West Coast Time Zone — Current Time
The West Coast of the United States — California, Oregon, and Washington — runs entirely on Pacific Time (PST in winter, PDT in summer). All three states observe daylight saving time on the same national schedule, so the West Coast never splits across two time zones the way the East Coast or Gulf Coast can.
Most US clocks fall from 2:00 AM back to 1:00 AM — you gain an hour. Arizona, Hawaii, and the US territories don't change at all.
About the West Coast time zone
Pacific Time sits three hours behind Eastern Time, so the West Coast workday starts just as East Coast offices break for lunch — a gap that shapes national TV broadcast schedules ("8 PM Eastern, 5 PM Pacific") and why West Coast stock traders are at their desks by 6:30 AM to catch the New York Stock Exchange's 9:30 AM Eastern open.
All three West Coast states adopted standardized time zones in 1883, when American railroads created the original four-zone system to replace thousands of local solar times. Pacific Time has run the coast ever since, with daylight saving added nationally in 1918 and adjusted several times since, most recently in 2007.
Nevada and most of Idaho also run on Pacific Time despite being landlocked, which is why "Pacific Time" and "West Coast time" aren't quite the same thing — the zone reaches further inland than the coastline it's named for.
States on the West Coast
California, Oregon, and Washington are the three West Coast states, all on Pacific Time year-round.
* Only part of this state is on the West Coast's primary time zone.
Major cities on the West Coast
West Coast vs. other US zones
| Location | Current time | UTC offset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Time | 2:42 AM EDT | UTC-4 | 3 hours ahead |
| Central Time | 1:42 AM CDT | UTC-5 | 2 hours ahead |
| Mountain Time | 12:42 AM MDT | UTC-6 | 1 hour ahead |
| Alaska Time | 10:42 PM AKDT | UTC-8 | 1 hour behind |
| Hawaii-Aleutian Time | 8:42 PM HST | UTC-10 | 3 hours behind |
| Atlantic Time | 2:42 AM AST | UTC-4 | 3 hours ahead |
| Samoa Time | 7:42 PM GMT-11 | UTC-11 | 4 hours behind |
| Chamorro Time | 4:42 PM GMT+10 | UTC+10 | 17 hours ahead |
Convert West Coast time to another zone
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is the West Coast?
The West Coast of the United States — California, Oregon, and Washington — runs entirely on Pacific Time (PST in winter, PDT in summer). All three states observe daylight saving time on the same national schedule, so the West Coast never splits across two time zones the way the East Coast or Gulf Coast can.
Which states are on the West Coast?
California, Oregon, Washington.
How many people live on the West Coast?
Roughly 51 million people live across the 3 West Coast states, based on current state population estimates.
What is the biggest city on the West Coast?
Los Angeles, CA is the largest city on the West Coast by population.
Is Nevada on West Coast time?
Nevada runs on Pacific Time, the same as California, Oregon, and Washington, even though it isn't on the coast. Most of Idaho is on Mountain Time instead, except its northern panhandle, which is also on Pacific Time.
Are Alaska and Hawaii on West Coast time?
No. Alaska has its own Alaska Time zone, one hour behind Pacific Time, and Hawaii uses Hawaii-Aleutian Time, which doesn't observe daylight saving and is two to three hours behind Pacific Time depending on the season.