Current time in Fresno, CA
Pacific Time UTC−8 · IANA zone America/Los_Angeles
Time zone details
| Time zone | Pacific Time (PT) |
|---|---|
| Standard time | PST, UTC−8 (early Nov – mid Mar) |
| Daylight time | PDT, UTC−7 (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 | 36.74° N, 119.79° W |
Time difference from Fresno
| City | Local time now |
|---|---|
| New York | +3 h |
| Chicago | +2 h |
| Denver | +1 h |
| Phoenix | +1 / 0 h |
| Anchorage | −1 h |
| Honolulu | −2 / −3 h |
Fresno's clock matches the entire Pacific Time Zone, including Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco.
About time in Fresno
Fresno is the seat of Fresno County in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, one of the highest-value farm counties in the United States. During the summer harvest, field work commonly begins before sunrise to beat afternoon heat that regularly tops 100 °F.
The city sits roughly midway between Los Angeles and the Bay Area — about three to four hours by road either way — and because all of California keeps a single Pacific clock, travel up and down Highway 99 or I-5 never involves a time change.
Fresno grew from a Central Pacific Railroad station platted in 1872, so its civic timekeeping arrived with the railroad more than a decade before the railroads standardized US time zones in November 1883.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Fresno in?
Fresno is in the Pacific Time Zone (PT). It observes Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC−8) in winter and Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC−7) from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November.
What is the time difference between Fresno and New York?
New York is 3 hours ahead of Fresno throughout the year, since both cities move to daylight saving time on the same dates. Noon in Fresno is 3:00 PM in New York.
Does Fresno observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Clocks move 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.