Current time in Lincoln, NE
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 | 40.81° N, 96.70° W |
Time difference from Lincoln
| 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 |
Lincoln reads the same minute as every other Central Time city, from Omaha next door to Chicago, Dallas, and Memphis.
About time in Lincoln
Lincoln, the seat of Lancaster County, has been Nebraska's capital since statehood in 1867, and the legislature at the State Capitol keeps its calendar on Central Time.
Because Nebraska is a two-zone state — the western Panhandle around Scottsbluff runs on Mountain Time — statewide broadcasts and event notices in Nebraska often list two times, such as "7:00 CT / 6:00 MT"; Lincoln, in the southeast, always takes the Central figure.
At just under 41° north, Lincoln's days stretch to about 15 hours at the June solstice and shrink to a little over 9 hours in late December.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Lincoln in?
Lincoln 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 to the first Sunday of November.
What is the time difference between Lincoln and New York?
Lincoln is 1 hour behind New York the entire year — Central and Eastern clocks spring forward and fall back on the same two dates, so the gap is fixed.
Does Lincoln observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Lincoln turns clocks forward one hour at 2:00 AM on the second Sunday of March and back at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday of November; in 2026 that is March 8 and November 1.