The US state of Indiana is divided between the Eastern and Central time zones. The official dividing line has moved further west from its original location on the Indiana-Ohio border, to the position that separates Indiana in the center, and finally to its current location along the Indiana-Illinois border. Being on the western border of the Eastern time zone produces opposition from many states to observe summer time for decades. The 2005 decision by the Indiana General Assembly to apply the summer time remains controversial.
Video Time in Indiana
Indiana's timezone zone
Indiana observes Eastern Time, except for twelve of the ninety-two districts, observing the Middle Time. Six of these districts are in northwest Indiana, near Chicago (observing Central Time), and six in southwest Indiana, near Evansville, where the metro area covers southeastern Illinois and western Kentucky, which also observes the Middle Time. Twelve districts are:
- Northwest Indiana (Chicago-Gary metropolitan area):
- Jasper
- Lake
- LaPorte
- Newton
- Porter
- Starke
- Southwest Indiana (Evansville Metro Area):
- Gibson
- Perry
- Posey
- Spencer
- Vanderburgh
- Warrick
Since April 2, 2006, all counties in Indiana have observed summer time.
Maps Time in Indiana
Time zone
The most extensive study of the time zone history in Indiana was published in The American Atlas (1978) by Thomas G. Shanks, where the authors identified 345 areas in the state with different time zone histories for each.
The tz database lists 11 time zones for Indiana, where each zone is defined as a geographic area that observes the same offset from UTC from 1 January 1970 (UNIX ages). The diagram in this article is colored to show 11 of these zones and the key is provided below.
History
Initial history
Before 1883 in the United States, most cities and towns set their own local time to daylight when the sun was at its highest point in the sky. Since the sun reaches "midday" four minutes later for each degrees of longitude to the west, the time in each city is different. In Indiana, the local average time varies from GMT-5: 39 in the east to GMT-5: 52 in the west. With the advent of railroads, hundreds of miles can be traveled in a much shorter time, causing train passengers to seem to experience some minor changes in time during a short train journey. In 1883, major US trains agreed to coordinate their watches and start operating at "standard time" with four "time zones" established across the nation, centered approximately on 75, 90th, 105th, and 120th western meridians. On November 18, 1883, the telegraph channel sent GMT to major cities, where each city had to adjust their official time to the right zone. The state capital of Indianapolis is located around 86th meridian (Bureau of the US Census), closer to the Central Time Zone center in the 90th meridian than the Eastern Time Zone center in the 75th meridian.
The time zone was first adopted by the United States Congress with the Standard Time Act of 1918. The whole of Indiana is located in the Central Time Zone. It was at this point that the dividing line between East and Central Time was transferred from the Pennsylvania-Ohio line to the Indiana-Ohio state line. Daylight saving time (DST) is included in the original Time Standard Act. A year later, Congress lifted the summer time from the Standard Time Act of 1918, though some communities continued to follow suit. During World War II, the summer time was once again mandated by Congress to save energy. After the war, the mandate to observe the summer time was raised again.
In 1949, in a rural debate vs. a heated city, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to put all of Indiana in Central Standard Time and forbid summer time. However, the law does not have enforcement powers, and it is ignored by people looking to observe Eastern Standard Time. The Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make Central Time the official state time zone in 1957, but allowed each community to switch to summer time during the summer. The law, however, makes it illegal for people to observe "fast time" (ie, summer time) during the winter. Governor Harold W. Handley vowed to uphold the law by withdrawing state aid from communities seeking to observe "fast time" during the winter, despite legal obstacles forcing the governor to withdraw from his stand. Again, the law can not be enforced, as each community continues to observe which time zone they like.
1960s
In 1961, Indiana's legislature withdrawing the 1957 law made Indiana's Official Time Central Time, allowing any community to observe DST. The Interstate Trade Commission divides Indiana between the Central Time Zone and the Eastern Time Zone. However, both the zoning time line and the summer time are observed uniformly (see 50 FR 43745). The United States Congress then passes the Uniform Time Act of 1966 (Pub.L. 89-387 13 April 1966; 80. Stat.Ã, 107- 108 ; 15 USCÃ,§Ã,§Ã, 260-267) to determine where and when summer time is applied in the US, and authority is transferred to the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). Before the passage of this law, every country is permitted to decide this matter for itself. After the country split into two time zones it was uncomfortable, however, so Governor Roger D. Branigin petitioned the USDOT to put all Indiana back in the Central Time Zone a year later.
Over the next two years, the USDOT conducted several hearings in response to the Branigan Governor's petition. Northwestern and southwestern Indiana citizens seem to prefer the Central Time Zone with attention to DST, while those from other parts of the state love the East Time Zone without regard to DST. USDOT chose to divide Indiana between Central Time Zone and Eastern Time Zone. Six districts near Chicago (Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton, and Starke) and six districts near Evansville (Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Gibson, and Pike) were stationed at the Central Time Zone with DST observations. The remaining countries are placed in the Eastern Time Zone; the state is given a special dispensation to free the parts of himself from DST. Most states that are in the Eastern Time Zone do not observe DST. However, Floyd, Clark, and Harrison County, near Louisville, Kentucky; and Ohio and Dearborn districts, which are near Cincinnati, Ohio unofficially observe DST due to its proximity to the major cities observing DST.
