Current time in Austin, TX
Central Time UTC−6 · IANA zone America/Chicago
Time zone details
| Time zone | Central Time (CT) |
|---|---|
| Standard time | CST, UTC−6 (early Nov – mid Mar) |
| Daylight time | CDT, UTC−5 (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 | 30.27° N, 97.74° W |
Time difference from Austin
| City | Local time now |
|---|---|
| New York | +1 h |
| Denver | −1 h |
| Phoenix | −1 / −2 h |
| Los Angeles | −2 h |
| Anchorage | −3 h |
| Honolulu | −4 / −5 h |
Austin follows the one clock of the Central Time Zone, in step with San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and Chicago.
About time in Austin
Austin, seat of Travis County, is the capital of Texas: the Legislature convenes at the Capitol on Central Time, and state agencies across the country's second-most-populous state timestamp official business in CT.
The city's technology sector leans westward — many Austin offices belong to companies based on the Pacific coast, two hours behind, which makes early-afternoon Austin the practical window for coast-to-coast calls.
At 97.7° W Austin sits far west within its zone, so the sun crosses the meridian about half an hour after 12:00 during CST months, giving the city later sunrises and sunsets than Central cities on the Mississippi.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Austin in?
Austin is in the Central Time Zone (CT), on Central Standard Time (CST, UTC−6) in winter and Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC−5) from the second Sunday of March through the first Sunday of November.
How many hours ahead of Los Angeles is Austin?
Austin is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles all year — a 9:00 AM meeting in Austin is 7:00 AM on the Pacific coast, in winter and summer alike.
Does Austin observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Austin turns 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. In 2026 the changes fall on March 8 and November 1.