Current Time in Florida

Eastern Time (ET) · EST (UTC−5) in winter · EDT (UTC−4) during DST · Pensacola uses Central Time

Current Time in Florida
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EST · UTC-5 / CST · UTC-62 Time Zones

Florida Time Facts

Primary Zone
ET — Eastern Time (UTC-5/UTC-4)
Panhandle
CT — Central Time (west of Apalachicola)
DST Rule
2nd Sunday Mar → 1st Sunday Nov
Population
~22 million — 3rd largest US state
Sunshine Act
Voted permanent DST in 2018 (awaiting Congress)
Famous For
Disney, beaches, NASA, retirees, LatAm hub

The Sunshine Protection Act — Florida Wants Permanent DST

In 2018, Florida passed the Sunshine Protection Act — voting to stay on permanent Daylight Saving Time (EDT/CDT year-round). However, this requires Congressional approval which hasn't happened yet. Floridians want more evening sunlight and dislike “falling back” to standard time.

Florida's ET timezone makes it the gateway to Latin America. Miami is the business capital of Latin America in practice — aligned with Bogotá (UTC-5), Lima (UTC-5), and São Paulo (UTC-3) during business hours. 70% of US-Latin American trade flows through Florida.

Cape Canaveral (Kennedy Space Center) launches on ET. SpaceX, NASA, and ULA all operate from Florida's Space Coast — the easternmost point in the continental US, ideal for launches because Earth's rotation gives an extra speed boost eastward.

Major Florida Cities

Miami
Pop. 6.2M metro
ET · LatAm gateway, Art Deco, crypto
Orlando
Pop. 2.7M metro
ET · Disney, Universal, tourism
Tampa
Pop. 3.3M metro
ET · Bay area, finance, Bucs
Jacksonville
Pop. 1M
ET · Largest city by area in US
Fort Lauderdale
Pop. 180K
ET · Cruise capital, beaches
Pensacola
Pop. 55K
CT · Panhandle, Navy base, beaches

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is it in Florida right now?
Most of Florida uses Eastern Time — EST (UTC−5) in winter and EDT (UTC−4) during Daylight Saving Time. This includes Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, and most of the state. Exception: Pensacola and the northwest Panhandle use Central Time (CST/CDT), which is 1 hour behind the rest of Florida.
What time zone is Florida in?
Most of Florida uses the Eastern Time Zone (America/New_York): EST (UTC−5) in winter and EDT (UTC−4) during DST. The northwest Panhandle — including Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin — uses the Central Time Zone (America/Chicago): CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) during DST.
Does Florida observe Daylight Saving Time?
Yes, but Florida has tried to end it. Florida passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2018, voting to stay on permanent EDT (UTC−4). However, federal law requires Congressional approval, and the US Congress has not acted on the request. Florida continues to change clocks twice a year.
What time zone is Pensacola, Florida in?
Pensacola and the northwest Florida Panhandle use Central Time (CST/CDT), not Eastern Time like the rest of Florida. This means Pensacola is 1 hour behind Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. The boundary runs roughly through the Apalachicola River area.
What is the time difference between Florida and the UK?
Florida (EST, UTC−5) is 5 hours behind London (GMT, UTC+0) in winter. During British Summer Time (BST), Florida is still typically 5 hours behind London (because Florida also moves to EDT). There are brief transition windows in spring and autumn when the gap is 4 or 6 hours.
What is the time difference between Florida and California?
Florida (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 Miami. Both states switch to Daylight Saving Time simultaneously, so the 3-hour gap is constant year-round.

Related Time Pages

New York timeTime in CubaMiami timeTime in Georgia (State)Time in TexasTime in New York StateTime in MexicoTime converter tool
Time zone data powered by the IANA Time Zone Database. Florida (most): America/New_York (EST/EDT). Panhandle: America/Chicago.