Michigan is primarily located in the Eastern Time Zone, which is abbreviated as ET or EST (Eastern Standard Time) during the non-daylight saving months and EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) during daylight saving time. The Eastern Time Zone is five hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC -5h). This means that when it is noon in UTC, it is 7:00 AM in the Eastern Time Zone.
However, it’s important to note that there are a few counties in Michigan that border the state of Wisconsin in the southern part of the Upper Peninsula. These counties include Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson, and Menominee. Unlike the rest of Michigan, these counties observe Central Time, which is abbreviated as CT or CST (Central Standard Time) during the non-daylight saving months and CDT (Central Daylight Time) during daylight saving time. The Central Time Zone is six hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC -6h).
Living in Michigan, I have experienced the transition between Eastern Standard Time and Eastern Daylight Time. It is an interesting change, as it affects the amount of daylight we experience during different seasons. During the non-daylight saving months, evenings tend to get darker earlier, while during daylight saving time, we have longer evenings with more daylight.
To summarize, most of Michigan is in the Eastern Time Zone (ET/EST/EDT), with only four counties in the southern part of the Upper Peninsula (Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson, and Menominee) observing Central Time (CT/CST/CDT). This distinction is important to keep in mind when scheduling appointments, making travel plans, or communicating with individuals in different time zones.