Current Hawaii Time:

Understanding Hawaii Standard Time (HST)

Hawaii, the Aloha State, operates on its own time zone, a single timezone for all of the islands known as Hawaii Standard Time (HST). Hawaii joins Arizona in being one of the 2 states that don’t observe Day Light Savings Time. This guide provides everything you need to know about the time in Hawaii, so you are ready to do business and visit our Islands. Also, more importantly, you don’t wake up your auntie with that early morning Happy Birthday text..

Hawaii Standard Time is 10 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-10). All of the islands have the same time, including Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island. The absence of Daylight Saving Time means that while the mainland U.S. adjusts clocks forward in spring and back in autumn, Hawaii’s time doesn’t change.

Here’s a consolidated summary of the time frames for Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time (DST) across most U.S. time zones, along with the exceptions:

Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time Overview

  • Standard Time: First Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March

    • Offsets:
      • Eastern Standard Time (EST): UTC -5 hours
      • Central Standard Time (CST): UTC -6 hours
      • Mountain Standard Time (MST): UTC -7 hours
      • Pacific Standard Time (PST): UTC -8 hours
      • Alaska Standard Time (AKST): UTC -9 hours

  • Daylight Saving Time: Second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November

    • Offsets:
      • Eastern Daylight Time (EDT): UTC -4 hours
      • Central Daylight Time (CDT): UTC -5 hours
      • Mountain Daylight Time (MDT): UTC -6 hours
      • Pacific Daylight Time (PDT): UTC -7 hours
      • Alaska Daylight Time (AKDT): UTC -8 hours

Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone (HT)

  • Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST): Year-round for Hawaii (UTC -10 hours)
  • Hawaii-Aleutian Daylight Time (HDT): Observed only in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November (UTC -9 hours). Hawaii does not observe DST.

States That Do Not Participate in Daylight Saving Time

  • Hawaii: Does not observe Daylight Saving Time; remains on Hawaii Standard Time (HST) year-round.
  • Arizona: Most of Arizona does not observe DST and remains on Mountain Standard Time (MST) year-round. However, the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona does observe DST.

In summary, while most U.S. states follow the DST and Standard Time transitions as outlined, Hawaii and most of Arizona remain on their respective Standard Times year-round without participating in DST.

 
 
 

Why isn’t Day Light Savings Observed in Hawaii?

The decision not to observe Daylight Saving Time is based on Hawaii’s geographical location and its close proximity to the equator. This means that the sunrise and sunset time doesn’t really change, reducing the need for adjusting the clock to gain more daylight during the evening.

Plan Accordingly: Know what time it is in Hawaii

Whether you’re planning a vacation, a business meeting, or just calling a friend or relative in Hawaii, understanding HST is important. Remember, when it’s noon in New York City during standard time, it’s 7 AM in Hawaii. If you’re a remote worker or have a Hawaii based team member in Hawaii, make sure you’re aware and coordinated and the meeting times will shift every 6 months on the Hawaii side. As mentioned before, make sure you know what time it is when you’re calling your auntie on Kauai to wish her a happy birthday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the time in Hawaii change during the year?

A: No, Hawaii’s time remains constant throughout the year, as the state does not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Q: How can I find out the current Hawaii time?

A: We use https://time.is/Honolulu. You can check reliable online world clocks or use smartphone apps dedicated to providing accurate time information globally, including Hawaii.

Q: What should I consider when calling someone in Hawaii from the mainland U.S.?

A: Always account for the time difference, which can vary from 2 to 6 hours behind the mainland, depending on the time of year and your specific location.

Q: Is Hawaii 5 or 6 hours behind?

A: Hawaii is six hours behind Eastern Standard Time (EST), five hours behind Central Standard Time (CST), four hours behind Mountain Standard Time (MST), and three hours behind Pacific Standard Time (PST).

Q: Is Hawaii 3 hours behind California?

A: Before Daylight Saving Time takes effect in the fall, Hawaii is three hours behind California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. From a Hawaiian perspective, before the time change on November 7, if it’s 6 p.m. ET in Florida, it’s noon in Hawaii.

Q: Does Hawaii have two time zones?

A: No, Hawaii has a single timezone. The Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone includes both Hawaii and a portion of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, west of 169° 30′ W longitude. During Daylight Saving Time (DST), the Alaskan portion observes Hawaii–Aleutian Daylight Time (HDT, UTC−09:00), while Hawaii remains on standard time year-round.

Q: What state is 6 hours away from Hawaii?

A: For Hawaii residents seeking a change from tropical weather, Alaska is just a 6-hour flight away. A direct flight to Anchorage offers opportunities to enjoy local delicacies like smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers, and to explore Denali, where you can observe bears in their natural habitat. Or, There’s always California. San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco are all within a 6 hour flight.

Q: Is there a time not to go to Hawaii?

A: Hurricane season in Hawaii runs from June 1 through November 30. This period coincides with the summer months, which are some of the hottest and most popular times for tourism in Hawaii. That said, Hawaii doesn’t typically get impacted by full strength hurricanes. The vast majority of the time, hurricanes turn into tropical depressions or just a heavier than normal rain event.

Q: Is Hawaii closer to California or Japan?

A: Hawaii is approximately 2,400 miles (4,000 km) from California and about 4,000 miles (6,500 km) from Japan.

Q: What is Hawaiian time called?

A: Hawaii follows Hawaii Standard Time (HST), which is 10 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is observed year-round, with no daylight saving time adjustments.

Q: Why does it get dark so early in Hawaii?

A: Hawaii experiences early sunsets due to its proximity to the equator, where the variation in day length throughout the year is minimal.

Q: What is the Aloha Tower Clock?

A: The famous Aloha Tower clock, installed in 1926, is a landmark that faces in four directions, making it a symbol of timekeeping in Hawaii.

Keep the questions coming. We love the conversation!

Find out if you can live in Hawaii

We get so many questions from people trying to determine if they can live in Hawaii that we decided to make a quiz about it.  We took our livelong experience in living here and boiled it down to a few key questions. Try it and let us know what you think!

Conclusion

Understanding Hawaii’s current time is essential for anyone visiting or interacting with someone on the Islands. By keeping this in mind, you can ensure you aren’t late for that Zoom meeting when you’re visiting on vacation.