Current time in Indianapolis, IN
Eastern Time UTC−5 · IANA zone America/Indiana/Indianapolis
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 | 39.77° N, 86.16° W |
Time difference from Indianapolis
| 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 |
Indianapolis follows the Eastern Time Zone clock of New York and Atlanta, while Chicago — 180 miles northwest — is an hour behind.
About time in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, consolidated with Marion County under the Unigov merger of 1970, has its own IANA zone identifier — America/Indiana/Indianapolis — a legacy of Indiana's tangled clock history, which the database tracks county by county.
For decades most of the state kept Eastern Standard Time all year and simply ignored daylight saving; statewide DST observance began only in April 2006. Indianapolis sits in the Eastern portion, while twelve counties in the state's northwest corner near Chicago and southwest corner near Evansville use Central Time.
Eastern clocks this far west push June sunsets in Indianapolis to about 9:15 PM EDT — famously generous evening light that was one of the main arguments in the state's long DST debate.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Indianapolis in?
Indianapolis is on Eastern Time (EST, UTC−5 in winter; EDT, UTC−4 in summer), like most of Indiana. Twelve Indiana counties near Chicago and Evansville use Central Time instead.
Is Indianapolis on the same time as New York?
Yes, always. Since Indiana began observing daylight saving time in 2006, Indianapolis and New York have shared identical clocks in every season.
Does Indianapolis observe daylight saving time?
Yes — but only since April 2006, when Indiana ended decades of year-round Eastern Standard Time. Clocks now move forward the second Sunday of March and back the first Sunday of November. See the DST page.