Michigan time zone and daylight saving time

Eastern and Central Time Next clock change: Nov 1

Detroit, UTC−4Sunrise 8:02 a.m. · Sunset 6:29 p.m. · 10 h 27 min of daylight

Michigan at a glance

Time zone
Eastern; Central (four Upper Peninsula counties)
Daylight saving time
Observed. UTC−4 in summer, UTC−5 in winter (Eastern Time areas).
Upcoming clock changes
  • Sunday, November 1, 2026: clocks fall back
  • Sunday, March 14, 2027: clocks spring forward
  • Sunday, November 7, 2027: clocks fall back
  • Sunday, March 12, 2028: clocks spring forward
Each change happens at 2:00 a.m. local time.
Permanent daylight time law
None. Michigan is not among the 19 states the Congressional Research Service lists as having enacted one.

Almost all of Michigan uses Eastern Time. Four counties in the western Upper Peninsula, along the Wisconsin border, use Central Time. The whole state observes daylight saving time.

Which parts of Michigan use which time

Central Time: Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron and Menominee counties, in the western Upper Peninsula. These include Iron Mountain, Ironwood and Menominee.

Eastern Time: the rest of the state, including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie.

Michigan was one of the first states to exempt itself from daylight saving time after the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966, and only began observing it in 1972.

Time zones in bordering states

Michigan’s time zone line runs through the Upper Peninsula, and its Central Time counties sit next to Wisconsin, which also uses Central Time.

Select a state on the map to see its time zone details.

Time zone map of Michigan and surrounding states. Each state is a link to its page.Counties are shaded by time zone. Hatched counties are split between two zones; dotted areas do not observe daylight saving time.IndianaKansasMinnesotaPennsylvaniaMissouriWest VirginiaIllinoisIowaMarylandNew YorkOhioVirginiaWisconsinNebraska

Current time in each zone

  • Eastern
  • Central
  • Ohio: same time all along the border.
  • Wisconsin: same time; the Upper Peninsula counties along the border share Wisconsin’s Central Time.
  • Indiana: same time, except where Berrien County, Michigan meets LaPorte County, Indiana, which uses Central Time and is 1 hour behind.
  • Ontario: across the Detroit, St. Clair and St. Marys rivers, Ontario uses Eastern Time and changes its clocks on the same dates, so Detroit and Windsor, Port Huron and Sarnia, and the two Sault Ste. Maries all share the same time.

What permanent time would mean for Michigan

Ending clock changes would mean keeping one time all year: either permanent daylight time or permanent standard time. Here’s how each would shift sunrise and sunset in Detroit.

Permanent daylight time

Later winter mornings

8:58 a.m.

Sunrise on the shortest day, December 21 (now 7:58 a.m.).

Winter sunset: 6:03 p.m. (now 5:03 p.m.).

Permanent standard time

Earlier summer evenings

8:13 p.m.

Sunset on the longest day, June 21 (now 9:13 p.m.).

Summer sunrise: 4:56 a.m. (now 5:56 a.m.).

Times for Detroit, calculated for 2026. Actual sunrise and sunset can differ by a few minutes with terrain and weather.

Michigan and permanent daylight time

Michigan has not enacted a law to adopt permanent daylight time; it is not among the 19 states the Congressional Research Service lists as having done so.

Lawmakers have also considered the opposite approach: in 2025, a bill to stop observing daylight saving time, which would keep Michigan on standard time year-round (Senate Bill 126), did not pass, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Any switch to permanent daylight time would need Congress to act first. The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July 2026, and it is now with the Senate.

Common questions

What time zone is Michigan in?

Almost all of Michigan uses Eastern Time. Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron and Menominee counties, in the western Upper Peninsula, use Central Time.

Is Iron Mountain on Central Time?

Yes. Dickinson County, home to Iron Mountain, uses Central Time, the same as neighbouring Wisconsin.

Is Detroit on the same time as Windsor, Ontario?

Yes. Both use Eastern Time and change their clocks on the same dates.

Sources: U.S. Department of Transportation (49 CFR Part 71); Congressional Research Service; Congress.gov; National Conference of State Legislatures.

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