Current time in Cincinnati, OH
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 | 39.10° N, 84.51° W |
Time difference from Cincinnati
| 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 |
Cincinnati keeps step with Louisville, Lexington, and the rest of the Eastern Time Zone, though Chicago and Nashville to its west are an hour behind.
About time in Cincinnati
Cincinnati is the seat of Hamilton County in Ohio's southwestern corner, where the state meets Kentucky and Indiana. All three corners of the metro use Eastern Time, so crossing the Ohio River to Covington or Newport never changes the clock.
The Indiana counties immediately west of the city — Dearborn and Ohio counties — are among Indiana's Eastern Time counties, which keeps Cincinnati's commuter belt on a single clock across the state line.
The city also holds a place in American timekeeping history: Cleveland Abbe, director of the Cincinnati Observatory in the late 1860s, used its telegraphed time and weather reports to become one of the earliest advocates of the standard time zones adopted in 1883.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Cincinnati in?
Cincinnati keeps Eastern Time — EST (UTC−5) in winter, EDT (UTC−4) in summer — and so do the Kentucky and Indiana communities directly across the Ohio River, so the whole tri-state metro shares one clock.
What is the time difference between Cincinnati and Los Angeles?
Cincinnati runs 3 hours ahead of Los Angeles year-round; the two cities begin and end daylight saving time on the same days. Compare hours on the EST to PST chart.
Does Cincinnati use daylight saving time?
Yes. In Cincinnati clocks spring forward at 2:00 AM on the second Sunday of March and fall back at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday of November — March 8 and November 1 in 2026. See the DST page.