What It Would Actually Be Like If The US Got Rid Of Daylight Saving Time

Daylight saving time starts in March and extends through the summer and early autumn until November each year. For the rest of the year, most of the United States follows standard time. In a scenario where the US opts to have the same time year-round, both are options. Currently, DST in the United States (most of it, anyway) begins on the second Sunday in March. It ends on the first Sunday of November. This timeframe was established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which extended DST by shifting the start date from April to March and the end date from October to November. Adopting permanent daylight savings time would eliminate this change and the subsequent return to standard time in November. As a result, mornings would generally be darker and evenings would be brighter all year. On the other hand, switching to permanent standard time would make daylight hours start earlier in the mornings but would result in sunsets at an earlier hour, too. Either way, no clock changing and potential disruptions would be necessary.

Polls indicate there's widespread support for changing to permanent daylight saving time. A Monmouth University survey from 2022 reported that six out of ten Americans want to stop changing clocks biannually. Additionally, when asked, “if the country was to choose one set time for the entire year, would you rather have the sunrise earlier in the morning and set earlier in the evening, or would you rather have the sunrise later in the morning and set later in the evening?” 44% of the respondents said they would prefer later sunrises and sunsets. Members of the US Congress have taken notice and attempted to legislate a federal change. In 2023, the Sunshine Protection Act was introduced to “make daylight savings time permanent.” It was passed by the Senate but the House of Representatives failed to take up the bill. Senator Rick Scott of Florida reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act in January 2025. Scott issued a statement explaining, I hear from Americans constantly that they are sick and tired of changing their clocks twice a year - it’s an unnecessary, decades-old practice that’s more of an annoyance to families than benefit to them. Senator Ed Markey from Massachusetts expressed his support for the bill, noting, The head-spinning ritual of falling back and springing forward has a very real impact on our economy, our health, and our happiness. WIth respect to the economic impacts, Markey is likely referring to the belief that additional hours of daylight at the end of the day would encourage people to shop later, dine out, and take part in activities they would otherwise avoid.

As the debate over which time calculation should exist permanently rages, experts have said that year-round standard time offers more benefits than keeping daylight saving time. The Coalition for Permanent Standard Time (CpST), a group of organizations and individuals who support getting rid of biannual time-keeping in favor of standard time, works for state and federal legislation to accomplish just that. The CpST is endorsed by groups like the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, and the National Sleep Foundation. Arguments made by the CpST and its supporters focus on the dangerous disruption caused by moving clocks forward each spring. Jay Pea, co-chair of the CpST, said in early 2025: The switch to daylight saving time in the spring may seem harmless, but the reality is far more complicated… It disrupts our body clocks, affects our sleep quality, and increases the risk of avoidable health and safety incidents, such as motor vehicle accidents, cardiovascular events, and even workplace errors in the days following the time change. Specific arguments include the dangers of extended darkness in the mornings that would result from permanent DST. This would not only endanger children on their way to school, but it also places commuters under unsafe conditions. Additionally, a study from 2009 found that the transition to DST increased the number of workplace accidents on the Monday after the switch significantly. This would be compounded by more daylight during the evening and the resulting delay in bedtimes. The average amount of sleep lost when clocks move to DST is about 40 minutes, according to researchers. There are also health problems associated with changing clocks to DST. One study found the risk of a heart attack actually increases during the first three days after the change in the spring.

All but two states in the US change their clocks twice a year. Hawaii is too close to the Equator for DST to make a noticeable change and there's ample sun in Arizona so the time change was deemed impractical. More sunlight late in the day would likely increase energy consumption. That said, the Navajo Nation within Arizona's borders does follow DST. As of early 2025, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported that “over 700 bills and resolutions in recent years to establish year-round daylight saving time as soon as federal law allows it.” While the general crux of the proposed legislation is to stop time-changing, there's no uniformity about whether or not states would adopt permanent standard time or permanent daylight saving time. In California, for example, legislation emphasizes the health benefits of permanent standard time and seems to lean toward that as the choice. Midwest states such as Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa all have pending legislation to establish permanent DST if and when it becomes possible. Ideally, states within the same region would adopt the same time calculations but, if they don't, confusion could result. Texas Policy Research, for example, argued: If Texas opts out of DST while neighboring states continue observing it, this could create confusion in interstate commerce, travel, and scheduling. Critics caution that a lack of uniformity may complicate daily life for Texans and businesses operating across state lines. With the re-election of Donald Trump to the presidency in 2024, the end of the Uniform Time Act may soon be undone. His criticism of the “inconvenient” and “costly” nature of DST did not result in any official change in the initial days after he took office, but it could still happen. Ending DST does not mean it can't be re-implemented at a later date.