No, Pennsylvania does observe Daylight Saving Time. Clocks “spring forward” in March and “fall back” in November just like most other U.S. states. Though Pennsylvania lawmakers have made several attempts to end the practice—some advocating for a switch to either permanent standard time or year-round daylight saving—none of these efforts have successfully passed all necessary legislative hurdles.
Attempts to Change the Law
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed measures to adopt a permanent time, but these have consistently failed in the State Senate.
By federal law (the Uniform Time Act), states may choose to stay on standard time year-round; however, they cannot decide on their own to have year-round daylight saving time without an act of Congress.
Pennsylvanians will continue to change clocks twice annually until a federal law changes this.
The States That Truly Don’t Do Daylight Saving Time
Only Hawaii and most of Arizona have opted out of daylight saving time altogether:
Hawaii: The state is close to the equator, so there’s very little seasonal variation in daylight. Extra evening sun isn’t necessary, which is why Hawaii has never observed daylight saving time since the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
Arizona: The state’s hot desert climate means that extending daylight into the evening would only increase air conditioning use and discomfort. Arizona decided in 1968 to stay on standard time all year. The sole exception is the Navajo Nation (in the northeast corner of the state), which does observe daylight saving.
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Key Takeaway
Despite the common frustration, Pennsylvania does participate in daylight saving time. The only two U.S. states that don’t are Hawaii and Arizona, and both have environmental or geographic reasons that make permanent standard time the logical choice for them.
Sources
[1] https://www.centredaily.com/news/state/pennsylvania/article299515319.html
[2] https://www.inquirer.com/philly-tips/daylight-savings-time-march-2023-pennsylvania.html
[3] https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/daylight-saving-time-philadephia-pennsylvania-fall-back.html
[4] https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2024/03/05/daylight-saving-time-here-are-the-states-trying-to-make-it-permanent-or-move-on/
[5] https://www.pasenategop.com/news/senate-approves-resolution-calling-for-end-of-twice-yearly-time-changes/
