# Fun With Time Zones **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 26, 2000, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434 "2000-10-26T15:36:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/21 "2000-10-26T17:45:03Z")
I remember reading somewhere that fully half of the US population lives in the Eastern Time Zone, and another 20-25% live in Central. This is often used as the explanation for what seem like very east-coast-centric media scheduling practices to those of us on the west coast. I haven’t independently confirmed it, but looking at what population centers are where gives me no cause to doubt this story. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/22 "2000-10-26T17:57:18Z")
The Official United States Time: [http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java](http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/23 "2000-10-26T18:59:31Z")
bizerta, do you have a link where I could actually read that statute? But I did just remember something. If y’all would be directed down to your window clock, please right click on it (for those of you using a mac or unix, you’ll have to trust me). Go to time zones. You’ll notice an “Indiana” timezone. There ya go. And if only those areas that border a time zone, that’s where those 5 in sync with NY fall in. ---
**Author:** ![Kepi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kepi/32/7251_2.png) [@Kepi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepi)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/24 "2000-10-26T19:30:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Drum God \* > You also missed Texas. Ysleta County (El Paso) is on Mountain Time Just wanted to point out that there is no Ysleta County in Texas. The part of Texas in the Mountain time zone is El Paso and Hudspeth counties. Connor - [Here’s a link](http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/usc.html) to the statute concerning daylight savings time. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/25 "2000-10-26T19:31:33Z")
Connor; Go to the link you provided, thence go to the link a the bottom of that page. 15 USC is probably online in lotsa places. ---
**Author:** ![raoulortega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@raoulortega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raoulortega)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/26 "2000-10-26T19:54:19Z")
Time zone boundaries can be a bit fuzzy at times, even those that are supposed to follow state boundaries.For example, Wendover and Jackpot, Nevada keep Mountain Time, because most of their clientele come from those timezones. (These are two small towns consisting mostly of casinos abutting the state line. They are otherwise in the middle of nowhere. From Jackpot, the nearest town is Wells, over 60 empty miles away.) ---
**Author:** ![jbird3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@jbird3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbird3000)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/27 "2000-10-26T21:28:15Z")
Let’s say you have a bar straddling two time zones. Let’s say the laws say you can only sell between 6PM and 3AM. theoretically, you could sell booze on one the late side of the bar, then when it got 3AM, move the liquor to the other side and keep selling for another hour? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/28 "2000-10-26T21:44:26Z")
Yup. But very unlikely, as time zone lines tend to be non-populated. But there could always be some tavern in some small town in the middle of nowhere. Its also doubtful that this bar would be open that late, though. If the time zone line went between Florida and Alabama in the panhandle, this could be done at the Florabama (a wonderful, WONDERFUL place.) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/29 "2000-10-27T01:27:51Z")
One of our corporate offices is in Phoenix and our managers are forever missing conference calls as they assume AZ is on DST and they get the hours messed up. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/30 "2000-10-27T15:33:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Connor \* > **But very unlikely, as time zone lines tend to be non-populated.** They also tend to follow county lines and state lines. A bar straddling a county line or a city limit would have to satisfy two different sets of liquor laws and have two liquor licenses. I doubt that it’s legal to have two liquor licenses for one establishment. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/31 "2000-10-27T15:43:32Z")
Here’s [another article on DST.](http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/10/27/daylight.saving.time/index.html) Note that the writer refers to it as “daylight-saving time.” ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/32 "2000-10-27T15:50:50Z")
Nope, not illegal. As referenced in my previous post, the Florabama in Pensacola is actually ON the state border between Florida and Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/33 "2000-11-02T14:59:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kepi \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Drum God \* > > You also missed Texas. Ysleta County (El Paso) is on Mountain Time > > Just wanted to point out that there is no Ysleta County in Texas. The part of Texas in the Mountain time zone is El Paso and Hudspeth counties. > \*\* [Chagrined] You are, of course, correct. Ysleta is the name of a school district that serves El Paso. That must have been what I was thinking of. Next time, I’ll check my geography more carefully. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/34 "2000-11-02T16:02:08Z")
Michigan is no longer in two times zones. A little while ago, they jogged the zone border west and now it runs along the Mich/Wisc border until it’s out in Lake Superior, then it joggs back east before entering Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/35 "2000-11-02T16:52:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jbird3000 \* > **Let’s say you have a bar straddling two time zones.** If I recall, exactly that same thing happened in Texarkana, which straddles the border between Texas and Arkansas (duh!). I can’t remember which was which, but the liquor laws of one state required the bars to close earlier, at which point the patrons literally walked across the street and drank at the bar across the state line. ---
**Author:** ![Texan78730](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@Texan78730](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Texan78730)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/36 "2011-01-02T17:46:27Z")
See: [http://www.nist.time.gov](http://www.nist.time.gov) It’s crazy enough that states are divided in half, but why do you suppose a state such as Oregon, which is on Pacific Time, is in a situation where Mountain Time bulges into the state? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/37 "2011-01-02T17:53:47Z")
> [@Texan78730](#): > > See: > [http://www.nist.time.gov](http://www.nist.time.gov) > > It’s crazy enough that states are divided in half, but why do you suppose a state such as Oregon, which is on Pacific Time, is in a situation where Mountain Time bulges into the state? You just bumped a ten year old discussion where the answer is actually in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/38 "2011-01-02T18:28:17Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > One of our corporate offices is in Phoenix and our managers are forever missing conference calls as they assume AZ is on DST and they get the hours messed up. One (maybe only) reason to enjoy living in Phoenix - no DST. Whenever my mom and I travel to Laughlin and visit with my uncle and aunt in Bullhead City during standard time, we always clarify “my time or your time” ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434/39 "2011-01-02T18:38:15Z")
Newfoundland sets it’s clocks back at 00:01 (rather than 02:00) so that the time during the “fall back” goes something like: 23:59, 00:00, 23:01 (the previous day) One has to be 19 to buy alcohol. So if you turn 19 on the day of the switch, you are ok to buy alcohol for the one minute between 00:00 and 00:01, but then would have to wait 59 minutes before you are legal again. No idea if this is actually enforced. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-time-zones/38434.md?page=1)