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USA Timezones: The Complete Guide

Six zones across the mainland and islands — plus the states that refuse to change their clocks.

5 min read

The 50 US states span six timezones; including territories, the country covers even more. Here’s the full map in table form.

ZoneStandardDaylightMajor cities
Eastern (ET)UTC-5UTC-4New York, Washington, Miami, Atlanta
Central (CT)UTC-6UTC-5Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans
Mountain (MT)UTC-7UTC-6Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix*
Pacific (PT)UTC-8UTC-7Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle
Alaska (AKT)UTC-9UTC-8Anchorage
Hawaii (HST)UTC-10— no DSTHonolulu

*Phoenix and most of Arizona stay on UTC-7 year-round (no DST) — effectively matching Pacific time in summer and Mountain time in winter. The Navajo Nation within Arizona does observe DST. Hawaii also never changes.

Split States

Over a dozen states straddle two zones — Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida (the Panhandle is Central), Texas (far west is Mountain), and the Dakotas among them. Always check by city, not state.

Territories

Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands use Atlantic Time (UTC-4, no DST); Guam uses UTC+10; American Samoa uses UTC-11.

Quick Cross-Country Math

Coast to coast is 3 hours: 9 AM in New York is 6 AM in Los Angeles. Compare live clocks: New York · Chicago. Converting to India? Each US zone has its own gap — see the US–India planner.

Time in New York → Time in Chicago → US–India Planner → World Timezones →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many timezones does the USA have?

The 50 states span six timezones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, and Hawaii. Territories add Atlantic, Chamorro, and Samoa time.

Which US states do not observe daylight saving?

Hawaii and most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation). US territories also skip DST.

What is the time difference between New York and Los Angeles?

Three hours — New York (Eastern) is ahead of Los Angeles (Pacific). 9 AM in New York is 6 AM in LA.