What Permanent Daylight Saving Time Would Mean For Texas

The debate over whether or not to make Daylight Saving Time permanent comes around just about every year but 2026 may actually be the year it happens.

The calls to end the twice yearly time flip flop have been coming for decades, usually as one of the changes approaches and they subside once everybody gets over it. This year though, it may really happen - a bill calling for permanent daylight saving time passed the House.

Some states and territories already stay on the same clock year 'round. If all 50 states start sticking to 1 time across the board, the impact on each will be very different.

Texas, (Mostly), Benefits From Daylight Saving Time

Texas would be one of the biggest beneficiaries if they "lock the clock". You can see a graph of how all the states do here.

Texas is another state frequently cited by supporters. The state's large retail, hospitality, outdoor recreation, construction and energy sectors could all benefit from additional evening daylight. However, Texas also illustrates one of the central tensions in the debate: western parts of the state already experience relatively late sunrises because they sit near the western edge of the Central Time Zone. - Newsweek

Say Goodbye To Early Morning Sunrises Though

For example, in January, in Dallas, the sun wouldn't come up until about 8:30 and wouldn't set until about 6:45. People that have to be at work at 8 are going to get there in the dark.

In El Paso, we'd be looking at things happening about an hour later than usual, pushing sunrise to a few minutes past 8 and sunset to a few minutes past 6 in the month of January. States in the northeast would face the biggest "clock shock". Maine for example would wind up getting only 9 hours of sunlight per day during winter's peak.