A Brief Overview of the Time Zones in the USA

Perex: The USA is a vast country with nine different time zones. The continuous landmass of US territories have four time zones whereas other regions have their own time zones. 

 In simple words, time zones can be defined as the local time of a country or region. They help define the appropriate time with a specific geographical area, and hence, exert tremendous influence on business, communication, travel and trade. In this post, we will delve into the details of time zones USA and churn out some fascinating facts.

 Time Zones USA - A Crisp Summary

 There are 9 time zones in the USA as per law. But, when we add the time zones of two uninhabited US territories - Howland Island and Baker Island - the total count reaches 11. The contiguous sprawl of US territories have 4 standard time zones. Furthermore, Alaska, Hawaii and five US dependencies have their time zones. 

 The Different Time Zones of the USA

• The Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone (HAST)

It derives its name from two regions - Alaska's Aleutian Islands and Hawaii. Daylight saving time is not observed in these two locations (DST). The Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time is obtained by subtracting ten hours from the UTC (UTC-10:00). Honolulu, Hilo, etc. are prominent in this time zone.

•  Alaska Time Zone

 It encapsulates the entire state of Alaska and is obtained by subtracting 9 hours from the UTC and eight hours during DST. 

•  Pacific Time Zone (PT)

 The Pacific Time Zone sprawls across the western states of the USA, western Mexico and western Canada. The standard time within this zone is observed by subtracting 8 hours from UTC (UTC-8). An offsite time of UTC-7 is used during DST. 

•  The Mountain Time Zone (MT)

 It is observed by subtracting 7 hours from UTC (UTC-7:00) and six hours during DST (UTC-6:00). Five states, which include Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana come under this time zone.

•  Central Time Zone (CT)

 The CT encapsulates nine states in the US, the Canadian province of Manitoba, and most parts of Mexico. This time zone is obtained by subtracting six hours from UTC. A large part of the Central Time zone leverages DST during summer and changes to Central Daylight Time (CDT), which is five hours behind UTC.

•  Eastern Time Zone (ET)

 It covers most of the 22 states in the eastern portion of the United States. The Eastern Time Zone is calculated by subtracting 5 hours from UTC (UTC-5). 

Wrapping It Up

So, there we have it, a simple summary of the different time zones USA. If you are looking for a tool that can help you get through time different zone requirements, Vefru.com’s Time Zone tool has got your back. 

Summary

The time zones USA have a total count of 9, and when we include two uninhabited territories, the count reaches 11.