USA Time Zones

Time Zones in the United States of America

Time zone names and current time. GMT offsets, state by state

The continental United States (the 48 contiguous states) is divided into 4 time zones:

• Eastern Standard Time ( EST ), the time zone New York is in, which is 5 hours behind Greenwich mean Time (GMT)
• Central Standard Time ( CST ), the time zone Chicago is in, which is 6 hours behind Greenwich Meantime (GMT)
• Mountain Standard Time ( MST ), which is 7 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
• Pacific Standard Time ( PST ), the time zone Los Angeles is in, which is 8 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

Alaska and Hawaii have their own time zones: Alaska Standard Time ( AKST ) and Hawaii Standard Time ( HST ) respectively.

Current Time in the United States

Daylight Saving Time begins for most of the United States at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March. Time reverts to standard time at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November.

Daylight Saving Time, for the U.S. and its territories, is NOT observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the state of Arizona (not the Navajo Indian Reservation, which does observe). Navajo Nation participates in the Daylight Saving Time policy, due to its large size and location in three states.

Official Reference: UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 15 - COMMERCE AND TRADE, CHAPTER 6 - WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND STANDARD TIME, SUBCHAPTER IX - STANDARD TIME