End Of Daylight Saving Time 2021: Why Does AZ Opt Out?

PHOENIX, AZ — It’s time to fall back, for almost everyone except Arizonans.

Daylight saving time, which is observed in most of the rest of the United States, will come to an end Sunday, Nov. 7, a full week later than it ended last year. The only part of Arizona that observes daylight saving time is the Navajo Nation.

Although most of Arizona's time will remain the same, the change will bring us back into line with others in the Mountain time zone as other states fall back one hour.

The Arizona Legislature rejected daylight saving time in 1968, after the state observed it in 1967 for the first time since WWII, according to the Pima County Library.

Arizonans were not fans of springing forward as it meant summer temperatures were hotter later into the evening, making nighttime outdoor summer activities less desirable, or possibly miserable depending on the day. Arizonans agreed en masse at the time that they did not want another hour of daytime sunlight.

Nov. 1 is the earliest date possible for the end of daylight saving time, which officially occurs at 2 a.m. during normal sleeping hours.

For years, pro-sunlight advocates have created a movement to make daylight saving time permanent. In response, most states have considered legislation to do away with the twice-a-year time switch.

Since 2015, at least 350 bills and resolutions have been introduced in virtually every state. In 2018, Florida became the first state to enact legislation to permanently observe daylight saving time; however, any passed laws can’t take effect until there’s a change in the federal statute.

The 19 states where legislatures have approved bills favoring year-round daylight saving time are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

California voters authorized year-round DST in 2018, but action on the referendum is still pending within the state Legislature.

In March, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, along with several other senators, reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act, federal legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent across the country.

“The call to end the antiquated practice of clock-changing is gaining momentum throughout the nation,” Rubio said in a news release. “Studies have shown many benefits of a year-round daylight saving time, which is why the Florida legislature voted to make it permanent in 2018. I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill to make daylight saving time permanent, and give our nation’s families more stability throughout the year.”