Current time in Fairbanks, AK
Alaska Time UTC−9 · IANA zone America/Anchorage
Time zone details
| Time zone | Alaska Time (AKT) |
|---|---|
| Standard time | AKST, UTC−9 (early Nov – mid Mar) |
| Daylight time | AKDT, UTC−8 (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 | 64.84° N, 147.72° W |
Time difference from Fairbanks
| City | Local time now |
|---|---|
| New York | +4 h |
| Chicago | +3 h |
| Denver | +2 h |
| Phoenix | +2 / +1 h |
| Los Angeles | +1 h |
| Honolulu | −1 / −2 h |
Fairbanks keeps the same Alaska Time as Anchorage and Juneau.
About time in Fairbanks
Fairbanks, seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, lies in Alaska's interior at nearly 65° N — closer to the Arctic Circle than any other sizable American city.
That latitude produces extreme swings in light: around the June solstice the sun stays up for close to 22 hours and civil twilight fills the brief gap, so the night never turns fully dark, while in late December direct sunlight lasts only about 3 hours 40 minutes. The local baseball team leans into this, playing its Midnight Sun Game each June 21 without artificial lights.
Fairbanks also carries a legacy of the 1983 zone consolidation: it previously kept UTC−10, and the shift that united Alaska on UTC−9 pushed its clocks an hour ahead of sun time, which is why solar noon here arrives well into the afternoon during daylight saving months.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Fairbanks in?
Fairbanks is in the Alaska Time Zone (AKT). It observes Alaska Standard Time (AKST, UTC−9) in winter and Alaska Daylight Time (AKDT, UTC−8) from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November.
What is the time difference between Fairbanks and New York?
New York is 4 hours ahead of Fairbanks in every season, because the two cities change clocks for daylight saving on the same dates. Noon in Fairbanks is 4:00 PM in New York.
Does Fairbanks observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Fairbanks moves 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, like the rest of Alaska. In 2026 the changes fall on March 8 and November 1.