Current time in New Orleans, LA
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 | 29.95° N, 90.07° W |
Time difference from New Orleans
| 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 |
New Orleans keeps the same hour as the whole Central Time Zone, from Baton Rouge and Houston up to Memphis and Chicago.
About time in New Orleans
New Orleans is coextensive with Orleans Parish — Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes rather than counties — and the entire state keeps Central Time.
The city sits at 90.07° W, essentially on the 90th meridian from which Central Standard Time is reckoned, so during CST months clock noon in New Orleans lands within minutes of true solar noon — an alignment few large cities enjoy.
Time is an operational matter on the river here: the Port of New Orleans and the Crescent City river pilots coordinate deep-draft ship movements on the lower Mississippi around the clock, with boarding times and berth windows published in CT.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is New Orleans in?
New Orleans 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 New Orleans and New York?
New Orleans is 1 hour behind New York in every season — both zones adopt and drop daylight saving time on the same dates, so noon in New Orleans is always 1:00 PM in New York.
Does New Orleans observe daylight saving time?
Yes. New Orleans advances clocks one hour at 2:00 AM on the second Sunday of March and turns them back at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday of November. In 2026 that is March 8 and November 1.