Current time in Wichita, KS
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 | 37.69° N, 97.33° W |
Time difference from Wichita
| 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 |
Wichita ticks in step with the whole Central Time Zone — Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Tulsa, and Chicago never drift from its clock.
About time in Wichita
Wichita, the seat of Sedgwick County on the Arkansas River, is the largest city in Kansas and sits comfortably inside the Central zone.
Kansas is not entirely Central, though: four counties along the Colorado border — Sherman, Wallace, Greeley, and Hamilton — keep Mountain Time, and their county lines, more than 200 miles west of Wichita, are the nearest place the clock changes.
As a center of general-aviation manufacturing, home to plants of Textron Aviation and Spirit AeroSystems, Wichita lives with two clocks at once: factory shifts and airport operations run on Central Time, while the flight plans filed from its runways use UTC, as all aviation does.
Time in cities near Wichita
| City | Distance | Local time now |
|---|---|---|
| Tulsa, OK | 129 mi | Central Time |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 154 mi | Central Time |
| Kansas City, MO | 178 mi | Central Time |
| Lincoln, NE | 219 mi | Central Time |
| Springfield, MO | 224 mi | Central Time |
| Omaha, NE | 258 mi | Central Time |
| Plano, TX | 324 mi | Central Time |
| Des Moines, IA | 334 mi | Central Time |
More places: all Kansas cities · Central Time Zone · every US city
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Wichita in?
Wichita is in the Central Time Zone (CT). It observes 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.
How many hours ahead of Los Angeles is Wichita?
Wichita stays 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles all year round, since the Central and Pacific zones switch to daylight saving time on the same dates.
Does Wichita change clocks for daylight saving time?
Yes. Wichita springs forward one hour at 2:00 AM on the second Sunday of March and falls back one hour at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday of November. In 2026 the dates are March 8 and November 1.