State in the United States

Time in Iowa now

Iowa uses Central Time. Every clock on this page is live, and the list below shows the local time in all 82 places listed for it.

Capital
Des Moines
Time zone
Central Time
Offset from UTC now
 
Daylight saving time
Yes, 8 Mar to 1 Nov 2026
Largest place
Des Moines
Places listed
82
Local time in Iowa --:--  
Central Time 
From you 
Time zones

Time zones in Iowa.

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

Central TimeUTC-6, and UTC-5 during daylight saving time
--:-- 100% of people in the listed places · 82 places, including Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport
Cities

Current time in cities across Iowa.

The 82 largest places in Iowa by population, with their local time. Place data comes from GeoNames.

Daylight saving time

When the clocks change in Iowa.

Iowa 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 Iowa changes its clocks on these dates.

Nearby states

Time in other states in the Midwest.

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

Questions and answers

Quick answers about time in Iowa.

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

01

What time zone is Iowa in?

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

02

What time is it in Des Moines?

Des Moines is the capital of Iowa. 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 Iowa observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Iowa 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 Iowa in 2026?

In 2026, clocks in Iowa 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 Iowa and New York?

Iowa is 1 hour behind New York all year.

06

What is the time difference between Iowa and London?

Iowa 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 Iowa?

Des Moines is the largest place listed for Iowa, with about 214,133 people. It uses Central Time.

08

How many time zones does Iowa have?

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

09

Which other states use Central Time?

Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, 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 Iowa?

Search the city list on this page or scroll through the 82 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.