The continental United States spans four major time zones.
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone includes the East Coast and states like Maine, Florida, Ohio, and the Carolinas. It is five hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Central Time Zone
The Central Time Zone covers the Midwest from North Dakota to Louisiana. It is six hours behind UTC.
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone includes states like Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Arizona. It is seven hours behind UTC.
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone comprises West Coast states like California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. It is eight hours behind UTC.
Alaska and Hawaii
Alaska and Hawaii have their own time zones because of their distance from the continental U.S.
The U.S. time zones generally align with the boundaries between Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific regions.