State in the United States

Time in District of Columbia now

District of Columbia uses Eastern Time. Every clock on this page is live, and the list below shows the local time in all 19 places listed for it.

Capital
Washington
Time zone
Eastern Time
Offset from UTC now
 
Daylight saving time
Yes, 8 Mar to 1 Nov 2026
Largest place
Washington
Places listed
19
Local time in District of Columbia --:--  
Eastern Time 
From you 
Time zones

Time zones in District of Columbia.

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

Eastern TimeUTC-5, and UTC-4 during daylight saving time
--:-- 100% of people in the listed places · 19 places, including Washington, Columbia Heights and Northwest One
Cities

Current time in cities across District of Columbia.

The 19 largest places in District of Columbia by population, with their local time. Place data comes from GeoNames.

Daylight saving time

When the clocks change in District of Columbia.

District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia changes its clocks on these dates.

Nearby states

Time in other states in the South.

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

Questions and answers

Quick answers about time in District of Columbia.

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

01

What time zone is District of Columbia in?

All of District of Columbia uses Eastern Time, UTC-5, and UTC-4 during daylight saving time.

02

What time is it in Washington?

Washington is the capital of the United States. It uses Eastern Time, UTC-5, and UTC-4 during daylight saving time. The clock at the top of this page shows its current local time.

03

Does District of Columbia observe daylight saving time?

Yes. District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia in 2026?

In 2026, clocks in District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia and Los Angeles?

District of Columbia is 3 hours ahead of Los Angeles all year.

06

What is the time difference between District of Columbia and London?

District of Columbia is 5 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 District of Columbia?

Washington is the largest place listed for District of Columbia, with about 689,545 people. It uses Eastern Time.

08

How many time zones does District of Columbia have?

District of Columbia has one time zone, Eastern Time, so every place in the state shows the same time.

09

Which other states use Eastern Time?

Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia also use Eastern Time, for all or most of their area.

10

How do I find the time in a city in District of Columbia?

Search the city list on this page or scroll through the 19 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.