You’re scheduling a video call with your team — one person is in New York, another in Chicago, and a third in Los Angeles. What time works for everyone? If you’ve ever stared at your screen trying to do this math, you’re not alone.
The Four Main US Time Zones
The contiguous United States spans four time zones, each one hour apart:
| Time Zone | Abbreviation | UTC Offset | Major Cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | EST (EDT) | UTC-5 (-4) | New York, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Washington DC |
| Central | CST (CDT) | UTC-6 (-5) | Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans |
| Mountain | MST (MDT) | UTC-7 (-6) | Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque |
| Pacific | PST (PDT) | UTC-8 (-7) | Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland |
The quick rule: When moving west, subtract one hour per zone. When moving east, add one hour.
So if it’s 3:00 PM Eastern, it’s:
- 2:00 PM Central
- 1:00 PM Mountain
- 12:00 PM Pacific
Quick Conversion Cheat Sheet
| Eastern | Central | Mountain | Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 8 AM | 7 AM | 6 AM |
| 10 AM | 9 AM | 8 AM | 7 AM |
| 12 PM | 11 AM | 10 AM | 9 AM |
| 1 PM | 12 PM | 11 AM | 10 AM |
| 3 PM | 2 PM | 1 PM | 12 PM |
| 5 PM | 4 PM | 3 PM | 2 PM |
| 8 PM | 7 PM | 6 PM | 5 PM |
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
Twice a year, most of the US shifts its clocks:
Spring Forward: Second Sunday in March — clocks jump from 2:00 AM to 3:00 AM. You lose one hour of sleep.
Fall Back: First Sunday in November — clocks go from 2:00 AM back to 1:00 AM. You gain one hour.
During DST, the abbreviations change: EST becomes EDT, CST becomes CDT, etc. The “D” stands for “Daylight.”
Exceptions: Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii do NOT observe daylight saving time. They stay on standard time year-round. This means Arizona is on the same time as Pacific during summer and Mountain during winter.
Scheduling Across Time Zones
The sweet spot for coast-to-coast meetings: 12 PM - 2 PM Eastern (9 AM - 11 AM Pacific). This window falls within normal business hours for both coasts.
Bad meeting times to avoid:
- Before 12 PM Eastern = before 9 AM Pacific (too early for the West Coast)
- After 5 PM Pacific = after 8 PM Eastern (too late for the East Coast)
Beyond the Contiguous US
| Territory | Time Zone | UTC Offset |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | AKST/AKDT | UTC-9 (-8) |
| Hawaii | HST | UTC-10 |
| Guam | ChST | UTC+10 |
| Puerto Rico | AST | UTC-4 |
Hawaii is 5 hours behind Eastern and 2 hours behind Pacific. Alaska is 4 hours behind Eastern and 1 hour behind Pacific.
Check Time Zones Instantly
Use our free time zone converter to see current times across all US time zones at a glance — perfect for scheduling calls and planning travel. For calculating time spans, try our date difference calculator.