Where Does the Time Zone Change Between Indiana and Illinois?

Having an understanding of where the time zone changes between Indiana and Illinois is an essential part of planning your vacation to these two states. In fact, it's so important, that many states have established an official "state time zone." You'll want to make sure you know what the difference is between these two states' time zones before you set off.

St. Joseph County

Several county petitions were submitted to the Indiana Department of Transportation asking for a change in time zone boundaries. Nine counties asked to be moved to the Central Time Zone, and seven counties asked to remain in the Eastern Time Zone. One county, Elkhart, did not petition for the change. The petitions were presented at a public hearing in South Bend.

During the six-hour public hearing, several elected officials offered their opinions on the proposed change. State Representative Julie Walorski did not express a preference. However, she did state her concern for students who participated in academic activities. If they would be unable to get home before midnight, they could not be prepared for school the next day.

In the end, the DOT decided not to change the time zone boundary for St. Joseph County. They will continue to be in the Eastern Time Zone.

During the hearing, Mark Dobson dissented from the decision and argued against the data used by the commissioners. He disputed that the majority of comments did not support the change to the Central Time Zone.

Other elected officials, such as the mayor of South Bend and the chairman of the MACOG Policy Board, supported the move to the Central Time Zone for the whole state. There were also representatives of business interests, such as the president of the Steel Warehouse Company, Inc. and a representative of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce.

Knox County

In 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission moved the eastern half of Indiana to the Eastern Time Zone. The western half remains in the Central Time Zone. The Eastern Time Zone portion of the state has been on the same time as New York in the winter and the same time as Chicago in the summer.

There have been many debates over the changes to the time zones in the state. Many elected officials have endorsed the idea of a single statewide time zone, while others have vehemently opposed it. Fortunately, the legislature has taken action and will begin to observe Daylight Saving Time in 2006.

At the same time, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced four public hearings to gather information about the possible changes to the time zones in 18 counties in the state. These meetings included commissioners and residents from both sides of the issue.

Several commissioners spoke at these meetings. State Representative Julie Walorski did not express a preference. However, she did mention the possibility of a compromise between the two time zones. She also noted that the Toyota plant in Gibson County could create problems for time zone change.

Logansport County Commissioner Steve Eller favored a Central Time Zone. He cited his county's connection to Louisville and Indianapolis. Nevertheless, the proposal was not a sweeping change that would affect all of the surrounding counties.

Gibson County

In Indiana, Gibson County is located in the Central Time Zone and borders Illinois. As a result, there are many residents who rely on the Central Time Zone for most services. However, there are also people who are in the Eastern Time Zone. The difference between the two time zones creates a host of issues.

Throughout Indiana, there have been several requests to change the time zone boundary. Some elected officials vehemently oppose the proposed change. Others support the move.

Public hearings were held by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to gather comments and data about the proposed change in time zone boundaries. This article provides a summary of some of the information that was gathered.

Several elected officials spoke at public hearings. One of the county commissions was accompanied by a business representative. Other elected officials expressed conflicting opinions. Elected officials included State Representative Julie Walorski.

Most of the petitioning counties were in the northwest or southwest. Those counties wanted to remain in the same time zone as neighboring counties. They noted that they were connected to Chicago and Evansville.

There were a number of statistics presented at the hearings. These included information about sunrise and sunset times, government-established transportation and school regions, and worker commuting patterns.