Current Time in South Dakota

Central & Mountain Time · Sioux Falls · Rapid City

Current Time in South Dakota
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CT UTC−6 / MT UTC−72 Time ZonesMount Rushmore State

South Dakota Time Zone Facts

Eastern SD
Central Time (America/Chicago)
Western SD
Mountain Time (America/Denver)
CT Offset
UTC−6 standard / UTC−5 DST
MT Offset
UTC−7 standard / UTC−6 DST
Daylight Saving
Yes — both zones observe DST
Population
~900K — Mount Rushmore State

Badlands, Black Hills & Prairie

South Dakota is split by its time zone boundary as much as by its geography. Sioux Falls in the east is the state's largest city and an emerging financial and tech hub. Rapid City in the west is the gateway to the Black Hills — home to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park.

The Badlands National Park sits roughly at the time zone divide, straddling the dramatic shift from Central to Mountain Time. Sturgis, home to the world's largest motorcycle rally each August, uses Mountain Time along with most of western South Dakota.

South Dakota has no state income tax, making it a popular state for business registration and banking. Sioux Falls hosts major credit card processing operations for Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Capital One.

Major South Dakota Cities

Sioux Falls
Pop. 200K
CT · Largest city, finance hub
Rapid City
Pop. 75K
MT · Black Hills gateway
Aberdeen
Pop. 28K
CT · Northern SD hub
Brookings
Pop. 24K
CT · SDSU, research park
Pierre
Pop. 14K
CT · State capital, Missouri River
Sturgis
Pop. 7K
MT · Annual motorcycle rally

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is it in South Dakota right now?
South Dakota, USA has two time zones. Most of the state uses Central Time: Sioux Falls, Aberdeen, Watertown, and eastern SD use CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) during Daylight Saving Time. The western part of the state — including Rapid City, the Black Hills, and Deadwood — uses Mountain Time: MST (UTC−7) in winter and MDT (UTC−6) during DST. The IANA identifiers are America/Chicago (Central) and America/Denver (Mountain). The live clock above shows current Central Time.
What time zone is South Dakota in?
South Dakota has two time zones. Eastern and central SD (including Sioux Falls and Pierre, the state capital) use Central Time (CST/CDT, IANA: America/Chicago). Western SD (including Rapid City, the Black Hills, Deadwood, and Sturgis) uses Mountain Time (MST/MDT, IANA: America/Denver). The boundary runs roughly through the middle of the state.
What time zone is Rapid City, South Dakota in?
Rapid City, South Dakota is in the Mountain Time Zone (IANA: America/Denver). Rapid City uses Mountain Standard Time (MST, UTC−7) in winter and Mountain Daylight Time (MDT, UTC−6) during Daylight Saving Time. Rapid City is the gateway to Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park, and is 1 hour behind Sioux Falls despite being in the same state.
What time zone is Sioux Falls, South Dakota in?
Sioux Falls, the largest city in South Dakota, is in the Central Time Zone (IANA: America/Chicago). Sioux Falls uses CST (UTC−6) in winter and CDT (UTC−5) during Daylight Saving Time. Sioux Falls is on the same time as Minneapolis, Chicago, and Kansas City.
Does South Dakota observe Daylight Saving Time?
Yes. South Dakota observes Daylight Saving Time in both time zones. Central Time clocks spring forward from CST (UTC−6) to CDT (UTC−5) on the second Sunday in March, and fall back on the first Sunday in November. Mountain Time clocks spring forward from MST (UTC−7) to MDT (UTC−6) on the same dates. Both zones follow the standard US DST schedule.
What is the time difference between South Dakota and New York?
Sioux Falls and eastern South Dakota (Central Time) are always 1 hour behind New York (Eastern Time). Rapid City and western South Dakota (Mountain Time) are always 2 hours behind New York. Both sides of the state observe DST on the same schedule, so the gaps are constant year-round.

Nearby States & Time Pages

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Time zone data powered by the IANA Time Zone Database. South Dakota: America/Chicago (CST/CDT) for eastern/central; America/Denver (MST/MDT) for western Black Hills region.