While the USDOT is considering where the timezone line should be, some broadcasting companies filed a federal suit in 1968 to force the USDOT to enforce daytime obedience time in Indiana, which they won. As a result, the USDOT is ordered to stop informing Indiana residents that the Uniform Time Act will not be enforced and to provide a plan for enforcement (see Life Time Broadcasting Company, Inc. v. Boyd , 289 F. Supp 219 (SD Indiana 1968) Time Life became owner of WFBM-TV (Channel 6) in Indianapolis).
In 1972, the Indiana General Assembly rejected the veto of Governor Whitcomb to place the Southwest and Southwest Angles of Indiana in the Middle Zone in the summer, and to place the rest of the country at Standard Time East, with federal approval (see IC 1-1-8.1). Congress approved the amendment (Pub.L. 92-267; 86Ã, Stat.Ã, 116) to the Uniform Time Act of 1966 to allow countries in two time zones to free part of the country from the summer time, and President Richard Nixon signed it become law. Indiana enacted the law, officially placing northwest and southwest Indiana in the Central Time Zone, taking into account the summer time, and the rest of the state in Eastern Standard Time throughout the year. Several eastern Indiana districts (Ohio and Dearborn districts, near Cincinnati, and Floyd, Clark, and Harrison counties, near Louisville) chose to unofficially observe summer time, despite Indiana's laws.
Region petition
Pike County requested USDOT to move it from the Middle Time Zone to the Eastern Time Zone in 1977; the request was approved. Four years later, Starke County asked the USDOT to move it from the Central Time Zone to the Eastern Time Zone; in this case, but they found no compelling reason to move, and refused the request (see 46 FR 23500 and 46 FR 51786). But in 1985, the Indiana General Assembly, in the simultaneous Senate Resolution 6 of 1985, asked the USDOT to move five counties in southwest Indiana (Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, and Gibson ) from the Middle Time Zone to the Eastern Time Zone. They refused the request, found that the change would not serve the convenience of trade (see 50 FR 25856, 50 FR 28959, and 50 FR 43745). In 1986-87, Jasper County, along with Starke County, which made a second time zone change request in four years, petitioned the USDOT to move it from the Time Zone Central to the Eastern Time Zone in 1987-1989. They rejected the petition from both districts (see 51 FR 43644 and 52 FR 10119).
Attitudes began to change in the 1990s, due to the turbulent Indiana time zone situation seen as inhibiting the country's economic growth. Interstate and trade travel is difficult because people are wondering, "what time is it in Indiana?" In 1991, Starke petitioned the USDOT to move it from the Middle Time Zone to the Eastern Time Zone for the third time. This time, the petition was granted, effective October 27, 1991 (see 56 FR 13609 and 56 FR 51997).
On April 29, 2005, with heavy support from Gov. Mitch Daniels' economic development plan, and after years of controversy, Indiana's General Assembly passed a law stating that, effective April 2, 2006, the entire state of Indiana will be the 48th state to observe summer time. The bill is also accompanied by the Registered Senate Act 127, which requires Governor Daniels to seek federal hearings from the USDOT on whether to defend Indiana in Eastern Time with New York City and Ohio or whether to move the entire country back to Central Time with Chicago.
2006
As a result of a review by the USDOT, eight districts were moved from the Eastern Time Zone to the Central Time Zone, effective April 2, 2006. These are Starke and Pulaski districts in the northwest and Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, Perry, and Pike counties in the southwest.
The placement of Martin County to the Central Time Zone, while leaving Greene and adjacent Lawrence County in the Eastern Time Zone presented a special problem for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, a large US Naval base that straddled all three districts. With the East/Central line that flows through the base, the NSWC Crane can not fully comply with the reattached time zone. Bases choose to acknowledge the Middle Time, since the portion in Martin County is larger than the inner portion of Greene and Lawrence combined. This decision presents a larger regional problem, because although NSWC Crane is Martin County's largest company, two-thirds of base employees live in Greene, Lawrence, Monroe and other Eastern Time Time zones. This means that most Crane employees will stay in one time zone but work in another time zone. In addition, a business park under construction at the western gate of Crane will also straddle a new dividing line, with businesses on one side of the road being in different time zones from the other side. After a year under this awkward arrangement, Martin County reconsidered their offer to be placed in the Middle Time Zone and begged formally to return to the Eastern Time Zone.
