CalendarHours
Home / Time Zones / U.S. Time Zones / Alaska
Alaska • Live Time-Zone Reference

Alaska Time Zone

Alaska has two official time zones. Most of the state uses Alaska Time—AKST in standard time and AKDT during daylight saving time. The part of the Aleutian Islands west of 169°30′W, including Adak, uses Hawaii-Aleutian Time—HST/HDT.

Quick answer: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, Nome and Unalaska use Alaska Time. Adak and the far western Aleutian Islands use Hawaii-Aleutian Time, one hour behind most of Alaska. Both Alaska zones currently observe daylight saving time.
Official time zones2Alaska + Hawaii-Aleutian
Most of AlaskaAlaska TimeAKST / AKDT
Western AleutiansHawaii-AleutianHST / HDT
Alaska Time Zones at a Glance Alaska Time Zone Map Current Time in Alaska
Search an Alaska location, time-zone name, abbreviation or UTC offset.
Popular: U.S. Time Zones Alaska Time Western Aleutians AKST / AKDT UTC Offsets Daylight Saving Time Alaska Time Zone Map

Alaska Time Zone at a Glance

Use these references to understand Alaska's two-zone split, current UTC offsets, seasonal abbreviations, daylight-saving changes and the federal boundary through the Aleutian Islands.

AK

Alaska Time

Most of Alaska uses AKST in standard time and AKDT during daylight saving time.

Alaska Time details → HA

Western Aleutian Time

The Aleutian Islands west of 169°30′W use the Hawaii-Aleutian time-zone family.

See the federal boundary → DST

Alaska Daylight Saving Time

Both Alaska time zones move forward in March and return to standard time in November under current rules.

See DST rules → ⌖

Alaska Time Zone Map

See the statewide zone split and the location of the western Aleutian boundary.

View Alaska map → ◷

Current Time in Alaska

Open the statewide current-time page when your main question is what time it is in Alaska right now.

See Alaska time now → ⇄

Alaska Time Converter

Convert Alaska or western Aleutian time to another U.S. or world location for a specific date and time.

Convert Alaska time →

Alaska Time Zones by Major Location

Most populated Alaska locations use Alaska Time. Adak represents the far western Aleutian area that is one hour behind. The live abbreviation and UTC offset below change automatically with the date.

Current time across Alaska →
Alaska LocationCurrent TimeCurrent AbbreviationCurrent UTC OffsetReference
AnchorageLive——Anchorage current time
FairbanksLive——Alaska Time reference
JuneauLive——Juneau IANA details
SitkaLive——Sitka IANA details
NomeLive——Nome IANA details
Unalaska / Dutch HarborLive——East of boundary
AdakLive——Western Aleutian reference
Alaska Time Hawaii-Aleutian Time in Alaska Alaska Time Zone Map

Alaska Time-Zone Guides & Related References

Go deeper into Alaska abbreviations, neighboring U.S. time-zone references, UTC offsets, daylight-saving rules and the visual Alaska boundary map.

All U.S. time zones →
Primary Alaska zoneAlaska TimeAKST / AKDT across most of the state.→ Western AleutiansHawaii-Aleutian TimeHST / HDT west of 169°30′W.→ AbbreviationsAKST & AKDTUnderstand Alaska standard/daylight labels.→ Offset referenceUTC OffsetsCompare UTC−08, UTC−09 and UTC−10.→ Related stateHawaii Time ZoneHawaii uses HST year-round without DST.→ Lower 48 referenceWashington Time ZonePacific Time on the northwest coast.→ Comparison zonePacific TimeMost Alaska Time is one hour behind Pacific.→ Seasonal rulesDaylight Saving TimeCurrent U.S. spring and fall transitions.→ Live statewide timeCurrent Time in AlaskaLive local clocks when current time is your main task.→ Visual referenceAlaska Time Zone MapSee the two-zone split visually.→ Conversion toolTime Zone ConverterConvert Alaska time for any date.→ U.S. directoryU.S. Time ZonesAll 50 states, major zones and exceptions.→
Two Alaska Clocks

Alaska & Western Aleutian Time Now

Most of Alaska and the far western Aleutians move together under the same U.S. daylight-saving schedule, so western Aleutian time remains one hour behind Alaska Time throughout the year.

