Five Indiana Counties to Switch Time Zones, DOT Says

Five counties in southwestern Indiana will switch from Central to Eastern time beginning Nov. 4, the U.S. Department of Transportation said.

DOT, which regulates time zones, said Thursday that the change will take place when daylight saving time ends.

The move appears to be the final step to erase the confusion created when Indiana decided in 2005 to start following daylight saving time, the Indianapolis Star reported Friday.

Under the Uniform Time Act of 1966, the Secretary of Transportation has the authority to set time-zone boundaries and must base decisions on the “convenience of commerce,” DOT said in a statement.

DOT said the five counties filing the joint petition demonstrated the benefit of moving to Eastern time based on economic and related concerns.

The five are Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin and Pike counties. DOT denied a petition by Perry County.

In denying that petition, the department said that Perry County appears to be oriented to Central time and that its petition did not provide sufficient justification to make the change.