Current time in California
Pacific Time UTC−8 · one zone statewide
California's time zone
All of California observes Pacific Time: PST (UTC−8) in winter and PDT (UTC−7) from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November. Unlike Texas or Florida, California has no split — Crescent City to San Diego read the same clock.
California is 3 hours behind New York, 2 behind Chicago, and 1 behind Denver year-round. Voters approved year-round DST in 2018 (Proposition 7), but the change needs federal approval that has not yet come, so clocks still change twice a year.
| Standard time | PST, UTC−8 |
|---|---|
| Daylight time | PDT, UTC−7 |
| IANA zone | America/Los_Angeles |
| vs New York | +3 h |
| vs Chicago | +2 h |
| vs Honolulu | −2 / −3 h |
Time in California cities
Every page below has a live clock plus sunrise, sunset, and DST details for that city.
Frequently asked questions
Is all of California in the same time zone?
Yes — the entire state is on Pacific Time. It is one of the few large states with no time zone split.
What's the time difference between California and New York?
California is 3 hours behind New York all year. When it's 9:00 AM in Los Angeles, it's 12:00 PM in New York. Full chart: PST to EST.
Does California still change clocks?
Yes. Despite the 2018 vote for permanent daylight time, federal law still requires the March and November changes.