Standard time applies in Houston right now, at UTC−6. The next change comes on Sunday, March 14, 2027, when clocks move to UTC−5.
Houston and your time
Houston at a glance
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | Texas |
| Time zone | America/Chicago |
| Abbreviation now | CST |
| UTC offset now | UTC−6 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 14, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 14, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 29.76° N, 95.36° W |
Houston time zone and clock changes
Under the America/Chicago rules, Houston spends part of each year on UTC−6 (CST) and the rest on UTC−5 (CDT). The coming daylight saving period ends on Sunday, November 7, 2027.
Watch out when booking with the capital: Washington D.C. is 1 hour ahead of Houston, because the United States spans 6 offsets.
Clock changes in Houston, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, March 8, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−5 |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−6 |
| Sunday, March 14, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−5 |
| Sunday, November 7, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−6 |
Time difference between Houston and other cities
Take 9:00 AM in Houston: the clock reads 3:00 PM in London, 2:00 AM (next day) in Sydney and 7:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington D.C. | --:-- | 1 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 7 h |
| Los Angeles | --:-- | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 6 h |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 2 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 7 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 1 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 10 h ahead | 10 h ahead | 9 h ahead | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 11 h 30 min ahead | 11 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | None |
| Singapore | --:-- | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 13 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 15 h ahead | 15 h ahead | 14 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 17 h ahead | 17 h ahead | 15 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 2 h |
Some gaps change during the year because Houston 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 and sunset in Houston
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
The earliest sunrise in Houston is at 6:20 AM on June 10, and the latest sunset at 8:26 PM on June 30.
Daylight through the year in Houston
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 7:25 AM | 7:33 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 6:22 AM | 8:25 PM | 14 h 4 min |
| September equinox | September 22 | 7:10 AM | 7:18 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 7:13 AM | 5:27 PM | 10 h 14 min |
Sunrise and sunset jump by 1 hour on the days the clocks change, even though the daylight itself changes only by a minute or two.
Clock time and sun time in Houston
Houston lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 12:20 PM on standard time and 1:20 PM during daylight saving time, close to clock noon.
Places close to Houston
All the places listed below keep the same time as Houston.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena | 17 km (11 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Pearland | 23 km (15 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Cypress | 40 km (25 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Beaumont | 127 km (79 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| College Station | 134 km (83 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Austin | 236 km (147 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Round Rock | 238 km (148 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Waco | 262 km (163 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Cities that share Houston’s time zone
These cities follow the same time zone rules as Houston, including the same clock changes.
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Houston today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
- Mexico City (Mexico)
- Calgary (Canada)
- Mérida (Mexico)
- Monterrey (Mexico)
- Guatemala City (Guatemala)
- Managua (Nicaragua)
More cities in United States
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- The Bronx
- Dallas
- Jacksonville
- Fort Worth
- San Jose
All time zones and cities in the United States
Plan around the time in Houston
- Convert a time to or from Houston: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Houston to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Houston and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Houston in?
Houston uses the America/Chicago time zone: UTC−6 (CST) in standard time and UTC−5 (CDT) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Houston?
The next change is on Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 2:00 AM, when clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC−5. They go back again on Sunday, November 7, 2027.
What is the time difference between Houston and London?
Houston is 6 hours behind London for most of the year. From March 14 to March 27 and October 30 to November 7, the gap is 5 hours, because Houston and London change their clocks on different dates.
Is Houston on the same time as Washington D.C.?
No. Washington D.C. is 1 hour ahead of Houston, because the United States uses more than one offset.
How long is the longest day in Houston?
About 14 hours 4 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 10 hours 14 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.