Why is Tennessee in two different time zones? It wasn’t always this way, but here’s how it changed

• Tennessee is split between the Eastern and Central time zones.
• Prior to 1947, all of Tennessee observed Central time.
• Fourteen other states also observe multiple time zones.

Eastern or Central time? Depending on where you live in Tennessee, it could be either.

If you start at the North Carolina and Tennessee border and head west or land in Nashville Airport and start traveling east, eventually you will hit an area where you will either be transported forward or backward in time. This is because Tennessee is separated into two different time zones.

It can get a bit confusing when you are driving in the Volunteer State. (Take it from someone who knows.)

But it didn’t always used to be this way. Here’s when and why the state was split between two different time zones.

Why is Tennessee in two different time zones?

Before 1947, all of Tennessee was part of the Central time zone. Cities in the eastern part of the state, like Knoxville and Chattanooga, petitioned for parts of the state to be added to Eastern Time, according to information from the Blount County Library.

The Knoxville Journal in 1949 stated the Interstate Commerce Commission moved the time zone boundary line to take Chattanooga out of Central and place it into Eastern. Since then, more than 30 cities in East Tennessee have had the time zone changed to Eastern Time.

Where does the time zone change in Tennessee?

The Tennessee boundary line between the Central and Eastern time zones follows the eastern borders of Pickett, Fentress, Cumberland, Bledsoe, Sequatchie and Marion counties.

What time is it in Tennessee?

That depends on where you live in the state.

Memphis and Nashville, along with the communities in Middle and Western Tennessee are in Central Time. Knoxville and other communities on the eastern end of the state are in Eastern Time.

To find out which Tennessee county is in which time zone, go to timetemperature.com/tzus/current_time_in_tennessee.shtml.

What states are in two different time zones?

But Tennessee isn’t the only state that is separated into different time zones. Fourteen other U.S. states have more than one time zone (depending on the time of year) besides Tennessee: Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota and Texas.