Current Time in US/Pacific Time Zone
IANA Name: US/Pacific
Standard Offset: UTC −08:00
Daylight Saving: Yes
DST Offset: UTC −07:00
DST Abbreviation: PDT
Currently Observing DST: Yes ✅
US/Pacific Time Zone: A Complete Guide
The US/Pacific time zone (IANA identifier US/Pacific) is the canonical time zone for the Pacific coast of the United States. It observes Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC-8) during winter and Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC-7) during summer, following the daylight saving schedule mandated by U.S. federal law. This zone covers California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada, and is shared with other IANA zones such as America/Los_Angeles and America/Vancouver.
Geographic Coverage and Usage
US/Pacific applies to the entire U.S. states of California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. Major cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, and San Diego. The zone also covers parts of Idaho (north of the Salmon River) and the Oregon-Idaho border region. The same standard offset (UTC-8) is used by other IANA zones: America/Los_Angeles (the primary zone for U.S. Pacific time), America/Tijuana (Mexico), America/Vancouver (Canada), Canada/Pacific (a Canadian alias), and Pacific/Pitcairn (Pitcairn Islands, which does not observe DST).
Offset and Abbreviation Meaning
Standard time: UTC-8, abbreviated PST (Pacific Standard Time). Daylight time: UTC-7, abbreviated PDT (Pacific Daylight Time). The offset is 8 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in winter and 7 hours behind in summer. The name "Pacific" refers to the Pacific Ocean, which borders the region. The abbreviation PST/PDT is widely recognized in business and travel.
Daylight Saving Behavior
US/Pacific observes daylight saving time (DST) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Clocks spring forward 1 hour at 2:00 a.m. PST to 3:00 a.m. PDT in March, and fall back 1 hour at 2:00 a.m. PDT to 1:00 a.m. PST in November. Recent and upcoming dates: 2025-03-09 (PDT start), 2025-11-02 (PST start), 2026-03-08 (PDT start), 2026-11-01 (PST start). This pattern follows the U.S. Uniform Time Act. The zone does not observe year-round DST; proposals to make DST permanent have not been enacted.
Business Hours and Scheduling
During PST (UTC-8), the typical business day (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) corresponds to 17:00 to 01:00 UTC. During PDT (UTC-7), it corresponds to 16:00 to 00:00 UTC. Key overlaps: with Eastern Time (UTC-5/UTC-4), Pacific is 3 hours behind (e.g., 9 a.m. PT = 12 p.m. ET). With Central Europe (CET/CEST, UTC+1/UTC+2), Pacific is 9 hours behind during PST (e.g., 9 a.m. PT = 6 p.m. CET) and 8 hours behind during PDT (9 a.m. PT = 5 p.m. CEST). With Japan (JST, UTC+9), Pacific is 17 hours behind during PST (9 a.m. PT = 2 a.m. next day JST) and 16 hours behind during PDT. For calls, early morning PT (8 a.m.) works for Europe (5 p.m. CET) and late afternoon PT (4 p.m.) works for Asia (next day morning). Avoid calling Asia during PT business hours; instead schedule early PT morning for late Asia evening or late PT afternoon for early Asia morning.
Main Countries and Cities
- United States: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, Anaheim, Long Beach, Fresno, Reno, Spokane, Eugene, Salem.
- Mexico (shared offset but separate zone America/Tijuana): Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada.
- Canada (America/Vancouver): Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey, Burnaby.
- Pitcairn Islands (Pacific/Pitcairn): Adamstown (no DST).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current time in US/Pacific?
Check a world clock website. The zone alternates between PST (UTC-8) and PDT (UTC-7) depending on the date. During daylight saving (mid-March to early November), it is PDT; otherwise, PST.
Does US/Pacific observe daylight saving time?
Yes. It observes DST from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, following U.S. federal law. Clocks spring forward 1 hour in March and fall back 1 hour in November.
Is US/Pacific the same as Pacific Time in Canada?
Yes, the standard offset and DST rules are identical. Canada's Pacific Time is represented by America/Vancouver or Canada/Pacific, which share the same UTC-8/UTC-7 offsets and DST schedule.
What is the difference between US/Pacific and America/Los_Angeles?
Both refer to the same time zone and offsets. US/Pacific is a canonical IANA zone often used for the entire U.S. Pacific region, while America/Los_Angeles is the primary city-based zone. They are functionally identical.
When does US/Pacific change to PDT in 2025?
On March 9, 2025, at 2:00 a.m. PST, clocks spring forward to 3:00 a.m. PDT. The change back to PST occurs on November 2, 2025, at 2:00 a.m. PDT to 1:00 a.m. PST.
What is the offset of US/Pacific from UTC?
Standard time (PST) is UTC-8. Daylight time (PDT) is UTC-7. The offset changes twice a year.