Time Zone Differences Between US Cities
7 min read
The contiguous United States spans four time zones — Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific — plus Alaska and Hawaii making six in total. That means when it is noon in New York, it is only 9 AM in Los Angeles. For anyone scheduling calls, TV broadcasts, sports events, or travel across the country, knowing the exact difference between cities is essential. This guide covers every major US city pair.
The four contiguous US time zones
* Phoenix and most of Arizona use MST year-round and do not observe DST, so they are on the same time as Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) in summer.
Time differences between major US city pairs
| City Pair | Difference |
|---|---|
| New York → Los Angeles | NY is 3 hours ahead |
| New York → Chicago | NY is 1 hour ahead |
| New York → Denver | NY is 2 hours ahead |
| New York → Phoenix | NY is 2 hrs ahead (winter), 3 hrs ahead (summer) |
| New York → Honolulu | NY is 5 hrs ahead (winter), 6 hrs ahead (summer) |
| New York → Anchorage | NY is 4 hrs ahead (winter), 4 hrs ahead (summer) |
| Chicago → Los Angeles | Chicago is 2 hours ahead |
| Chicago → Denver | Chicago is 1 hour ahead |
| Chicago → Phoenix | Same time in winter; Chicago 1 hr ahead in summer |
| Los Angeles → Honolulu | LA is 2 hrs ahead (winter), 3 hrs ahead (summer) |
| Los Angeles → Anchorage | LA is 1 hour ahead |
| Denver → Phoenix | Same time in winter; Denver 1 hr ahead in summer |
The Arizona exception
Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) does not observe Daylight Saving Time. This creates a situation where Arizona’s time relationship with neighboring states changes twice a year:
- Winter: Arizona (MST) is the same as California (PST) — both UTC−7... wait, no. Arizona is UTC−7 (MST). California in winter is UTC−8 (PST). So Arizona is 1 hour ahead of California in winter.
- Summer: California moves to PDT (UTC−7). Arizona stays at MST (UTC−7). They are on the same time.
The Navajo Nation, which spans Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, does observe DST — creating a checkerboard of time rules within Arizona itself.
DST in the US: when clocks change
All US states except Arizona and Hawaii observe DST on the same schedule:
- Spring forward: Second Sunday of March at 2:00 AM — clocks jump to 3:00 AM
- Fall back: First Sunday of November at 2:00 AM — clocks fall to 1:00 AM
During DST, all time zones shift one hour earlier (UTC−4 for ET, UTC−5 for CT, UTC−6 for MT, UTC−7 for PT). The differences between US cities remain the same year-round — it is only the relationship with other countries that changes.
Practical tips for scheduling across US time zones
- The safest meeting window for all four contiguous zones is 12 PM–3 PM Eastern (9 AM–12 PM Pacific) — within standard business hours everywhere.
- Avoid scheduling calls at 9 AM Eastern if West Coast participants are on the call — it is 6 AM for them.
- If you include Hawaii, no standard business hour window covers all five zones simultaneously.
- TV broadcast times are usually listed in Eastern and Pacific, with Central and Mountain airing one and two hours earlier respectively — except live events, which air simultaneously.