๐ Basic Information
Population: ~39 million (2024 est.)
Area: 423,970 sq km
Official Language: English
Currency: US Dollar ($, USD)
Government: U.S. State
๐ถ Culture & Traditions
๐️ Landmarks & Sites
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Yosemite National Park
- Hollywood Sign
- Disneyland
- Alcatraz Island
California, a state on the west coast of the United States, follows the Pacific Time Zone. This time zone is used by many states along the west coast and is important for scheduling, business, and daily activities.
California Time Zone Details
California operates on:
Pacific Standard Time (PST) – UTC-8 during the fall and winter months, and
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) – UTC-7 during daylight saving time in spring and summer.
Key Facts about California’s Time Zone:
- Standard Time: UTC-8 (PST)
- Daylight Saving Time: UTC-7 (PDT)
- Daylight saving starts on the second Sunday of March
- Daylight saving ends on the first Sunday of November
How Daylight Saving Time Works in California
California shifts clocks forward by one hour in spring to take advantage of longer daylight in the evenings, called daylight saving time. In autumn, clocks are set back one hour to return to standard time. This change helps save energy and make better use of daylight.
Time Zone Comparison
- 8 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) during standard time
- 7 hours behind UTC during daylight saving time
- 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time (EST)
- Same time zone as Washington and Oregon
- 12.5 hours behind India Standard Time (IST)
Why Knowing California’s Time Zone Is Useful
Knowing the current time in California helps with:
- Scheduling calls and meetings with people in California
- Planning travel and events
- Coordinating work with teams across different time zones
- Managing personal or business communications smoothly
Conclusion
California’s time zone follows Pacific Time with shifts for daylight saving. Understanding this helps you stay on schedule whether for business or personal activities. The time changes twice a year to maximize daylight use, so staying aware of the current offset is important for accurate timekeeping.