(NEXSTAR) — It’s nearly fall, which means it’s nearly time for the majority of the U.S. to switch their clocks back an hour as daylight saving time comes to an end. You’ll gain an hour of sleep for one day only, November 2, but will otherwise see the sun set earlier for several weeks.
The approaching biannual change also prompts invigorated conversations about “locking the clocks” and putting the nation on a permanent, year-round time.
There are arguments for both sides of the clock, largely focused on whether the “extra” hour of daylight should occur in the morning or at night.
The value — or drawback — of either can vary depending on where you live.
Arizona, for example, is one of two states that observe year-round standard time, an option afforded them by Congress. By not jumping ahead an hour in spring, most of the state (the Navajo Nation does not follow permanent standard time) sees an earlier sunset that can offer quicker reprieve from hot summer days.
In Phoenix, where temperatures have been in the 100s and 110s this month, the sun has been setting well before 7:30 p.m. local time. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, where temperatures have been about the same, the sun has been setting closer to 8 p.m. local time.
With earlier sunsets in Arizona, residents are able to get out and run errands in the cool mornings versus the hotter afternoons and evenings.
In states that have colder winters than Arizona and Nevada, however, the extra hour of sunlight later on in the day during summer can be welcoming. In Wisconsin, for example, the sun would set well before 8 p.m. — and sometimes before 7 p.m. — if the state observed year-round standard time like Arizona. That would mean fewer post-work hours to enjoy the short-lived summer temperatures.
The table below shows what sunrise and sunset times would look like if we observed permanent standard time in the summer.
| City | Earliest sunrise/latest sunset in summer | Earliest sunrise/latest sunset on permanent ST | ||
| Austin | 6:29 a.m./8:37 p.m. | 5:29 a.m./7:37 p.m. | ||
| Charlotte, NC | 6:08 a.m./8:42 p.m. | 5:08 a.m./7:42 p.m. | ||
| Chicago | 5:15 a.m./8:30 p.m. | 4:15 a.m./7:30 p.m. | ||
| Cleveland, OH | 5:52 a.m./9:04 p.m. | 4:52 a.m./8:04 p.m. | ||
| Denver | 5:31 a.m./8:32 p.m. | 4:31 a.m./7:32 p.m. | ||
| Grand Rapids | 6:03 a.m./9:26 p.m. | 5:03 a.m./8:26 p.m. | ||
| Green Bay | 5:07 a.m./8:41 p.m. | 4:07 a.m./7:41 p.m. | ||
| Indianapolis | 6:16 a.m./9:17 p.m. | 5:16 a.m./8:17 p.m. | ||
| Juneau, Alaska | 4:20 a.m./11:43 p.m. | 3:20 a.m./10:43 p.m. | ||
| Las Vegas | 5:23 a.m./8:02 p.m. | 4:23 a.m./7:02 p.m. | ||
| Los Angeles | 5:41 a.m./8:08 p.m. | 4:41 a.m./7:08 p.m. | ||
| Nashville | 5:29 a.m./8:08 p.m. | 4:29 a.m./7:08 p.m. | ||
| New Haven | 5:18 a.m./8:29 p.m. | 4:18 a.m./7:29 p.m. | ||
| New Orleans | 5:59 a.m./8:05 p.m. | 4:59 a.m./7:05 p.m. | ||
| New York City | 5:24 a.m./8:31 p.m. | 4:24 a.m./7:31 p.m. | ||
| Portland, Oregon | 5:21 a.m./9:04 p.m. | 4:21 a.m./8:04 p.m. | ||
| Salt Lake City | 5:56 a.m./9:03 p.m. | 4:56 a.m./8:03 p.m. | ||
| St. Louis | 5:36 a.m./8:29 p.m. | 4:36 a.m./7:29 p.m. | ||
| Tampa | 6:33 a.m./8:30 p.m. | 5:33 a.m./7:30 p.m. | ||
| District of Columbia | 5:42 a.m./8:38 p.m. | 4:42 a.m./7:38 p.m. | ||
A state like Wisconsin may not necessarily be a fan of year-round daylight saving time, either.
For most of us, winters currently feature earlier sunrises and sunsets. Permanent daylight saving time would mean later sunrises and sunsets.
That might be enjoyable if you dislike the sun setting before 5 p.m. But for some parts of the country, like Wisconsin, sunrises would come after 8 a.m. In neighboring Michigan, the sun wouldn’t rise until after 9 a.m. on some days.
You can see how some of those winter sunrise and sunset times would look with and without permanent daylight saving time in the table below.
| City | Latest sunrise/earliest sunset when DST ends | Latest sunrise/earliest sunset with permanent DST | ||
| Austin | 7:28 a.m./5:30 p.m. | 8:28 a.m./6:30 p.m. | ||
| Charlotte, NC | 7:32 a.m./5:11 p.m. | 8:32 a.m./6:11 p.m. | ||
| Chicago | 7:18 a.m./4:19 p.m. | 8:18 a.m./5:19 p.m. | ||
| Cleveland, OH | 7:53 a.m./4:57 p.m. | 8:53 a.m./5:57 p.m. | ||
| Denver | 7:21 a.m./4:35 p.m. | 8:21 a.m./5:35 p.m. | ||
| Grand Rapids | 8:14 a.m./5:08 p.m. | 9:14 a.m./6:08 p.m. | ||
| Green Bay | 7:29 a.m./4:12 p.m. | 8:29 a.m./5:12 p.m. | ||
| Indianapolis | 8:06 a.m./5:20 p.m. | 9:06 a.m./6:20 p.m. | ||
| Juneau, AK | 10:16 a.m./3:40 p.m. | 11:16 a.m./4:40 p.m. | ||
| Las Vegas | 6:52 a.m./4:26 p.m. | 7:52 a.m./5:26 p.m. | ||
| Los Angeles | 6:59 a.m./4:43 p.m. | 7:59 a.m./5:43 p.m. | ||
| Nashville | 6:58 a.m./4:32 p.m. | 7:58 a.m./5:32 p.m. | ||
| New Haven | 7:18 a.m./4:22 p.m. | 8:18 a.m./5:22 p.m. | ||
| New Orleans | 6:57 a.m./5:00 p.m. | 7:57 a.m./6:00 p.m. | ||
| New York City | 7:20 a.m./4:28 p.m. | 8:20 a.m./5:28 p.m. | ||
| Portland, OR | 7:51 a.m./4:27 p.m. | 8:51 a.m./5:27 p.m. | ||
| Salt Lake City | 7:52 a.m./5:00 p.m. | 8:52 a.m./6:00 p.m. | ||
| St. Louis | 7:19 a.m./4:39 p.m. | 8:19 a.m./5:39 p.m. | ||
| Tampa | 7:22 a.m./5:34 p.m. | 8:22 a.m./6:34 p.m. | ||
| District of Columbia | 7:27 a.m./4:46 p.m. | 8:27 a.m./5:46 p.m. | ||
Those dark mornings, which prompted concerns about traffic accidents and the safety of children trying to board buses or walk to school, contributed to Americans souring on permanent daylight saving time in the 1970s. Health experts also largely agree that having more sunlight in the morning is better for our health than having later sunsets.
There are still federal efforts underway to put the country on permanent daylight saving time, as well as proposed legislation in several states to do the same. States can opt into permanent standard time, though there is a bill in Congress that could allow them to lock their clocks on permanent daylight saving time.
For now, clocks are set to “fall back” on November 2.