Alaska Time AKST AKDT Hawaii-Aleutian Time UTC Offsets DST
Most of Alaska · Alaska TimeLive timeAmerica/Anchorage · current abbreviation and offset
Adak · Western AleutiansLive timeAmerica/Adak · current abbreviation and offset
UTC ReferenceLive timeCoordinated Universal Time · UTC+00:00
Alaska Zone Difference1 hourWestern Aleutian Time is one hour behind Alaska Time.

Alaska UTC Offsets: AKST, AKDT, HST & HDT

Alaska does not have one fixed UTC offset for the entire state or the entire year. The correct offset depends on both location and date.

Explore UTC offsets →
Alaska AreaRepresentative IANA ZoneCurrent TimeCurrent UTC OffsetSeasonal Rule
Anchorage / SouthcentralAmerica/AnchorageLive—AKST UTC−09 → AKDT UTC−08
Juneau / SoutheastAmerica/JuneauLive—AKST UTC−09 → AKDT UTC−08
Nome / Western AlaskaAmerica/NomeLive—AKST UTC−09 → AKDT UTC−08
YakutatAmerica/YakutatLive—AKST UTC−09 → AKDT UTC−08
MetlakatlaAmerica/MetlakatlaLive—AKST UTC−09 → AKDT UTC−08
Adak / Western AleutiansAmerica/AdakLive—HST UTC−10 → HDT UTC−09

Alaska Standard Time vs Daylight Time

Alaska observes the federal daylight-saving schedule in both of its official time zones. Each spring the clocks move forward one hour; each fall they move back one hour.

Daylight Saving Time guide →
Alaska ZoneStandard TimeStandard OffsetDaylight TimeDaylight Offset
Alaska Time (most of Alaska)AKSTUTC−09:00AKDTUTC−08:00
Hawaii-Aleutian Time (western Aleutians)HSTUTC−10:00HDTUTC−09:00
Alaska DST Rules When DST Starts When DST Ends DST by State

Compare Alaska & Western Aleutian Time

Compare the current moment in Alaska's two official time zones or switch either side to another major U.S. or world location. For a specific date and clock time, open the full converter.

Live time
Current abbreviation and UTC offset
Live time
Current abbreviation and UTC offset
Open Full Converter Time Zone Difference

How Alaska Time Zones Work

Six facts explain almost every Alaska time-zone question, from why the state has two official zones to why IANA lists several Alaska location identifiers.

01 · Majority

Most of Alaska Uses Alaska Time

Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, Nome, Yakutat and most other Alaska communities follow the Alaska Time rules.

02 · Far West

Western Aleutians Use Hawaii-Aleutian Time

Federal law assigns the Aleutian Islands west of 169°30′W to the Hawaii-Aleutian zone. Adak is the clearest populated example.

03 · Seasonal Change

Both Alaska Zones Observe DST

Most Alaska locations switch AKST ↔ AKDT, while the western Aleutians switch HST ↔ HDT under the current U.S. schedule.

04 · Hawaii Difference

Same Zone Family, Different DST Practice

Hawaii stays on HST year-round, but the Alaska portion of Hawaii-Aleutian Time observes daylight saving time and uses HDT in summer.

05 · IANA History

Several IDs Preserve Historical Differences

Juneau, Sitka, Metlakatla, Yakutat, Anchorage and Nome have separate IANA identifiers because their historical transitions were not always the same.

06 · 1983 Reform

Alaska Was Reduced From Four Zones to Two

A federal plan in 1983 simplified Alaska's civil-time system, bringing most residents under one Alaska Time zone while retaining a western Aleutian zone.

Where Does Hawaii-Aleutian Time Begin in Alaska?

The federal rule uses a longitude boundary, not a borough or city boundary. Under 49 CFR § 71.12, the part of the Aleutian Islands west of 169°30′ west longitude is in the Hawaii-Aleutian standard time zone. Everything else in Alaska falls under the Alaska zone defined by 49 CFR § 71.11.

Unalaska / Dutch HarborEast of 169°30′W and therefore in Alaska Time under the current federal zone definition.
AdakWest of the federal boundary and represented by IANA zone America/Adak, using HST/HDT seasonally.
169°30′WThe legal dividing longitude for the Hawaii-Aleutian portion of Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
See the Alaska Time Zone MapU.S. Time Zone Map

Why Does Alaska Have Several IANA Time Zone IDs?

