Current time in Florida
Eastern Time UTC−5 · two zones (ET & CT)
Florida's time zones
Most of Florida — Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and the capital Tallahassee — is on Eastern Time. The western Panhandle, including Pensacola and Panama City, keeps Central Time, one hour earlier.
The boundary follows the Gulf–Bay county line near the coast and then the Apalachicola River north to the Georgia border, which is why the hour changes on US 98 between Port St. Joe and Panama City Beach. In 2018 the legislature passed the Sunshine Protection Act seeking year-round daylight time, but the switch still requires an act of Congress, so Florida keeps changing clocks each March and November.
| Standard time | EST, UTC−5 (Panhandle west of the Apalachicola: CST, UTC−6) |
|---|---|
| Daylight time | EDT, UTC−4 (CT area: CDT, UTC−5) |
| IANA zone | America/New_York |
| Pensacola (CT) | −1 h |
| vs Los Angeles | −3 h |
| vs Honolulu | −5 / −6 h |
Time in Florida cities
Every listing opens a live clock with that city's sunrise, sunset, and DST dates.
Frequently asked questions
Is all of Florida in the same time zone?
No. The Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River — Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City — is on Central Time, one hour behind the peninsula.
Is Florida on the same time as New York?
Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville match New York exactly all year; the Central Time Panhandle is 1 hour behind. Compare zones: EST to CST.
Does Florida observe daylight saving time?
Yes — despite the 2018 Sunshine Protection Act, permanent daylight time still awaits Congress, so clocks change on the national dates. See the DST page.