Current Time in California

Pacific Time (PT) · PST (UTC−8) in winter · PDT (UTC−7) during Daylight Saving Time

Live California Time (PST/PDT · UTC−8)
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Los Angeles · San Francisco · San Diego · Sacramento

California Time vs World Cities

CityZoneCurrent Time
California (PST/PDT)UTC−8/−7--:--
New YorkEST/EDT--:--
ChicagoCST/CDT--:--
LondonGMT/BST--:--
Paris / BerlinCET/CEST--:--
DubaiGST--:--
Mumbai (IST)IST--:--
SingaporeSGT--:--
TokyoJST--:--
SydneyAEST/AEDT--:--

Best Time to Call California

California business hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM PST/PDT. California is the last major US time zone — calls from Asia/Europe must be early morning local time.

Calling FromYour TimeCA Time
EST (New York)12:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST9:00 AM – 6:00 PM PST
GMT (London)5:00 PM – midnight GMT9:00 AM – 6:00 PM PST
CET (Berlin/Paris)6:00 PM – 3:00 AM CET9:00 AM – 6:00 PM PST
IST (India)10:30 PM – 7:30 AM IST9:00 AM – 6:00 PM PST
SGT (Singapore)1:00 AM – 10:00 AM SGT9:00 AM – 6:00 PM PST
JST (Tokyo)2:00 AM – 11:00 AM JST9:00 AM – 6:00 PM PST

California City Times

Los Angeles time
PST/PDT
San Francisco time
PST/PDT
San Diego time
PST/PDT
San Jose time
PST/PDT
Sacramento time
PST/PDT
Las Vegas time
MST/PDT

California Time Zone — PST & PDT Explained

California operates on Pacific Time (PT). The state observes two offsets throughout the year: PST (Pacific Standard Time, UTC−8) from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March, and PDT (Pacific Daylight Time, UTC−7) for the remaining seven months.

California is the westernmost major US time zone — Los Angeles is 3 hours behind New York, 2 hours behind Chicago, and 1 hour behind Denver. This "last zone" position means that business contacts in Asia and Europe must call early in their own morning to reach California during working hours.

California attempted to eliminate the biannual clock change. Voters passed Proposition 7 in November 2018, authorizing the state legislature to put California on permanent Daylight Saving Time. However, federal law (the Uniform Time Act) requires Congressional approval for states to observe permanent DST — and as of 2026, that approval has not come. California continues to switch clocks twice per year.

PeriodAbbreviationUTC OffsetDates (approx.)
Standard TimePSTUTC−8Nov (1st Sun) → Mar (2nd Sun)
Daylight Saving TimePDTUTC−7Mar (2nd Sun) → Nov (1st Sun)

PST Quick Reference — When it is noon in Los Angeles

City / RegionTime ZoneLocal Time (when PST = 12:00)
New YorkEST (UTC−5)3:00 PM(3:00 PM EDT (gap constant))
ChicagoCST (UTC−6)2:00 PM(2:00 PM CDT (gap constant))
DenverMST (UTC−7)1:00 PM(1:00 PM MDT (gap constant))
LondonGMT (UTC+0)8:00 PM(8:00 PM BST (same gap))
Berlin / ParisCET (UTC+1)9:00 PM(9:00 PM CEST (same gap))
DubaiGST (UTC+4)Midnight
Mumbai (IST)IST (UTC+5:30)1:30 AM next day
SingaporeSGT (UTC+8)4:00 AM next day
TokyoJST (UTC+9)5:00 AM next day
SydneyAEST (UTC+10)6:00 AM next day(AEDT varies)

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is it in California right now?
California uses Pacific Time — PST (UTC−8) in winter and PDT (UTC−7) during Daylight Saving Time. The live clock at the top of this page shows the exact current time in California. All major California cities — Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, and Sacramento — are on the same time zone.
What time zone is California in?
California is in the Pacific Time Zone (PT). In winter (November–March), California observes Pacific Standard Time (PST), which is UTC−8. In summer (March–November), California observes Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), which is UTC−7. The IANA time zone identifier is America/Los_Angeles.
Does California observe Daylight Saving Time?
Yes. California observes Daylight Saving Time. Clocks spring forward 1 hour on the second Sunday in March (from PST/UTC−8 to PDT/UTC−7), and fall back on the first Sunday in November. California has repeatedly voted to end this practice — Proposition 7 passed in 2018 — but a change requires federal approval, which has not yet occurred.
What is the time difference between California and New York?
New York (Eastern Time) is always 3 hours ahead of California (Pacific Time). When it is 9:00 AM in Los Angeles, it is 12:00 PM (noon) in New York. This 3-hour gap holds year-round because both states switch to Daylight Saving Time simultaneously.
What is the time difference between California and London?
In winter (PST vs GMT), London is 8 hours ahead of California. In summer (PDT vs BST), London is 8 hours ahead. However, the gap briefly changes to 7 or 9 hours during the 2–3 weeks when only one region has switched to summer time. The standard difference is 8 hours.
What is the time difference between California and Chicago?
Chicago (Central Time) is always 2 hours ahead of California (Pacific Time). When it is 9:00 AM in Los Angeles, it is 11:00 AM in Chicago. Like the California–New York gap, this 2-hour difference is constant year-round because both switch DST at the same time.
What is the best time to call California from Europe?
To reach California during business hours (9 AM–6 PM PST/PDT), callers from London (GMT) should call between 5:00 PM and midnight GMT in winter. From Berlin or Paris (CET), the window is 6:00 PM to 3:00 AM CET. The key challenge: California is the last major US time zone, so European afternoons are the best overlap window.
Do all California cities have the same time?
Yes. All of California — including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, and Long Beach — uses the same Pacific Time zone (America/Los_Angeles). There are no time zone boundaries within the state of California.

California City Times & Converters

Los Angeles timeSan Francisco timeSan Diego timeSan Jose timeSacramento timeLA → New YorkLA → LondonSF → TokyoTime converter tool
Time zone data powered by the IANA Time Zone Database. California: America/Los_Angeles (PST UTC−8 / PDT UTC−7). DST observed.