What is the Time Zone for Kentucky?

Kentucky is located in the Eastern time zone of the United States. The state of Kentucky follows Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the winter and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) in the summer. All cities and towns in the state are part of this single time zone, which is commonly referred to simply as Eastern Time.

History of Time Zones in Kentucky

Time zones in Kentucky have not always been as they are today. The state has always been in the Eastern time zone since it was established in 1792, but when the United States adopted a standardized time zone system in 1883 Kentucky was originally assigned to Central time. This was due to its location being close to the Mississippi river which was used to divide the time zones due to the railways back then.

However in April of 1911 local state legislation was passed in Kentucky to move the state back to Eastern time. Not all of the counties easily made the transition, some counties’ laws only took effect in 1915. The official time zone of Kentucky was changed to EST/EDT in 1918 and has remained the same since then.

Time Changes in Kentucky

In the spring of each year, clocks in Kentucky will move forward one hour on the second Sunday in March. On this day, the time automatically changes from EST to EDT. In the autumn of each year, clocks are moved back one hour in the early morning of the first Sunday of November. On this day, time will change from Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) to Eastern Standard Time (EST).

The standard time in Kentucky is five hours closer to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-5). As is to be expected, this has an effect on when people in the state go to work, go to school, and enjoy their leisure time. While the time does change twice a year, it remains consistent throughout the state for most of the year.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Kentucky is part of the Eastern time zone and has been since 1918. The state follows Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the winter and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) in the summer. Clocks in the state are moved forward one hour in the spring on the second Sunday in March and moved back one hour in the autumn early morning of the first Sunday in November.