Current time in Albany, NY
Eastern Time UTC−5 · IANA zone America/New_York
Time zone details
| Time zone | Eastern Time (ET) |
|---|---|
| Standard time | EST, UTC−5 (early Nov – mid Mar) |
| Daylight time | EDT, UTC−4 (mid Mar – early Nov) |
| DST clock change | Forward 1 h, 2nd Sunday of March · Back 1 h, 1st Sunday of November |
| Sunrise today | — |
| Sunset today | — |
| Day length | — |
| Coordinates | 42.65° N, 73.76° W |
Time difference from Albany
| City | Local time now |
|---|---|
| Chicago | −1 h |
| Denver | −2 h |
| Phoenix | −2 / −3 h |
| Los Angeles | −3 h |
| Anchorage | −4 h |
| Honolulu | −5 / −6 h |
Albany's clock matches the entire Eastern Time Zone, from Boston just to its east to Atlanta far to the south.
About time in Albany
Albany, the capital of New York and seat of Albany County, sits on the west bank of the Hudson River. State government business — legislative sessions, court calendars, agency filing deadlines — runs on Eastern Time, the single zone that covers every county in the state.
The city's longitude of 73.8° W places it slightly east of the 75° W meridian on which Eastern Standard Time is based, so Albany's clocks track mean solar time to within about five minutes — an unusually close match; in Buffalo, at the state's western end, the gap exceeds a quarter hour.
Days at 42.7° N stretch to about 15¼ hours at the June solstice and contract to just over 9 hours in late December, when the sun sets in Albany around 4:25 PM.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Albany in?
Albany, the capital of New York, is in the Eastern Time Zone (ET). It observes EST (UTC−5) in winter and EDT (UTC−4) from the second Sunday of March until the first Sunday of November.
How far ahead is Albany of Los Angeles?
Albany is always 3 hours ahead of Los Angeles; the gap never changes because both zones start and end daylight saving time together. See the EST to PST chart.
Does Albany change clocks for daylight saving time?
Yes. Albany advances its clocks one hour at 2:00 AM on the second Sunday of March and sets them back at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday of November (March 8 and November 1 in 2026). Full dates on the DST page.