Michigan Could Change Daylight Saving Time Rules Again

On Tuesday, July 14 the U.S. House passed a bill that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide, including in Michigan. But what would that actually mean for the Great Lakes State? During the winter, some parts of Michigan could see sunrises as late as 9:17 a.m.

The renewed debate over whether to keep changing the clocks or not, has brought up some interesting questions about Michigan’s own time zone history. It turns out it's more complicated than expected!

Did You Know: Michigan Used to be Part of the Central Time Zone?

A TikTok account associated with the Dearborn Historical Museum (@DearbornHistoricalMuseum) once shared this unique and lesser-known part of Michigan history.

From 1885 until 1915, the entire state of Michigan was part of the Central Time Zone. However, as business relationships grew and Detroit looked to align itself with cities like New York, the city pushed to move into the Eastern Time Zone. Detroit made the switch in 1915, and the rest of Michigan gradually followed in the years that came after.

When Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, Michigan initially voted against adopting the nationwide time change. However, that decision didn't last very long and by 1972 the state had once again started observing Daylight Saving Time.

What Do You Think: Are You For or Against Making Daylight Saving Time Permanent?

Michigan’s history with the clocks has been anything but simple, especially when it comes to the Upper Peninsula and its ongoing time zone divide. Today four Michigan counties are located within the Central Time Zone: Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron, and Menominee.