The United States spans six primary time zones, from Eastern Time on the Atlantic coast to Hawaii-Aleutian Time in the Pacific. Whether you’re scheduling a meeting with colleagues in another state, planning a cross-country phone call, or simply curious about what time it is on the other side of the country, understanding US time zones is essential for daily life in America.

Our interactive US time zones map below gives you a real-time visual overview of every time zone across the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Click on any zone to see the current local time, UTC offset, and whether Daylight Saving Time is currently in effect. You can also search for any US city or address to instantly find which time zone it falls in.

This tool is designed for anyone who works across state lines, travels frequently within the US, or needs a quick reference for time differences between American cities. Scroll down to explore the map, then keep reading for a detailed guide to how US time zones work.

How the US Time Zones Map Works

The interactive map above displays all six US time zones with color-coded regions so you can immediately see the boundaries between each zone. The map renders GeoJSON boundary data on top of a dark-themed base layer, making the time zone divisions clear and easy to read at any zoom level.

Each time zone region is shaded with a distinct color. When you hover over a zone, it highlights and shows you the zone name. Clicking on a zone or using the search bar opens a detail panel that shows the current local time (updated every second), the UTC offset, the zone abbreviation (such as EST, CST, or PST), and whether that zone is currently observing standard time or Daylight Saving Time.

The map also features a day-night terminator line, which shows you in real time where the sun is currently shining and where it is nighttime across the United States. This visual cue helps you quickly understand not just the clock time but also the actual daylight conditions in each part of the country.

The Six US Time Zones Explained

The United States uses six primary time zones, established by the Standard Time Act of 1918 and maintained today by the Department of Transportation. Here is a breakdown of each zone, from east to west:

Eastern Time (ET) — UTC-5 / UTC-4

Eastern Time covers the eastern seaboard and extends inland to include states like New York, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Michigan. It is the most populated time zone in the US, home to major cities including New York City, Washington D.C., Miami, Atlanta, and Boston. During Daylight Saving Time (mid-March to early November), Eastern Time shifts from EST (UTC-5) to EDT (UTC-4).

Central Time (CT) — UTC-6 / UTC-5

Central Time spans the middle of the country and includes Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Louisiana, and most of the Great Plains states. Major cities in this zone include Chicago, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Minneapolis. Central Time is one hour behind Eastern Time year-round.

Mountain Time (MT) — UTC-7 / UTC-6

Mountain Time covers the Rocky Mountain region, including Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, and most of Arizona. Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque are the largest cities in this zone. Notably, most of Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, staying on Mountain Standard Time (MST, UTC-7) year-round — a detail the map reflects accurately.

Pacific Time (PT) — UTC-8 / UTC-7

Pacific Time covers the West Coast, including California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. It is home to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Las Vegas. Pacific Time is three hours behind Eastern Time, which is a significant gap that affects scheduling for businesses and media operating coast to coast.

Alaska Time (AKT) — UTC-9 / UTC-8

Alaska Time covers nearly all of Alaska. Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau all observe this time zone. Alaska is four hours behind Eastern Time during standard time and observes Daylight Saving Time along with most of the country. Due to Alaska’s extreme latitude, daylight hours vary dramatically by season, making the day-night terminator on the map especially informative for this state.

Hawaii-Aleutian Time (HAT) — UTC-10 / UTC-9

Hawaii-Aleutian Time is the westernmost US time zone. Hawaii does not observe Daylight Saving Time, so it stays on HST (UTC-10) year-round. The western Aleutian Islands of Alaska also fall in this zone but do observe DST. Honolulu is the primary city in this zone. Hawaii is five hours behind Eastern Time during standard time and six hours behind during Daylight Saving Time.

Understanding Daylight Saving Time in the US

Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November in most of the United States. During DST, clocks are set forward one hour, effectively shifting an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening.

However, not all states observe DST. Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii remain on standard time year-round. Several US territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands, also do not observe DST. Our map’s detail panel always shows the current correct offset, so you never have to guess whether a zone is currently on standard or daylight time.

There is ongoing legislative discussion about making Daylight Saving Time permanent across the US. The Sunshine Protection Act has been introduced multiple times in Congress, but as of now, the biannual clock change remains in effect for most states.

How to Use This Map

Click any time zone on the map to open a detail panel showing the current local time, UTC offset, and DST status.
Search for a city using the search bar at the top to instantly locate it on the map and see its time zone information.
View the live clocks in the side panel to compare current times across all six zones at a glance.
Check the day-night terminator to see where it is currently daytime and nighttime across the US.
Zoom and pan the map to explore time zone boundaries in detail, especially in border areas where zones meet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many time zones does the US have?

The United States has six primary time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, and Hawaii-Aleutian. If you include US territories like Puerto Rico (Atlantic Time), Guam (Chamorro Time), and American Samoa (Samoa Time), the total extends to nine time zones.

What time zone is New York in?

New York City is in the Eastern Time zone (ET). During standard time it observes EST (UTC-5), and during Daylight Saving Time it shifts to EDT (UTC-4).

What time zone is California in?

California is in the Pacific Time zone (PT). It observes PST (UTC-8) during standard time and PDT (UTC-7) during Daylight Saving Time. California is three hours behind New York year-round.

Does Arizona observe Daylight Saving Time?

Most of Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time. The state stays on Mountain Standard Time (MST, UTC-7) year-round. The exception is the Navajo Nation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah and does observe DST.

What is the time difference between East Coast and West Coast?

There is always a three-hour difference between the East Coast (Eastern Time) and the West Coast (Pacific Time). When it is 12:00 PM in New York, it is 9:00 AM in Los Angeles, regardless of whether Daylight Saving Time is in effect.

When does Daylight Saving Time start and end?

In the US, Daylight Saving Time begins on the second Sunday of March (clocks spring forward one hour) and ends on the first Sunday of November (clocks fall back one hour). In 2026, DST begins on March 8 and ends on November 1.

What is UTC and how does it relate to US time zones?

UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the global time standard from which all time zones are calculated as offsets. Eastern Standard Time is UTC-5, meaning it is five hours behind UTC. Each US time zone moving west adds another hour behind UTC, with Hawaii-Aleutian Time at UTC-10.

Are the time zone boundaries in the US always along state lines?

No. While many time zone boundaries follow state borders, several states are split between two time zones. For example, Indiana has counties in both Eastern and Central time, and parts of western Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota observe Mountain Time while the rest of those states use Central Time. Our map shows these actual boundaries accurately.