State in the United States

Time in Alabama now

Alabama uses Central Time. Every clock on this page is live, and the list below shows the local time in the 100 largest of its 117 places.

Capital
Montgomery
Time zone
Central Time
Offset from UTC now
 
Daylight saving time
Yes, 8 Mar to 1 Nov 2026
Largest place
Huntsville
Places listed
117
Local time in Alabama --:--  
Central Time 
From you 
Eastern Time, Phenix City--:--
Time zones

Time zones in Alabama.

How the places listed in Alabama split between time zones, measured by the number of people who live in them.

Central TimeUTC-6, and UTC-5 during daylight saving time
--:-- 98% of people in the listed places · 113 places, including Huntsville, Birmingham and Montgomery
Eastern TimeUTC-5, and UTC-4 during daylight saving time
--:-- 2% of people in the listed places · 4 places, including Phenix City, Valley and Lanett
Cities

Current time in cities across Alabama.

The 100 largest places in Alabama by population out of 117, with their local time. Place data comes from GeoNames.

Daylight saving time

When the clocks change in Alabama.

Alabama follows the national rules: clocks go forward one hour on the second Sunday of March and back one hour on the first Sunday of November, at 2:00 local time.

Next clock change Clocks go back 1 hour Sunday, 1 November 2026 at 2:00 local time
Clocks show02:00
and turn to01:00
51days
0hours
0minutes
  1. 8 March 2026 Clocks go forward 1 hour Daylight saving time starts at 2:00 local time
  2. 1 November 2026 Clocks go back 1 hour Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 local time
  3. 14 March 2027 Clocks go forward 1 hour Daylight saving time starts at 2:00 local time
  4. 7 November 2027 Clocks go back 1 hour Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 local time
Good to know

Every place in Alabama changes its clocks on these dates.

Nearby states

Time in other states in the South.

States in the same Census Bureau region as Alabama, with their time zones and local time. See every state on the United States page.

Questions and answers

Quick answers about time in Alabama.

Short, clear answers about the time zone, daylight saving time and cities of Alabama.

01

What time zone is Alabama in?

All of Alabama uses Central Time, UTC-6, and UTC-5 during daylight saving time.

02

What time is it in Montgomery?

Montgomery is the capital of Alabama. It uses Central Time, UTC-6, and UTC-5 during daylight saving time. Its live local time is shown in the city list on this page.

03

Does Alabama observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Alabama moves its clocks forward one hour on Sunday, 8 March 2026 and back one hour on Sunday, 1 November 2026, both at 2:00 local time.

04

When do the clocks change in Alabama in 2026?

In 2026, clocks in Alabama go forward from 2:00 to 3:00 on Sunday, 8 March 2026 and back from 2:00 to 1:00 on Sunday, 1 November 2026. In 2027 they change on Sunday, 14 March 2027 and Sunday, 7 November 2027.

05

What is the time difference between Alabama and New York?

Alabama is 1 hour behind New York all year.

06

What is the time difference between Alabama and London?

Alabama is 6 hours behind London for most of the year. The gap is one hour smaller for a few weeks in March and in late October, because the United States and the United Kingdom change their clocks on different dates.

07

What is the largest city in Alabama?

Huntsville is the largest place listed for Alabama, with about 215,006 people. It uses Central Time.

08

How many time zones does Alabama have?

Alabama has one time zone, Central Time, so every place in the state shows the same time.

09

Which other states use Central Time?

Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin also use Central Time, for all or most of their area.

10

How do I find the time in a city in Alabama?

Search the city list on this page or scroll through the 100 largest places. Each place shows its live local time and time zone, and the clock at the top of the page shows how far the state is from you.