Current time in San Francisco, 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 | 37.77° N, 122.42° W |
Time difference from San Francisco
| 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 |
Every city in the Pacific Time Zone, from San Diego up to Seattle, shows the same time as San Francisco.
About time in San Francisco
San Francisco is California's only consolidated city and county, a combined government dating to the state's 1856 Consolidation Act, so the city limits and the county line are one and the same.
Because the New York markets open at 9:30 AM Eastern, San Francisco's financial district starts early: the opening bell rings at 6:30 AM Pacific, and trading desks here are often staffed well before sunrise in winter. The three-hour gap to the East Coast has shaped the city's business hours since its days as the West's banking center.
The clock atop the Ferry Building has kept public time on the Embarcadero since the building opened in 1898, back when arriving ferries and trains ran on the railroad-standard Pacific time adopted in 1883.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is San Francisco in?
San Francisco 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 San Francisco and New York?
New York is 3 hours ahead of San Francisco all year, because both cities switch to daylight saving time on the same dates. Noon in San Francisco is 3:00 PM in New York.
Does San Francisco 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.