Tennessee does not observe Daylight Saving Time primarily because the state decided not to adopt it many years ago, aligning with the practice of staying on standard time year-round in parts of the state. The same applies largely to Hawaii, which also does not observe Daylight Saving Time.
Why Tennessee and Hawaii Don’t Observe DST:
- Tennessee: While most of Tennessee observes DST, the eastern portion actually falls in the Eastern Time Zone and observes DST. However, the significant reason some parts or the state historically didn’t adopt DST is related to energy consumption patterns and regional preferences.
- Hawaii: Because of its tropical latitude, Hawaii experiences very little variation in daylight throughout the year, making DST unnecessary and cumbersome for residents.
Other States and Territories Not Observing DST:
- Besides Tennessee (in some contexts) and Hawaii, the main U.S. state fully not observing DST is most of Arizona (excluding the Navajo Nation).
- Several U.S. territories, such as American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, also do not observe DST.
In essence, the very simple reason is that these states or regions either find DST unnecessary due to their geographic and climate conditions (like Hawaii) or have chosen not to adopt the system because of energy use considerations or regional preferences (like parts of Tennessee and Arizona).
Sources
(https://economictimes.com/news/international/us/when-daylight-saving-time-2025-fall-back-date-end-states-observe-what-reason-us-states-territories-do-not-follow-how-to-prepare/articleshow/123099184.cms)
(https://economictimes.com/news/international/us/daylight-saving-time-2025-start-date-time-change-impacts-usa/articleshow/118763323.cms)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_in_the_United_States)
(https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/usa)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_by_country)
