EST vs CST vs MST vs PST — US Time Zones Explained
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The contiguous United States spans four major time zones from east to west: Eastern (ET), Central (CT), Mountain (MT), and Pacific (PT). Each zone is exactly one hour behind the one to its east. When it is 3 PM in New York, it is 2 PM in Chicago, 1 PM in Denver, and 12 PM in Los Angeles.
All four zones observe Daylight Saving Time on the same schedule — second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November — which keeps the 1-hour gaps between them constant year-round. Use the free time zone converter to convert any time across all four zones instantly.
The Four US Time Zones
| Zone | Standard | Daylight | Major Cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern (ET) | EST (UTC-5) | EDT (UTC-4) | New York, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit |
| Central (CT) | CST (UTC-6) | CDT (UTC-5) | Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, New Orleans |
| Mountain (MT) | MST (UTC-7) | MDT (UTC-6) | Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque |
| Pacific (PT) | PST (UTC-8) | PDT (UTC-7) | Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas |
Plus two additional zones: Alaska (AKST/AKDT, UTC-9/-8) and Hawaii (HST, UTC-10, no DST). Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time is also used for parts of Alaska that do not observe DST.
Sell Custom Apparel — We Handle Printing & Free ShippingDST Exceptions — Arizona and Indiana
Not all US states observe DST. The most significant exception is Arizona, which stays on Mountain Standard Time (MST, UTC-7) year-round. Most of Arizona does not spring forward. Exception: the Navajo Nation within Arizona does observe DST.
The practical impact: during US daylight time (March–November), Arizona (MST) has the same time as Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC-7). So Los Angeles and Phoenix share the same clock time in summer, but Phoenix is 1 hour ahead of Los Angeles in winter. This trips up anyone booking flights between the cities.
Indiana historically had a complex mix of counties on Eastern and Central time with varying DST observance. Since 2006, all of Indiana observes Eastern time with DST.
Which States Are in Which Time Zone?
Eastern: All of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky (most), Tennessee (east).
Central: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota (east), North Dakota (east), Tennessee (west), Kentucky (west), Michigan (a small area), Texas (most).
Mountain: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho (south), Nevada (small area), Arizona, South Dakota (west), North Dakota (west), Nebraska (west), Kansas (west).
Pacific: California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada (most), Idaho (north).
Convert Between US Time Zones Instantly
Enter any time in Eastern, Central, Mountain, or Pacific and see all other zones at once — free, no signup.
Open Time Zone ConverterFrequently Asked Questions
How many hours is Eastern ahead of Pacific?
Eastern is always 3 hours ahead of Pacific. When it is noon in New York, it is 9 AM in Los Angeles.
Does Arizona observe Daylight Saving Time?
Most of Arizona does not observe DST and stays on Mountain Standard Time (UTC-7) year-round. The exception is the Navajo Nation within Arizona, which does observe DST.
What is the time difference between Eastern and Central?
Eastern is always 1 hour ahead of Central. 3 PM ET = 2 PM CT, 9 AM ET = 8 AM CT.