The United States lies in the zone of six time zones at once. US time zones are those very invisible threads that determine when residents of a particular district wake up and when they go to bed. In other words, they are responsible for the daily routine of all citizens of the country, without exception. In accordance with them, North American Eastern and Pacific, Central, Mountain, Hawaiian-Aleutian and Alaskan standard time are distinguished.
History tour
For the first time, US time zones entered everyday life at the state level at the very end of the 19th century. Their use in 1883 was first introduced on the railway. And in 1918 they already received official status and were endorsed by the Congress of the United States of America. The established standard definition of time zones was regulated by an act that only consolidated the system that had developed at that time.
Today, US time zones are in the hands of the current government. Officials of the Department of Transport are empowered to determine and change the actual boundaries of local time. The transition to summer and winter time is described in the relevant federal law.
North American Eastern Zone (GMT-5)
Eastern Standard Time is occupied by states such as Rhode Island, West Virginia, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Connecticut, Indiana, South and North Carolina, Massachusetts and others. There are twenty-three districts in total. Among them are the cities of New York and New Jersey. The Canadian cities of Quebec and Toronto are located in the same time area. The inhabitants of the Bahamas, Haiti and Jamaica are also subject to its influence.
Central Zone (GMT-6)
Central Standard Time is influenced by Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, Florida, Alabama, Texas and fourteen other areas. Since the US time zones extend not only to the possessions of the United States, citizens of the middle lands of Canada, as well as Mexico, also live in them. The largest settlements located in this area are Dallas, Chicago, Winnipeg and metropolitan Mexico City.
Mountain Zone (GMT-7)
Mountain Standard Time is subject to the lives of citizens of Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Nebraska (in part), Colorado, western South Dakota, Utah and Montana. It includes New Mexico, parts of Oregon and Texas. There are eleven states in total. The important economic centers of the zone are Denver and Edmonton.
North American Pacific Area (GMT-8)
Pacific Standard Time is represented by the settlements of sunny California, sultry Nevada, the lion's share of Oregon farmland . Significant cities are Los Angeles, Vancouver (Canada) and Dawson.
Returning to the question of how many time zones are in the USA, I would like to note that the above four temporary regions are the main ones and extend to the large territory of the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. The remaining two are considered island.
Alaska Standard Zone (GMT-9)
The time on the peninsula differs from Greenwich Mean by nine hours. That is, when it is noon in Ireland, it is deep night in North America. The cities of Anchorage, Lakes, Fairbanks, College, Sitka, Juneau, Badger, Eagle River, Nick Fairview, Tanayna are located in this zone.
Hawaiian Aleutian Standard Zone (GMT-10)
The Hawaii Standard Time and Aleutian Standard Time zone included the settlements of Honolulu, Kahului, Kihei, Pearl City, Hilo, Waipahu, Mililani, Kailua, Kaneohe, Gentry.
So six time zones are the only correct answer to the question of how many time zones are in the United States. Five of them occupy continental lands. The sixth passes through the island of state ownership and affects the lives of only one and a half million people living in Hawaii.
Remarkably, there are only four kilometers between the American Kruzenshtern and the Russian island of Ratmanov . This distance is easily overcome on a regular motor boat in twenty minutes. But the time difference between them is 21 hours.