Indiana is much like every other state and country in the world when it comes to time changes. Originally, Indiana recorded time by the passage of the sun. Of course, in the 1800s, people carried around watches but no two watches had the same, exact time.
The age of the railroad changed everything for Indiana, just like it did in so many other places around the world. When vast distances became accessible quickly, the need for a more streamlined time became a necessity, especially when traveling from east to west or vice versa.
It started with the railroads coming up with a four time zone grid that was called “standard time.” This system was resisted by the residents and officials in Indiana but, thankfully, the railroads weren’t beholden to Indiana rules and regulations.
Where Does the Time Change in Indiana?
Weirdly enough, the time changes from Eastern to Central time at the very southwest corner of Indiana and the very northwest corner. However, the vast majority of Indiana, including most to the western border, remains on Eastern Time.
It kind of makes sense when it comes to the southwest corner of Indiana because that section of the state extends westward more than the rest of the state. However, the northwest section of Indiana doesn’t.
The northwest section runs along the same western border as the middle section. Even though the middle section of Indiana runs on Eastern Standard Time, the northwest section is on Central Standard Time, despite zero movements to the west.
There are 12 counties in Indiana that are under Central Standard Time. In the Northwest, this includes the following counties:
- Jasper
- Lake
- LaPorte
- Newton
- Porter
- Starke
The southwest corner of Indiana (which makes more sense when it comes to being farther to the west) includes the following counties:
- Warrick
- Vanderburgh
- Spencer
- Posey
- Perry
- Gibson
There are a grand total of 92 counties throughout the entire state of Indiana, with only those, above-listed 12 being in the Central Standard Time zone.
Indiana Used to Be in One Time Zone
It wasn’t until 1961 that Indiana became divided. The original division of time zones took place from 1961 to 1967 and was a more logical-looking time zone split, with the state of Indiana split vertically down the middle. The west side was the Central Standard Time zone while the east became the Eastern Standard Time zone.
However, no one seemed to care or observe the split, with everyone from private citizens to corporations maintaining Eastern Standard Time. In 1967, the decision was made to make Indiana the way it is today, with only the 12 counties that supported Central Standard Time being split from the whole.
All Things Considered
Every state has a history of dealing with time issues and that includes Indiana. Like so many other places, the arrival of the railroad changed everything, necessitating changes in the ways that both business and private citizens keep time in America and abroad. Now, hopefully, Indiana will remain as it is for the foreseeable future.