Current Time in Washington State

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

Current Time in Washington State
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PST · UTC-8Pacific TimeThe Evergreen State

Washington State Time Facts

Time Zone
PT — Pacific Time (UTC-8/UTC-7)
DST Rule
2nd Sunday Mar → 1st Sunday Nov
Permanent DST
Voted 2019 — awaiting Congress approval
IANA Identifier
America/Los_Angeles
Population
~7.8 million
Famous For
Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Starbucks, rain

Seattle Time — Cloud Computing Runs on Pacific

Microsoft (Redmond) and Amazon (Seattle) — the world's two largest cloud computing providers — both headquarter in Washington State. Azure and AWS together control over 50% of global cloud infrastructure. When these companies push updates, deploy services, or announce outages, the world follows Pacific Time.

In 2019, Washington became the first US state to pass permanent daylight saving time legislation, voting to stay on PDT (UTC-7) year-round. Like Florida's Sunshine Protection Act, this requires Congressional approval. Washington's dark winters (Seattle gets less than 8.5 hours of daylight in December) make the extra evening hour highly valued.

Boeing built its 747, 767, 777, and 787 in Everett, Washington — home to the world's largest building by volume. Starbucks was founded in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1971 — now the world's coffee schedule runs on Starbucks releases timed to PT.

Major Washington State Cities — All on PT

Seattle
Pop. 750K
Amazon, Microsoft nearby, Space Needle
Spokane
Pop. 230K
Eastern WA, Inland Northwest hub
Tacoma
Pop. 220K
Port city, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Bellevue
Pop. 155K
Tech suburb, T-Mobile HQ, Meta office
Redmond
Pop. 75K
Microsoft HQ, Nintendo of America
Olympia
Pop. 55K
State capital, Puget Sound

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is it in Washington State right now?
Washington State uses Pacific Time — PST (UTC−8) in winter and PDT (UTC−7) during Daylight Saving Time. All cities in Washington — Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Bellevue, Everett, and Olympia — are on the same time zone. Washington shares Pacific Time with Oregon and California. The live clock above shows the current time in Washington State.
What time zone is Washington State in?
Washington State is in the Pacific Time Zone. In winter, Washington uses Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC−8). During Daylight Saving Time (March–November), Washington uses Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC−7). The IANA identifier is America/Los_Angeles. Washington State is distinct from Washington D.C., which is on Eastern Time (EST/EDT, UTC−5/−4) on the opposite coast.
What is the time difference between Washington State and New York?
New York (Eastern Time) is always 3 hours ahead of Washington State (Pacific Time). When it is 9:00 AM in Seattle, it is 12:00 PM (noon) in New York. Both states switch to Daylight Saving Time on the same dates, so the 3-hour gap is constant year-round. This difference is important for scheduling calls, as New York business hours start 3 hours earlier than Seattle business hours.
What is the time difference between Washington State and Chicago?
Chicago (Central Time) is always 2 hours ahead of Washington State (Pacific Time). When it is 9:00 AM in Seattle, it is 11:00 AM in Chicago. Both cities switch to Daylight Saving Time on the same dates, so the 2-hour gap is constant year-round.
What is the time difference between Washington State and London?
Seattle (PST, UTC−8) is 8 hours behind London (GMT, UTC+0) in winter. During US and UK Daylight Saving Time (roughly April–October), Seattle (PDT, UTC−7) is typically still 8 hours behind London (BST, UTC+1). There are brief windows each spring and autumn when the gap becomes 7 or 9 hours, because the US and UK switch clocks on different dates. The 8-hour gap makes real-time collaboration between Seattle and London teams challenging.
Does Washington State observe Daylight Saving Time?
Yes. Washington State observes Daylight Saving Time. Clocks spring forward 1 hour on the second Sunday in March (PST to PDT) and fall back on the first Sunday in November (PDT to PST). Washington State passed legislation in 2019 to permanently adopt PDT (UTC−7) year-round, but this requires federal approval or a multistate agreement. As of 2026, Washington State continues to change clocks twice per year.
What is the time difference between Washington State and Tokyo?
Tokyo (JST, UTC+9) is 17 hours ahead of Seattle (PST, UTC−8) in winter. During US Daylight Saving Time (PDT, UTC−7), the difference narrows to 16 hours. Japan has no DST, so the gap shifts only when Washington State changes its clocks. This 16–17 hour difference means that Seattle and Tokyo business days barely overlap — when Seattle opens at 9:00 AM, it is already 2:00 AM the next day in Tokyo.

Related Time Pages

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Time zone data powered by the IANA Time Zone Database. Washington State: America/Los_Angeles (PST UTC−8 / PDT UTC−7).