Houston: 10:22:51 AM CDT
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    Current Time in Houston, Texas

    Live clock for Houston, TX — Central Daylight Time (CDT)

    Tuesday, June 16, 2026

    Live — Updates every second

    Houston, TX — CDT

    10:22:51 AM

    Tuesday, June 16, 2026

    81°F

    Thunderstorm

    91%4 mph

    Weather data from Open-Meteo · Updates every 10 minutes

    Next DST Change

    Fall Back— Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2:00 AM
    137
    Days
    15
    Hours
    37
    Min
    08
    Sec

    Clocks move back 1 hour — Houston shifts from CDT (UTC−5) to CST (UTC−6)

    Time Zone

    CDT

    Central Daylight Time

    UTC Offset

    UTC−5:00

    Daylight Saving active

    Location

    Houston

    Texas, United States

    What Time Zone Is Houston, Texas In?

    Houston, Texas is located in the Central Time Zone of the United States. During standard time (November to March), Houston observes Central Standard Time (CST), which is UTC−6:00. During daylight saving time (March to November), the city shifts to Central Daylight Time (CDT), which is UTC−5:00.

    As the fourth-largest city in the United States, Houston shares its time zone with major cities like Chicago, Dallas, San Antonio, and New Orleans. The Central Time Zone covers much of the central United States, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The IANA time zone identifier for Houston is America/Chicago, which is the standard identifier used by computers, servers, and operating systems worldwide.

    Houston Time Zone for Travelers and Businesses

    If you're planning a call, meeting, or trip involving Houston, knowing the exact current time and UTC offset is essential. Houston is 1 hour behind New York (CST to EST), 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles (CST to PST), 6 hours behind London (Houston to GMT), and 14 hours behind Tokyo. Use our time zone converter to quickly convert Houston time to your local time.

    Houston's central location in the US time zone map makes it ideal for coast-to-coast business. Morning meetings with New York start just one hour later, and afternoon calls with Los Angeles still fall within normal business hours. For international businesses, Houston overlaps with European working hours in the morning (London is 5 hours ahead) and with Asian markets in the evening.

    Why Houston's Time Zone Matters

    Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center — the world's largest medical complex — where time-sensitive procedures and global telemedicine consultations require precise time coordination. The city also hosts NASA's Johnson Space Center, where mission control operates on UTC (Zulu time) but staff live and work on Central Time.

    The energy sector, Houston's economic backbone, trades commodities on exchanges across multiple time zones. Oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) open at 8:00 AM CST, while Brent crude in London trades during Houston's early morning hours. Understanding these time relationships is critical for traders, analysts, and energy executives based in Houston.

    Houston's two major airports — George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and William P. Hobby (HOU) — serve as hubs for both domestic and international flights. Travelers connecting through Houston should note that all local departure and arrival times are listed in Central Time (CDT).

    Daylight Saving Time in Houston

    Houston observes daylight saving time (DST) in accordance with the Uniform Time Act. Clocks spring forward one hour on the second Sunday of March (moving from CST to CDT) and fall back one hour on the first Sunday of November (returning to CST). During DST, Houston enjoys longer evening daylight, with sunset occurring roughly an hour later than during standard time.

    The transition can temporarily affect scheduling with regions that change clocks on different dates — notably the UK and EU shift their clocks on different weekends than the US, creating a brief period where the time difference changes. Always verify with a live converter during March and October/November transitions.

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