Arkansas falls within the Central Time Zone and observes Daylight Saving Time; thus, individuals should keep this in mind when scheduling calls or virtual meetings with residents of Arkansas.
Arizona and Navajo Nation observe Daylight Saving Time all year. Most of South Dakota uses both Mountain and Central time.
Central Time Zone
The Central Time Zone (CT) in North America observes standard time during autumn and winter and daylight saving time during summer. It lies six hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC.
Clocks in this time zone align to the mean solar time of the 90th meridian west of Greenwich Observatory and, during standard time, refers to itself as Central Standard Time or CST, while during daylight saving time, it becomes Central Daylight Time or CDT.
Five states lie between the eastern and central time zones: Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee. Their eastern edge cuts through North Dakota’s northwest corner to South Dakota’s northernmost region and Nebraska’s southern tip.
Contrary to Pacific and Mountain Time Zones, which can be easily defined by state borders, the boundaries of this time zone do not correspond with state lines. Instead they depend on economic and political considerations. Still, understanding each time zone in America will help avoid confusion when communicating with business partners and clients.
Some parts of Canada also observe Central Standard Time (CST), including Manitoba’s eastern portion, Ontario, except a small region around Kenora and Nunavut; Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala also use this time zone.
Mexico also uses Central Time, known as Tiempo del Centro, during standard time and Horario de Verano during daylight saving time. CT generally refers to both daylight saving time and standard time, whereas in some US areas, CT and CST may differ; some radio stations and TV programs may distinguish between the two terms.
In the United States, Eastern Time Zone (ET) covers an area from western Massachusetts to Alabama’s eastern border. Its border runs along New Jersey, while for its northeastern portion, it passes through Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia West Virginia – though other segments exist throughout its length.
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone, also called Mountain Daylight Time Zone when daylight saving time is in effect from March 2 through November 1, is a time zone in both the United States and certain Canadian territories. It takes its name from including the Rocky Mountains from northwest Canada through New Mexico. Interestingly enough, daylight savings time occurs from March 2 until November 1.
MST time zone falls seven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in standard time mode and six hours behind during daylight savings time. Cities like Denver, Phoenix, Helena, and Salt Lake City fall within this timezone, while other countries like Mexico, Brazil, and Chile use this timezone.
Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming are the six U.S. states which observe Mountain Standard Time; some areas within these states switch over to Central Time when Daylight Saving Time occurs; in Canada too, this applies where Alberta and Saskatchewan observe both MST and CST simultaneously.
MST (105th Meridian West from Greenwich) is seven hours behind UTC, thus making it applicable for mountainous regions in Canada, such as British Columbia and Alberta.
Most U.S. locales observing MST also follow Daylight Saving Time; hence clocks are advanced by one hour in spring and summer to correspond with MST clocks – an effort designed to conserve energy while providing more daylight hours for outdoor activities.
Saskatchewan stands as an exception, opting not to follow DST like most North American provinces but remaining on Mountain Standard Time year-round due to being split in half roughly equally by its 105th Meridian – preferring MST over DST for that reason alone. Some parts of Sonora in Mexico also remain on MST all year, while other sections follow DST rules.
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone encompasses Western Canada, much of the United States, and Mexico’s west coast. Its time is determined by solar position, thus making it eight hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC); in other words, it is UTC-08 (or GMT-8).
People living in the Pacific Time Zone do not observe Daylight Saving Time and remain on PST year-round, with one exception in Baja, California in Mexico, where this changes from DST to standard time in springtime and then back again during fall time.
Most countries use one of nine standard time zones; however, some nations utilize less than nine time zones, such as China with two time zones, India with only one, and Russia, which used to have three but now has just nine; additionally, the Marshall Islands and Kiribati each possess their time zone as well.
United States time zones include six distinct time zones. The Mountain Time Zone corresponds with that found in other countries and covers much of California and Oregon except the Metlakatla Indian Community in southeastern Oregon and northern Idaho; additionally, it encompasses parts of Washington state and most of Alaska, including Juneau.
Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone, UTC-10:00, covers Alaska’s Hawaiian and western Aleutian Islands. PST remains in effect all year as the only US time zone that does not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). Other American time zones observe DST by switching clocks back and forth each spring and autumn – Eastern Time Zone residents change clocks in March/November, while Central Time Zone residents switch in April/October, respectively. Although these rules can be complex if communicating with someone from another country, tools exist that make the process simpler – Eastern Time Zone residents switch clocks between March/November; Central Time Zone residents change accordingly in April/October, respectively.
Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone
Time zones are geographic coordinates based on latitude and longitude where clocks are adjusted for regular and predictable daily cycles. A standard day lasts 24 hours and is broken into 15-degree lunes to maintain average time in all lunes. The US has six time zones: Alaska-Hawaii-Aleutian, Pacific Mountain Central Eastern. Each has its hour of operation.
Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HAST or HST), observed on both islands west of 169 degrees 30 minutes west longitude, is observed during winter months so clocks remain the same year-round; during the summer, Hawaii-Aleutian Daylight Time, abbreviated as HADT or HADT is in effect.
Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time differs from most U.S. timezones in that it does not observe Daylight Saving Time at any point during the year – meaning it will always lag 10 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Once visitors step onto Hawaii, it quickly becomes evident that island time mirrors Eckhart Tolle’s advice that “recognize deeply that this moment is all we have.” Daily activities become less chaotic and take on an unwavering, meditative quality as soon as you cross over onto one of its islands.
Thanks to its island time, Hawaii is an exceptional travel destination: it provides an escape from city life. It allows travelers to slow down and appreciates nature’s stunning beaches and landscapes. Meanwhile, Hawaiians exemplify genuine island hospitality, known for their warmth, compassion, and generosity – which you can experience first-hand by joining a Hana tour that allows you to meet locals while immersing yourself in island culture! With our Maui Zipline Adventure, you’ll see honest Hana with its breathtaking ocean views and bamboo forests!
