US Time Zones Explained
The United States uses six time zones — Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii — plus Arizona, which keeps its own schedule by skipping daylight saving.
| Zone | Local time now | UTC offset | Daylight saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Time | 18:34 | UTC-4 | Active now |
| Central Time | 17:34 | UTC-5 | Active now |
| Mountain Time | 16:34 | UTC-6 | Active now |
| Arizona Time | 15:34 | UTC-7 | Not observed |
| Pacific Time | 15:34 | UTC-7 | Active now |
| Alaska Time | 14:34 | UTC-8 | Active now |
| Hawaii Time | 12:34 | UTC-10 | Not observed |
Compare two US time zones
Each pair below has its own page with an hour-by-hour table and the best time to call.
Wondering when clocks change next? See the exact date.
Frequently asked questions
How many time zones does the United States have?
Six primary time zones span the 50 states: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii. Most of Arizona is a practical seventh, because it keeps Mountain Standard Time all year instead of switching to daylight saving with the rest of the Mountain zone. US territories add more — Puerto Rico, for example, is on Atlantic Standard Time.
Does Arizona observe daylight saving time?
Most of Arizona does not. It stays on Mountain Standard Time (UTC-7) all year, so it matches Denver's clock in winter but falls an hour behind it every summer, once Mountain Time switches to daylight saving. The Navajo Nation, which extends into Arizona, is the exception and does observe daylight saving time.
What is the time difference between Eastern and Pacific time?
3 hours, year-round — Pacific Time is always 3 hours behind Eastern Time, because both zones move their clocks on the same two dates each year. Eastern is UTC-5 (or UTC-4 in summer) and Pacific is UTC-8 (or UTC-7 in summer).
Which US time zone is UTC-5?
Eastern Standard Time is UTC-5, in effect from early November to mid-March. For the rest of the year Eastern Time observes daylight saving and moves to UTC-4 (Eastern Daylight Time).
Do Alaska and Hawaii follow the same daylight saving schedule as the mainland?
Alaska does — it observes daylight saving on the same dates as the other 48 states. Hawaii does not observe daylight saving at all and stays at UTC-10 all year, so the gap between Hawaii and the mainland changes by an hour twice a year even though Hawaii itself never moves its clocks.