Time in the United States
It is 2:34 PM on September 12, 2026 in Washington, D.C. The United States spans 6 standard time zones, from UTC-10:00 to UTC-05:00; Washington, D.C. is on summer time, UTC-04:00, right now. Clocks go back to UTC-05:00 on November 1, 2026. Not every region does the same: Phoenix and Honolulu stay on standard time all year, while Washington, D.C. changes its clocks.
What time is it in the United States right now?
Which time zones does the United States use?
| Time zone | UTC offset | Daylight saving | Largest city | Cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| America/New_York also America/Detroit, America/Indiana/Indianapolis, America/Indiana/Marengo and 6 more identifiers | UTC-04:00 EDT · standard UTC-05:00 | Observed | New York City | 1,361 |
| America/Chicago also America/Indiana/Knox, America/Indiana/Tell_City, America/Menominee and 3 more identifiers | UTC-05:00 CDT · standard UTC-06:00 | Observed | Chicago | 738 |
| America/Los_Angeles | UTC-07:00 PDT · standard UTC-08:00 | Observed | Los Angeles | 599 |
| America/Phoenix also America/Boise, America/Denver | UTC-07:00 MST | Varies by region | Phoenix | 192 |
| Pacific/Honolulu also America/Adak | UTC-10:00 HST | Varies by region | Honolulu | 38 |
| America/Anchorage also America/Juneau, America/Metlakatla, America/Nome and 2 more identifiers | UTC-08:00 AKDT · standard UTC-09:00 | Observed | Anchorage | 5 |
Each row groups the IANA identifiers that share a standard offset. Where a row is marked as varying, the offset printed beside it is the one its largest listed city is on right now; other places in that row follow a different daylight-saving rule and can be an hour away from it.
Zone count and offsets come from the IANA time zone database; the city figures count the 2,933 cities our database places in a time zone in the United States, and the 292 largest are listed below.
- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Dialing code
- +1
- Local time
- UTC-04:00
Does the United States use daylight saving time?
Yes. Washington, D.C. alternates between EST (UTC-05:00) and EDT (UTC-04:00). On November 1, 2026 at 2:00 AM local time, clocks go back one hour to 1:00 AM.
Not every region does the same: Phoenix and Honolulu stay on standard time all year, while Washington, D.C. changes its clocks.
When do the US coasts share office hours?
Office hours are taken as 09:00 to 17:00 on both sides, and the window is computed to the half hour.
| US office | Window in Washington, D.C. | Same window in the US |
|---|---|---|
| US Pacific (Los Angeles) | 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM |
When does the sun rise and set in Washington, D.C. today?
Major cities in the United States
16 of the 292 largest cities (2,933 in our database)
Time in the United States: common questions
What is the UTC offset in the United States?
Washington, D.C. is on UTC-04:00 right now (EDT). Standard offsets across the United States run from UTC-10:00 to UTC-05:00, so check the city you actually need.
How many time zones does the United States have?
6. Time zones are counted as distinct standard UTC offsets, from UTC-10:00 to UTC-05:00; the 29 IANA identifiers the database lists for the United States collapse into those 6 zones. Washington, D.C. itself keeps America/New_York.
When do the clocks change in the United States?
The next change in Washington, D.C. is on November 1, 2026: at 2:00 AM local time the clock goes back one hour to 1:00 AM, and the zone moves to EST (UTC-05:00). The date and the hour come from the IANA time zone database. Not every region does the same: Phoenix and Honolulu stay on standard time all year, while Washington, D.C. changes its clocks.
How far apart are the US time zones?
Standard offsets across the country run from UTC-10:00 to UTC-05:00. New York and Los Angeles are 3:00 apart right now, and every zone in between is listed in the table above.
When are both US coasts at their desks?
Between 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM in Washington, D.C. That is 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on the West Coast, so both offices are inside a 09:00-17:00 day.
What time does the sun rise and set in Washington, D.C.?
Today the sun rises at 6:45 AM and sets at 7:22 PM, local time in Washington, D.C. Both are computed from the city's own coordinates and its IANA time zone.