Looking for the current time in US? Our live clocks show the exact time across the country in all 4 major time zones and update every second. Compare with your timezone and convert between US regions.

⚡ Quick Facts

⏰ Time Zones: 4 main zones

🔄 DST: Most states observe

🌍 Width: 3 hours coast-to-coast

🇺🇸 Coverage: 50 states

Current Time in US - All Time Zones

Time varies across 4 main zones in the country. When it's 12:00 PM in New York (Eastern), it's 11:00 AM in Chicago (Central), 10:00 AM in Denver (Mountain), and 9:00 AM in Los Angeles (Pacific).

Understanding US Time Zones

There are 4 primary time zones in the contiguous 48 states:

Eastern Time (ET): New York, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia - UTC-5 (EST) / UTC-4 (EDT)

Central Time (CT): Chicago, Texas, Louisiana, Illinois - UTC-6 (CST) / UTC-5 (CDT)

Mountain Time (MT): Denver, Arizona*, Colorado, Utah - UTC-7 (MST) / UTC-6 (MDT)

Pacific Time (PT): Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, California - UTC-8 (PST) / UTC-7 (PDT)

*Most of Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time and stays on MST year-round.

Is There One Time in the US?

No, there is no single time across the US. The country spans 4 time zones (6 if you count Alaska and Hawaii). This means:

When it's 3:00 PM in New York, it's 12:00 PM (noon) in Los Angeles

The difference from East Coast to West Coast is exactly 3 hours

Business hours vary: 9 AM EST = 6 AM PST

Why is California Behind New York?

California (Pacific Time) is 3 hours behind New York (Eastern Time) because the Earth rotates from west to east. The sun rises in the east first, meaning New York experiences sunrise, noon, and sunset 3 hours before California does.

This is why when New Yorkers are having lunch at noon, people in Los Angeles are still in their morning routine at 9:00 AM.

Does the US Observe Daylight Saving Time?

Yes, most of the United States observes Daylight Saving Time (DST). Clocks "spring forward" 1 hour on the second Sunday in March and "fall back" 1 hour on the first Sunday in November.

Exceptions that do NOT observe DST:

Hawaii (stays on HST all year)

Most of Arizona (stays on MST all year)

Some US territories (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa)

US Time Compared to India (IST)

India is significantly ahead of all US time zones:

Use the converter links above to calculate exact times between US time zones and India.

Major US Cities Time Zones

Here's where other major US cities fall in different time zones:

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there one time in the US? ▼

No, the United States spans 4 main time zones: Eastern Time (ET), Central Time (CT), Mountain Time (MT), and Pacific Time (PT). The continental US covers 3 hours of difference from east to west.

Why is California behind New York? ▼

California is in the Pacific Time zone (PT) which is 3 hours behind New York's Eastern Time zone (ET). This is because the sun rises and sets later in the west. When it's 12:00 PM in New York, it's 9:00 AM in California.

Does the US observe daylight saving time? ▼

Yes, most of the United States observes Daylight Saving Time (DST). Clocks spring forward 1 hour on the second Sunday in March and fall back 1 hour on the first Sunday in November. Exceptions include Hawaii, most of Arizona, and some US territories.

What is the time difference between US and India? ▼

India (IST) is 10.5 hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET), 11.5 hours ahead of Central Time (CT), 12.5 hours ahead of Mountain Time (MT), and 13.5 hours ahead of Pacific Time (PT). When it's 12:00 noon in New York, it's 10:30 PM in India.

Is it AM or PM in the US right now? ▼

Different parts of the country can be in different parts of the day since it spans multiple time zones. Check the clocks above to see if it's AM or PM in Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific regions.

What time zone is New York in? ▼

New York is in the Eastern Time zone (ET). It observes EST (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5) in winter and EDT (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-4) during daylight saving time.

What time zone is Los Angeles in? ▼

Los Angeles is in the Pacific Time zone (PT). It observes PST (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-8) in winter and PDT (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC-7) during daylight saving time.

Related Time Zone Pages

Explore more time zone information: