How often the summer sun would set before 8 p.m. under permanent standard time

News How often the summer sun would set before 8 p.m. under permanent standard time Comments: by Addy Bink - 08/02/26 11:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Addy Bink - 08/02/26 11:00 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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(NEXSTAR) – Though the most recent action in Congress has the U.S. on a path to observe permanent daylight saving time again, some lawmakers have been vying for a different option: year-round standard time.

The Sunshine Protection Act, which passed through the House in July, would make states that do not exempt themselves lock their clocks on daylight saving time, meaning there would be no “falling back” in November. While summers would be unaffected, as most of the U.S. already observes daylight saving time from March to November, winter sunrises and sunsets would feel much different.

In much of the country, the sun would rise after 8 a.m. for part of those colder months. Those later sunrises have fueled pushback on the Sunshine Protection Act, and were chief in causing permanent daylight saving’s demise in the 1970s.

A recently introduced bill in the House could take time in the U.S. in a different direction.

The bipartisan “Sunshine for Our Kids Act of 2026” calls for permanent standard time – the time we observe from November through March – in the U.S., with some exceptions. Health experts generally agree standard time is better for our health, but it, too, has some drawbacks.

Under permanent standard time, summer days – or more specifically, the nights – would feel different as the sun would rise and set an hour earlier than it does now.

In some parts of the country, that means sunsets well before 8 p.m., even during the “longest days” of summer (days are all 24 hours long, of course; there’s just more daylight at some points of the year).

On many summer days, the sun would set before 7 p.m.

Of the 34 cities analyzed by Nexstar, Juneau, Alaska, would have the latest summer sunset under permanent standard time at 10:43 p.m. In the Lower 48, the title would go to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the latest sunset would be 8:26 p.m.

However, in most other cities, the latest sunset would occur during the 7 o’clock hour.

The interactive table below shows how many summer days (across June, July, and August) would have sunsets in the 6, 7, and 8 o’clock hours under permanent standard time. At present, these same sunsets are happening in the 7, 8, and 9 o’clock hours.

Another potential downside to permanent standard time? You may notice it in the rightmost column of the table above.

Some parts of the country would see the sun rise well before 5 a.m. during the summer months, a potential drawback to those who rise as the sun does.

However, the earlier sunrises associated with permanent standard time are likely what your body prefers. Experts say that getting enough sunlight exposure in the morning is crucial for our melatonin system. The extra morning daylight could also give you more time to work out or run errands during the cooler morning hours of a summer day. Plus, it may be easier for you (and your children) to sleep through the morning sunshine than to fall asleep while it’s still light out.

Because the House has already passed the Sunshine Protection Act, it’s difficult to say if there will be a vote on the Sunshine for Our Kids Act. As of late July, the bill has nearly a dozen cosponsors.

Congress is also considering two bills in the House that would give states the option to observe year-round daylight saving time and a bill to make half-daylight saving time permanent.

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