Why are yellow lights called white lights in US?

When LEDs appeared, they were mostly cool white. Some tried to call them daylight white. People found the light harsh, unfamiliar, and disruptive to circadian rhythm. The bulb manufacturers worked at making the color similar to the familiar incandescent bulb. Some were greenish yellow. read more

It may be driven by marketing surveys. LED lightbulbs are actually a type of fluorescent bulb because a blue LED excites phosphors to produce longer wavelengths. It is tricky to get the right combinations of phosphors. read more

Since India is a hot country, there is no cultural bias towards yellow light. In India white light is considered superior.(When I first experience yellow light in US homes, I felt the light to be too dim). 2) Promotion from the government: A long time ago, people in India used incandescent bulbs(the ones with a tungsten filament inside). read more

The mercury vapor bulbs are usually a white ambient light and sodium a orangeish/yellow light. It sounds like maybe your city is using sodium vapor lights. Sodium vapor attracks less insects and has a longer glow life then mercury vapor. read more