Current Time in California
The exact Pacific Time in California right now, with today's date, whether daylight saving (PDT) is in effect, how far California is from your time, and sunrise and sunset for Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and more.
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Today hour by hour: California vs. you
| California | Your time | UTC |
|---|
9 AM–5 PM in California 9 AM–5 PM for you both
Times come from your device clock and your browser's built-in time zone database (America/Los_Angeles), which includes official daylight saving rules. Sunrise and sunset use the NOAA solar equations and are accurate to about a minute.
How to use the Current Time in California
- Read the live clock: the big display shows the current time in California, today's date there and the time zone abbreviation with its UTC offset.
- Check the difference: the first card tells you how many hours California is ahead of or behind the time zone set on your device, and what your time is now.
- See sunrise and sunset: pick a location in the sunrise card to see today's sunrise, sunset and day length there.
- Convert a time: choose a direction, date, time and the other zone, then press Convert time to see the matching time and date.
- Plan a call: scroll the hour-by-hour table to find hours that fall inside 9 AM to 5 PM both in California and for you.
California time zone explained
California lies entirely in the Pacific Time Zone. From early November to mid-March the state uses Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC−08:00); for the rest of the year it uses Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC−07:00). Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas and Vancouver in Canada follow the same clock, and Baja California in Mexico (Tijuana) does too.
The dates are set by federal law: since 2007, daylight time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. California voters passed Proposition 7 in 2018, which gives the Legislature the power to change this by a two-thirds vote, but permanent daylight time would also need a change in federal law, so the twice-yearly switch continues.
When it is 9:00 AM in California
Times below are for mid-January 2027 (PST) and mid-July 2027 (PDT). Notice that Arizona matches California in July but not in January, and that Sydney moves in the opposite direction.
| When it is 9:00 AM in California | Mid-January | Mid-July |
|---|---|---|
| California | 9:00 AM PST UTC−08:00 | 9:00 AM PDT UTC−07:00 |
| Honolulu | 7:00 AM | 6:00 AM |
| Anchorage | 8:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| Phoenix | 10:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| Denver | 10:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| Chicago | 11:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| New York | 12:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
| London | 5:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Paris | 6:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| New Delhi | 10:30 PM | 9:30 PM |
| Manila | 1:00 AM (next day) | 12:00 AM (next day) |
| Tokyo | 2:00 AM (next day) | 1:00 AM (next day) |
| Sydney | 4:00 AM (next day) | 2:00 AM (next day) |
Daylight saving dates in California
| Year | Daylight saving starts (clocks forward) | Daylight saving ends (clocks back) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sun, Mar 8: 2:00 AM → 3:00 AM (PDT) | Sun, Nov 1: 2:00 AM → 1:00 AM (PST) |
| 2027 | Sun, Mar 14: 2:00 AM → 3:00 AM (PDT) | Sun, Nov 7: 2:00 AM → 1:00 AM (PST) |
| 2028 | Sun, Mar 12: 2:00 AM → 3:00 AM (PDT) | Sun, Nov 5: 2:00 AM → 1:00 AM (PST) |
Sunrise and sunset in Los Angeles through the year
Calculated for downtown Los Angeles (34.05° N, 118.24° W). Northern California has longer summer days and shorter winter days: switch the clock’s location to San Francisco or Sacramento to compare.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Clock time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20, 2027) | 6:57 AM | 7:05 PM | 12 h 08 min | PDT |
| June solstice (Jun 21, 2027) | 5:42 AM | 8:08 PM | 14 h 26 min | PDT |
| September equinox (Sep 23, 2027) | 6:42 AM | 6:48 PM | 12 h 07 min | PDT |
| December solstice (Dec 21, 2027) | 6:55 AM | 4:48 PM | 9 h 53 min | PST |
Tips for scheduling with California
- East Coast meetings: 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM in New York is 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM in California, the window where both coasts are at work.
- Europe: the only easy overlap is early morning in California (8:00 to 9:00 AM), which is late afternoon in London and Paris.
- Asia and Australia: late afternoon or evening in California reaches the next morning in Manila, Tokyo and Sydney.
- Watch March and November: Europe changes its clocks two to three weeks later in spring and one week earlier in autumn, so European meeting times shift by an hour during those weeks.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is California in?
All of California is in the Pacific Time Zone (IANA zone America/Los_Angeles). It uses Pacific Standard Time, PST (UTC−8), in winter and Pacific Daylight Time, PDT (UTC−7), from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
When do the clocks change in California?
Clocks spring forward from 2:00 AM to 3:00 AM on the second Sunday in March and fall back from 2:00 AM to 1:00 AM on the first Sunday in November, under the US Energy Policy Act of 2005. In 2027 that is March 14 and November 7.
Is California getting rid of daylight saving time?
Not so far. Voters approved Proposition 7 in 2018, which lets the Legislature change daylight saving time by a two-thirds vote, but year-round daylight time would also need approval from Congress. Until that happens California keeps switching twice a year.
What is the time difference between California and New York?
California is 3 hours behind New York all year, because both states switch to and from daylight saving time on the same dates. 9:00 AM in Los Angeles is noon in New York.
Is Arizona on the same time as California?
Only in summer. Most of Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time (UTC−7) all year, which equals California's PDT from March to November. In winter, when California is on PST, Arizona is 1 hour ahead.
What is the time difference between California and London?
California is normally 8 hours behind London. For about three weeks in March and one week around the end of October, the gap is 7 hours, because the US and the UK change their clocks on different dates.
Do other states share California's time?
Yes. Washington, Nevada and most of Oregon are also on Pacific Time, so Seattle, Las Vegas and Portland always show the same time as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.