other states seeking permanent standard time.
Only Arizona and Hawaii currently fully exempt themselves from daylight saving time under federal law, but several other states, including West Virginia, have introduced bills aiming to join this exemption by eliminating the clock changes.
In summary, West Virginia chooses not to observe daylight saving time currently because of legislative moves to adopt permanent standard time, reflecting a broader national debate on whether the seasonal time changes remain beneficial or necessary.
SOURCES
[1](https://landline.media/daylight-saving-time-debated-in-30-states/)
[2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_in_the_United_States)
[3](https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/daylight-savings-time-by-state)
[4](https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/5149485-daylight-saving-time-2025-these-states-are-trying-to-lock-the-clocks/)
[5](https://www.ncsl.org/transportation/daylight-saving-time-state-legislation)
