Charlotte is on standard time, UTC−5 (EST). On Sunday, March 14, 2027, clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC−4.
Charlotte and your time
Charlotte at a glance
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | North Carolina |
| Time zone | America/New_York |
| Abbreviation now | EST |
| UTC offset now | UTC−5 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 14, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 14, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 35.23° N, 80.84° W |
Charlotte time zone and clock changes
The America/New_York rules put Charlotte on standard time (UTC−5 (EST)) since Sunday, November 1, 2026. After the change, daylight saving time runs until Sunday, November 7, 2027.
The United States spans 6 offsets. Charlotte shares its time with the capital, Washington D.C.
Clock changes in Charlotte, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, March 8, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−4 |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−5 |
| Sunday, March 14, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−4 |
| Sunday, November 7, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−5 |
Time difference between Charlotte and other cities
A 9:00 AM start in Charlotte is 2:00 PM in London, 1:00 AM (next day) in Sydney and 6:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | --:-- | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 5 h |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 3 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 2 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | 8 h ahead | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 10 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | 9 h 30 min ahead | None |
| Singapore | --:-- | 13 h ahead | 13 h ahead | 12 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 13 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 16 h ahead | 16 h ahead | 14 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 4 h ahead | 3 h |
Some gaps change during the year because Charlotte and the other city change clocks on different dates, or only one of them changes at all. The January and July columns show both versions.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Sunrise, sunset and day length in Charlotte
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
The earliest sunrise in Charlotte is at 6:08 AM on June 12, and the latest sunset at 8:42 PM on June 28.
Daylight through the year in Charlotte
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 7:27 AM | 7:35 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 6:09 AM | 8:41 PM | 14 h 32 min |
| September equinox | September 22 | 7:11 AM | 7:20 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 7:28 AM | 5:15 PM | 9 h 47 min |
Daylight saving time moves sunrise and sunset 1 hour later by the clock in summer, which is why the latest sunsets fall in the daylight saving months.
When the sun is highest in Charlotte
Charlotte lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 12:25 PM on standard time and 1:25 PM during daylight saving time, close to clock noon.
Cities near Charlotte
Every city below shares Charlotte’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Point | 111 km (69 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Winston-Salem | 111 km (69 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Greensboro | 134 km (83 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Columbia | 137 km (85 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Fayetteville | 180 km (112 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Durham | 195 km (121 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Cary | 197 km (122 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Raleigh | 209 km (130 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Cities that share Charlotte’s time zone
These cities follow the same time zone rules as Charlotte, including the same clock changes.
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Charlotte today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
More cities in United States
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- The Bronx
- Dallas
- Jacksonville
- Fort Worth
All time zones and cities in the United States
Tools for time in Charlotte
- Convert a time to or from Charlotte: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Charlotte to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Charlotte and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Charlotte in?
Charlotte uses the America/New_York time zone: UTC−5 (EST) in standard time and UTC−4 (EDT) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Charlotte?
The next change is on Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 2:00 AM, when clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC−4. They go back again on Sunday, November 7, 2027.
What is the time difference between Charlotte and London?
Charlotte is 5 hours behind London for most of the year. From March 14 to March 27 and October 30 to November 7, the gap is 4 hours, because Charlotte and London change their clocks on different dates.
Is Charlotte on the same time as Washington D.C.?
Yes. Charlotte and Washington D.C. both use UTC−5 right now.
How long is the longest day in Charlotte?
About 14 hours 32 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 9 hours 47 minutes of daylight.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.