Current time in Charleston, SC
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 | 32.78° N, 79.93° W |
Time difference from Charleston
| 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 |
Charleston, Savannah down the coast, and Columbia inland all read the Eastern Time Zone clock.
About time in Charleston
Charleston occupies a peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper rivers and is the seat of Charleston County, with newer districts reaching into Berkeley County. The Port of Charleston's container terminals — among the busiest on the Southeast coast — post gate hours and vessel windows in Eastern Time.
The city was running scheduled steam trains half a century before zone time existed: the Best Friend of Charleston, the first American-built locomotive in regular passenger service, began operating here in 1830, in an era when every town still set its clocks by its own noon.
Down at 32.8° N the annual daylight swing is comparatively modest — from just under 10 hours in late December to about 14 hours 20 minutes in late June — so Charleston's winter evenings stay noticeably longer than those up the Atlantic seaboard.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Charleston in?
Charleston, South Carolina is in the Eastern Time Zone (ET). It runs on EST (UTC−5) in winter and EDT (UTC−4) from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November.
How far ahead is Charleston of Los Angeles?
Charleston's clock is 3 hours ahead of Los Angeles no matter the season, since the two coasts move to and from daylight saving time on identical dates. See the EST to PST chart.
Does Charleston change clocks for daylight saving time?
Yes. Charleston shifts clocks forward one hour at 2:00 AM on the second Sunday of March and back one hour at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday of November (March 8 and November 1 in 2026). Full dates on the DST page.