Independent of the situation facing Martin County, Pulaski County also formally petitioned to return to the Eastern Time Zone. Commissioners of Pulaski County and the District Councils both voted unanimously on February 6, 2006, to declare house rules and remain in Eastern Time if federal agents did not appeal to change the timezone rules. However, the county admitted on 27 March 2006, formally accepted the Middle Time and switched time zones on April 2, 2006. After several residents pledged to unofficially continue to observe the Eastern Time, the county changed the hours of work for most of the regional employees so they were in sync with Eastern Time hours. Dubois, Daviess, Knox and Pike County also decided to ask the federal government to return them to the Eastern Time Zone, and Dubois did so on April 27, 2006. The confusion involving the time status of these districts led to them being dubbed the "six seesaw. " St. Joseph, Marshall, and Fulton County openly expressed interest in making another attempt to change to Middle Time by the end of 2006.
2007
On February 9, 2007, it was officially reported that the USDOT has approved the return of Pulaski County to Eastern Time. The changes took effect on March 11, 2007, the date on which the summer time resumed.
On September 20, 2007, the USDOT approved a petition from five southwestern districts (Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, and Pike) to return to the Eastern Time Zone. The request was approved, effective when the summer time expired on 3 November 2007. Petition from Perry County to move to the East Time Zone was rejected.
With the exception of Perry and Starke County, all districts that were transferred to the Mid-Time Zone in 2006 were transferred back to the East Time Zone in 2007.
Controversy
Indiana's time zone debate that lasted for decades is controversial. Some argue that the whole country should move to Central Time, while some others prefer the state back to the absence of DST.
With a large agricultural heritage, many farmers oppose DST because their days are controlled by the sun, not hours. Farmers often rely on young workers whose parents want them to come home at dinner, and when the sun rises tonight, farmers lose out on recreational activities that just happen too late. As the sun still rises at 9 pm to 9:30 pm, farmers are still in the field, while others have been working off for hours.
Opponents put entire countries into one time zone often calling out-of-state cities as the reason for their opposition. For example, the district in Northwest Indiana is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Many residents go to Chicago, which is in Central Time. Countries in the southeastern corner of the state are suburbs such as Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky, both of which observe Eastern Time. In the southwestern corner of the state, Evansville serves as the center of a tri-state area that includes southern Illinois and western Kentucky (both in Central Time).
Supporters of summer time and time zones together in Indiana often claim that Indiana should adopt a time-keeping system in the eastern United States to preserve interstate business with the region. Some believe that the Indiana business has lost hours of productive time with colleagues outside the country because it is too confusing time to track every day. The confusion that causes outsiders stands out in the plot of a West Wing episode where a presidential aide unfamiliar with Indiana does not notice DST missed a flight back to Washington, DC, at Air Force One and expressed concerns with the variance in state time measurement.
Daytime advocates claim that scientific studies assessing the impact of time-to-DST policy changes in Indiana have identified a significant increase in energy use and spending on electricity by Indiana households. The families in Indiana paid an additional $ 8.6 million in electricity bills by the University of California, Santa Barbara economics professor Matthew Kotchen and Ph.D. student Laura Grant, while supporters of Daylight Saving Time point to studies such as Professor Kotchen, the Department of Transportation and organizations such as the California Energy Commission claim that the United States saves about 1% energy when Daylight Saving Time is being observed.
Another wrinkle in this problem is the unnatural geographic location in the East-Time-Zoned region. In the western region of Indiana where Eastern time is observed (South Bend and Lafayette south to Terre Haute and Vincennes), around the summer solstice, the sun does not set until after 21:20, nor does it reach the sun until nearly 2:00 pm. During the winter months when standard time is observed, school buses in the western regions lose one precious hour of sunlight when they pick up the children in the morning. Another important observation is that schools in the Indiana Eastern Time Zone tend to have more than 2 hours delay, mainly due to the fact that sunlight is required for many of the road demolition components to work. With the sun rising to 8:20 am in some areas, the available sunlight is inadequate to dilute the road safely for the school bus to pick up all the passengers on time. The argument is that if the same area is in the geographically central zone of Central time, the sun will be one hour faster, and will have extra time to melt the road each morning.
Middle Time Coalition
One group believing Indiana should be in Central Time with DST is the Middle Time Coalition, formed in 2009. The group's reasons for restoring Central Time to Indiana include the following claims:
- The whole of Indiana is geographically located in the Central Time Zone, as defined by the longitude of 90 degrees west, with the natural eastern time zone boundary being 82 degrees 30 minutes west longitude, running east from Columbus, Ohio.
- There is a significant cost to education, in the event of a loss of educational hours due to the delay of one and two school hours.
- Since the adoption of Indiana Eastern Time, there has been an increase in vehicle accidents.
- The teen suicide rate in Indiana is higher than the national average.
tz database
Indiana is covered by the following zones in the tz database. Fields marked * contain data from zone.tab.
See also
- Time in the United States
- List of counties in Indiana
References
External links
- Indiana Time Zone Map 13 KB PDF files are a graphical representation of what areas are in the Middle and East Time Zone of the State of Indiana.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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