Ohio sunrise, sunset times under permanent daylight saving time

Americans might still turn their clocks back this fall, but a bill moving through Congress offers a glimpse of what permanent daylight saving time could look like in Ohio.

The U.S. House voted 308-117 on July 14 to make daylight saving time permanent, sending H.R. 139 to the Senate for further consideration

What would making daylight saving time permanent mean in Ohio? We took a look.

When do clocks 'fall back' in 2026?

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November. In 2026, that date falls on Nov. 1, the earliest possible date for the annual time change.

Would Ohio get more daylight under permanent daylight saving time?

Ohio would get the same amount of daylight under either system. The only difference is when that daylight occurs. During winter, that would mean later sunrises and later sunsets. In some Ohio cities, the sun wouldn't

rise until nearly 8 a.m.

For Ohioans, the biggest change would come during winter. Sunrises in cities including Columbus, Cincinnati and Akron would move closer to 8 or 9 a.m. in November and December, while sunsets would happen about an hour later than they do now. December sunsets happen as early as 5:07 p.m. in central Ohio after the clocks fall back, according to the United States Naval Observatory.

Summers would look much the same as they do now, since we already use daylight saving time during summer, but without the twice-yearly clock change.

What Ohio sunrise and sunset times could look like under permanent daylight saving time

What would permanent daylight saving time actually look like in Ohio?

We looked at multiple cities, including Cincinnati, Columbus and Akron, to find out when they could expect sunrise and sunset on the longest and shortest days of the year: the summer and winter solstices.

The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, was June 21. The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, will be on Dec. 21.

Using the times provided by timeanddate.com, here's what would happen if daylight saving time were made permanent this year.

Columbus

• Summer solstice, June 21
  • Sunrise: 6:03 a.m. under daylight saving time
    • Sunrise with permanent daylight saving time: 6:03 a.m. (same)
  • Sunset: 9:04 p.m. under daylight saving time
    • Sunset with permanent daylight saving time: 9:04 p.m. (same)
  • Length of day: The day length doesn't change with the clock shift; you still get 15 hours of daylight on June 21.
• Winter solstice, Dec. 21
  • Sunrise: 7:50 a.m. under standard time
    • Sunrise with permanent daylight saving time: 8:50 a.m.
  • Sunset: 5:10 p.m. under standard time
    • Sunset with permanent daylight saving time: 6:10 p.m.
  • Length of day: The day length stays the same, at roughly nine hours and 19 minutes of daylight on Dec. 21. That's nearly four hours shorter than the June solstice. The amount of daylight doesn't change, just when that block of light occurs.

Cincinnati

• Summer solstice, June 21
  • Sunrise: 6:12 a.m. under daylight saving time
    • Sunrise with permanent daylight saving time: 6:12 a.m. (same)
• Sunset: 9:07 p.m. under daylight saving time
  • Sunset with permanent daylight saving time: 9:07 p.m. (same)
• Length of day: Ohioans would see 14 hours and 55 minutes of daylight on June 21.

Winter solstice, Dec. 21

• Sunrise: 7:53 a.m. under standard time
  • Sunrise with permanent daylight saving time: 8:53 a.m.
• Sunset: 5:18 p.m. under standard time
  • Sunset with permanent daylight saving time: 6:18 p.m.
• Length of day: Roughly nine hours and 25 minutes of daylight on Dec. 21.

Akron

• Summer solstice, June 21
  • Sunrise: 5:53 a.m. under daylight saving time
    • Sunrise with permanent daylight saving time: 5:53 a.m. (same)
• Sunset: 9:02 p.m. under daylight saving time
  • Sunset with permanent daylight saving time: 9:02 p.m. (same)
• Length of day: Ohioans would see 15 hours and eight minutes of daylight on June 21.

Winter solstice, Dec. 21

• Sunrise: 7:47 a.m. under standard time
  • Sunrise with permanent daylight saving time: 8:47 a.m.
• Sunset: 5 p.m. under standard time
  • Sunset with permanent daylight saving time: 6 p.m.
• Length of day: Roughly nine hours and 12 minutes of daylight on Dec. 21.

How permanent DST would change sunrise and sunset times

If enacted, HR 139 would make daylight saving time permanent in most of the United States. Clocks would stay on daylight saving time year-round instead of "falling back" each November.

Permanent daylight saving time would not create more daylight. It would simply shift an hour of morning light into the evening.

Can states opt out of permanent daylight saving time?

States that do not observe daylight saving time, including Arizona and Hawaii, could choose to adopt the new system or keep their current standard time.

Would Ohio be able to change to central time?

States can choose if they want to observe daylight saving time, but they cannot change time zones.

The U.S. Department of Transportation oversees time zones in the U.S. because "time standards are important for many modes of transportation." So, Ohio would remain on eastern time whether or not it chooses to observe daylight saving time.

Daylight saving time vs. standard time

Daylight saving time is the period when clocks are moved one hour ahead, typically from March to November, creating later sunsets and more evening daylight, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Meanwhile, standard time is the baseline time used during the rest of the year and is tied more closely to the sun's position.

Under the bill, daylight saving time would become the year-round standard for most of the country, according to Congress.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio sunrise, sunset times under permanent daylight saving time