Kingsport Spirit

The change to or from daylight saving time always throws me off. It takes a good couple of weeks to feel normal again. I’ve long wished we could settle on one consistent time year-round, but I understand it’s not as simple as it sounds.

When I lived briefly in Middle Tennessee, I remember the sun setting around 4:30 and full darkness settling in by 5:00. It was downright depressing (to me anyway). I couldn’t wait for spring. Of course, there were perks—like finally being able to watch Monday Night Football without sacrificing sleep. The early sunsets come with earlier kickoffs. For those of us just east of the time-zone line, the latest summer sunsets linger until about 9:00 p.m. instead of 8:00—but the actual sunlight difference is minimal.

During my years in local government, much of my schedule revolved around Nashville. Over time, you learn how to navigate meetings and calls that straddle the Central and Eastern time zones without missing a beat. In fact, NETWORKS Sullivan Economic Development Partnership captures that dynamic perfectly with its tagline: “Where Tennessee begins its business day.” The sun, after all, rises first in Northeast Tennessee (NET).

I recently came across a map showing which counties would shift if time zones were based strictly on longitude. If the boundary followed the prescribed 82.5°W meridian, nearly all of Tennessee and Kentucky would fall in the Central Time Zone. Only the far northeastern corner of Tennessee—Sullivan, Washington, Carter, Unicoi, and Johnson Counties—would remain in Eastern Time. Hawkins and Greene Counties, including part of Kingsport, would shift to Central.

In Virginia, Lee, Wise, Scott, and the City of Norton would be Central, while the rest of the Commonwealth would stay Eastern. In Kentucky, only Pike County would remain Eastern. In North Carolina, Buncombe County (Asheville) and points west would flip to Central, while Hendersonville and Boone would stay Eastern. And in South Carolina, Greenville and the far-western counties would be Central, leaving Spartanburg as the new frontier of Eastern Time.

Imagine the impact that would have on our region—our workdays, commutes, sports schedules, and even our sense of connection with neighboring communities. Kingsport might find itself split between two time zones, with one part of the city finishing the workday while the other is already home for supper. Schools, hospitals, and industries that serve multiple counties would face a new level of coordination. Yet, in a way, it fits our geography. We’ve always been a crossroads—where the mountains meet the valley, and where Tennessee begins its business day. But I’m selfishly thankful this is someone else’s problem.