State in the United States

Time in Kentucky now

Kentucky uses Eastern and Central Time. Every clock on this page is live, and the list below shows the local time in all 89 places listed for it.

Capital
Frankfort
Time zone
Eastern and Central Time
Offset from UTC now
 
Daylight saving time
Yes, 8 Mar to 1 Nov 2026
Largest place
Louisville
Places listed
89
Local time in Kentucky --:--  
Eastern Time 
From you 
Central Time, Bowling Green--:--
Time zones

Time zones in Kentucky.

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

Eastern TimeUTC-5, and UTC-4 during daylight saving time
--:-- 86% of people in the listed places · 71 places, including Louisville, Lexington and Meads
Central TimeUTC-6, and UTC-5 during daylight saving time
--:-- 14% of people in the listed places · 18 places, including Bowling Green, Owensboro and Hopkinsville
Cities

Current time in cities across Kentucky.

The 89 largest places in Kentucky by population, with their local time. Place data comes from GeoNames.

Daylight saving time

When the clocks change in Kentucky.

Kentucky 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

Both time zones in Kentucky change their clocks on the same dates and at the same local time.

Nearby states

Time in other states in the South.

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

Questions and answers

Quick answers about time in Kentucky.

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

01

What time zone is Kentucky in?

Most of Kentucky uses Eastern Time, UTC-5, and UTC-4 during daylight saving time. Part of the state uses Central Time, including Bowling Green, Owensboro and Hopkinsville.

02

What time is it in Frankfort?

Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky. It uses Eastern Time, UTC-5, and UTC-4 during daylight saving time. Its live local time is shown in the city list on this page.

03

Does Kentucky observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Kentucky 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 Kentucky in 2026?

In 2026, clocks in Kentucky 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 Kentucky and Los Angeles?

Kentucky is 3 hours ahead of Los Angeles all year.

06

What is the time difference between Kentucky and London?

Kentucky 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 Kentucky?

Louisville is the largest place listed for Kentucky, with about 624,444 people. It uses Eastern Time.

08

How many time zones does Kentucky have?

Kentucky has two time zones: Eastern and Central Time. The time zone section on this page shows how its places split between them.

09

Which other states use Eastern Time?

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, 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 Kentucky?

Search the city list on this page or scroll through the 89 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.