Tennessee is split between the Eastern and Central Time Zones in North America.

Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT/UTC-4) is observed in counties east of and including Scott, Morgan, Roane, Rhea, and Hamilton from the second Sunday in March at 2 AM EST (07:00 UTC) until the first Sunday in November at 2 AM EDT (06:00 UTC), and Eastern Standard Time (EST/UTC-5) is observed the rest of the year.

From the second Sunday in March at 2 AM CST (08:00 UTC) until the first Sunday in November at 2 AM CDT (07:00 UTC), counties west of Pickett, Fentress, Cumberland, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, and Marion are on Central Daylight Saving Time (CDT/UTC-5) and on Central Standard Time (CST/UTC-6) during the rest of the year.

To know the current time zone in Tennessee: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/usa/nashville


Why does Tennessee have two time zones?

You're wondering why East Tennessee has Eastern, while Middle and West Tennessee has Central...
Because that's where the dateline is, it's simple. It simply divides the state into two-thirds, with one-third in Eastern and the other two-thirds in Central.

You might as well inquire as to why a slice of Texas is on Mountain Time. Because that is where the dateline was placed to divide the state into two time zones.

And my science teacher once told me that save for the Smokiest, they were going to place all of Tennessee in Central... But then East Tennessee, being the hipsters that we are, always thinks we're better than the other two divisions because, well, look at East Tennessee's history and you'll see why... "Hey, we want more daylight hours too!" we reasoned. As a result, we're trapped in Eastern.

East Tennessee is known for doing things differently from the rest of the state.
So, at the very least, we got ONE of our desires. We have our time zone.
That's how unique we like to believe we are.
We'd have our time zone, of course!



What is the difference between East and West Tennessee?

The topography is the most noticeable distinction. West Tennessee is flat, while East Tennessee is mountainous. Middle Tennessee has a patchwork of terrain, generally mountainous but with some flat areas in the southern tier of counties.

As a result, various cultures emerged, with East Tennessee being predominantly Appalachian and comprised of tiny farms. The steepness of the ground simply did not allow for plantations. Because the soil in West Tennessee was suitable for big farms and plantations, a planter society similar to that of the Deep South flourished.

Middle Tennessee was a combination of vast farms and plantations, but it lacked a cotton culture, except a few counties in the southern half of the state. In Middle Tennessee, tobacco reigned supreme.

These distinctions can also be heard in the music of the three regions. East Tennessee is the birthplace of mountain music, which has its roots in Irish and English music. The mountains' remoteness preserved his ancestry.

The Blues are from West Tennessee, which has a large African-American population. Middle Tennessee is a combination of country music with origins in Appalachian mountain music and Mississippi Delta blues.


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