US Eastern time (UTC-5) is “ideally” centered at 75° W, extending 7.5° to either side. By this logic, one would expect the time zone to extend roughly from 67.5° W to 82.5° W. This actually puts all of New England in UTC-5 except only for the very easternmost parts of Maine.
Where things get wacky is looking at the other end of Eastern Time. 82.5° W falls just a bit west of Cleveland, and yet the time zone continues way past that. Really, MI, IN, KY, TN, GA, and over half of OH should be on Central time, but they aren’t.
I’m not sure how things came to be this way, but it’s interesting how our use of time has drifted from the idea of “Solar Time” in a lot of places.
I’m not arguing what we should or should not be doing about this. I just think this is some interesting context.
cdmoomaw t1_jdx62pm wrote
Reply to comment by CrackityJones33 in Greenland turns clocks forward for last,should Massachusetts/eastern US do the same by Hoosac_Love
US Eastern time (UTC-5) is “ideally” centered at 75° W, extending 7.5° to either side. By this logic, one would expect the time zone to extend roughly from 67.5° W to 82.5° W. This actually puts all of New England in UTC-5 except only for the very easternmost parts of Maine.
Where things get wacky is looking at the other end of Eastern Time. 82.5° W falls just a bit west of Cleveland, and yet the time zone continues way past that. Really, MI, IN, KY, TN, GA, and over half of OH should be on Central time, but they aren’t.
I’m not sure how things came to be this way, but it’s interesting how our use of time has drifted from the idea of “Solar Time” in a lot of places.
I’m not arguing what we should or should not be doing about this. I just think this is some interesting context.