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Time in Massachusetts
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<p>Time in Massachusetts, as in all <a href="/facts/US_state/PFwcRIYQ">US states</a>, is regulated by the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Transportation/qgNCJ1tF">United States Department of Transportation</a>. <a href="/facts/Massachusetts/9uumCbFI">Massachusetts</a> is in the <a href="/facts/Eastern_Time_Zone/jP4S8j1V">Eastern Time Zone</a> (ET) and observes <a href="/facts/Daylight_saving_time/bEWvB1Rt">daylight saving time</a> (DST). </p> Time in Massachusetts<table><tbody><tr><th> </th><th>Time</th><th>UTC</th></tr><tr><td>Standard time (winter)</td><td>Eastern Standard Time (EST)</td><td><a href="/facts/UTC%E2%88%9205:00/JcPY8rp7">UTC−05:00</a></td></tr><tr><td>Daylight time (summer)</td><td>Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)</td><td><a href="/facts/UTC%E2%88%9204:00/Utrd4rFT">UTC−04:00</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Independent of daylight saving time, <a href="/facts/Solar_noon/bEe082CA">solar noon</a> on the <a href="/facts/March_equinox/27hlaADj">March equinox</a> is about 12:00 in <a href="/facts/Western_Massachusetts/cT0HtQIn">Western Massachusetts</a> and 11:47 in <a href="/facts/Nantucket/3R9nFPB9">Nantucket</a> to the east. <a href="/facts/New_England/ufw2BmSl">New England</a>, which includes Massachusetts, is one of the few areas in the United States where solar noon is before noon. </p> Solar noon (independent of DST)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th rowspan="2">Date(approx.)</th><th colspan="3">Location</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Pittsfield,_Massachusetts/fwWCpP8W">Pittsfield</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Boston/exjfn6xf">Boston</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Nantucket/3R9nFPB9">Nantucket</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/March_equinox/27hlaADj">March equinox</a></td><td>12:00</td><td>11:51</td><td>11:47</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/June_solstice/WuLo4l0o">June solstice</a></td><td>11:55</td><td>11:46</td><td>11:42</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/September_equinox/avAVQp1z">September equinox</a></td><td>11:46</td><td>11:37</td><td>11:33</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/December_solstice/GAKeNp83">December solstice</a></td><td>11:51</td><td>11:42</td><td>11:38</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>In 2016, a committee in the state was formed to consider having Massachusetts adopt <a href="/facts/Atlantic_Standard_Time/FmWCyHXR">Atlantic Standard Time</a> year round to prevent sunsets from occurring before 16:30 and eliminate the need to change clocks at the beginning and end of daylight saving time. The committee submitted its report to the <a href="/facts/Massachusetts_General_Court/usVXnbRS">state legislature</a> in November 2017, recommending the move "under certain circumstances". If passed, Massachusetts would use Atlantic Standard Time all year round without daylight saving time. Other New England states are looking into doing the same. </p>