Time in Rhode Island, as in all US states, is regulated by the United States Department of Transportation.[1] Rhode Island is in the Eastern Time Zone (ET) and observes daylight saving time (DST).
| Time | UTC | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard time (winter) | Eastern Standard Time (EST) | UTC−05:00 |
| Daylight time (summer) | Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) | UTC−04:00 |
Independent of daylight saving time, solar noon in Rhode Island on the March equinox is about 11:53, which is earlier than most areas of the United States. The state is small enough that geographical location only results in a difference of a few minutes.
| Date (approx.) |
Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Westerly | Providence | Little Compton | |
| March equinox | 11:54 | 11:52 | 11:52 |
| June solstice | 11:49 | 11:47 | 11:46 |
| September equinox | 11:40 | 11:39 | 11:38 |
| December solstice | 11:45 | 11:44 | 11:43 |
Like the other five New England states, which also use the Eastern Time Zone, sunset in the winter in Rhode Island can occur as early as 4:30 p.m. Most of the New England states have considered using the Atlantic Time Zone without daylight saving to mitigate this. While Rhode Island considered such a bill in 2016,[3] it would only take effect if Massachusetts did the same.[4]
- ^ "Uniform Time". US Department of Transportation. 13 February 2015. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) oversees the Nation's time zones and the uniform observance of Daylight Saving Time. The oversight of time zones was assigned to DOT because time standards are important for many modes of transportation.
- ^ "NOAA Solar Calculator". noaa.gov. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ O'Brien, Matt (March 11, 2016). "Will New England see the light". The Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. AP. p. C7. Retrieved March 9, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Several US States Considering Scrapping DST". Time and Date. January 20, 2017.