Separate IANA identifiers do not mean Alaska currently has seven legal time-zone families. The database preserves location-specific histories, so places that had different past offsets or transition dates can retain different identifiers even when their modern rules now match.

Current IANA data includes America/Juneau, America/Sitka, America/Metlakatla, America/Yakutat, America/Anchorage and America/Nome under the modern Alaska Time rule pattern, while America/Adak represents the Aleutian Islands west of 169.5°W.

That historical depth matters when converting old dates. For current and future civil time, CalendarHours uses each location's IANA identifier rather than assuming one hardcoded statewide offset.

Alaska Time Zone Abbreviations UTC Offset Reference Time Zone Chart Time Zone Converter
Visual Geography

Alaska Time Zone Map

Most of Alaska is in Alaska Time, while the far western Aleutians beyond 169°30′W use Hawaii-Aleutian Time. Open the dedicated map to see why a state spanning such an enormous longitude range still operates with only two official time zones.

Alaska Time Zone Map U.S. Time Zone Map North America Time Zone Map

Looking for the Current Time in Alaska?

This page explains Alaska time zones, UTC offsets, abbreviations, boundaries, IANA IDs and DST. If your main question is what time it is in Alaska right now, open the statewide current-time page or the dedicated Anchorage clock.

Statewide current timeCurrent Time in Alaska
Anchorage clockCurrent Time in Anchorage
Visual boundaryAlaska Time Zone Map
National referenceU.S. Time Zones

Sources & Methodology

CalendarHours uses location-aware, date-aware time-zone logic rather than permanently hardcoding one Alaska offset. America/Anchorage is the primary live reference for most of Alaska and America/Adak represents the western Aleutian zone. Location-specific IANA IDs such as America/Juneau, America/Sitka, America/Metlakatla, America/Yakutat and America/Nome are used where their historical records matter.

The IANA Time Zone Database is the primary rules source for civil offsets and historical transitions. The latest IANA release verified for this page is tzdb 2026c, released July 8, 2026. U.S. daylight-saving dates are checked against NIST; Alaska and Hawaii-Aleutian legal zone boundaries are checked against 49 CFR §§ 71.11–71.12; and the 1983 consolidation history is checked against the State of Alaska.

IANA — Time Zone Database eCFR — 49 CFR § 71.11, Alaska Zone eCFR — 49 CFR § 71.12, Hawaii-Aleutian Zone NIST — Daylight Saving Time Rules State of Alaska — Time Zone History Time.gov — Official U.S. Time

Reviewed August 19, 2026. This URL is evergreen; live clocks, current abbreviations and UTC offsets update automatically from supported browser time-zone data.

Alaska Time Zone FAQ

What time zone is Alaska in?

Alaska uses two official time zones. Most of the state is in Alaska Time, while the part of the Aleutian Islands west of 169°30′W is in Hawaii-Aleutian Time.

How many time zones are in Alaska?

Alaska has two official time zones: Alaska Time and Hawaii-Aleutian Time. The modern two-zone structure dates to a major 1983 federal realignment.

What time zone is Anchorage in?

Anchorage is in Alaska Time. It uses AKST (UTC−09:00) during standard time and AKDT (UTC−08:00) during daylight saving time. See Current Time in Anchorage.

What time zone is Adak, Alaska in?

Adak is in Hawaii-Aleutian Time. It uses HST (UTC−10:00) during standard time and HDT (UTC−09:00) during daylight saving time.

What is the UTC offset in Alaska?

Most of Alaska uses UTC−09:00 in standard time and UTC−08:00 during daylight saving time. The western Aleutian Islands use UTC−10:00 in standard time and UTC−09:00 during daylight saving time.

Does Alaska observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Both Alaska time zones observe DST. In 2026, daylight saving time runs from March 8 at 2:00 a.m. local time to November 1 at 2:00 a.m. local time.

Where does the Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone begin in Alaska?

Federal law places the Aleutian Islands west of 169°30′W in Hawaii-Aleutian Time. The rest of Alaska is in Alaska Time. See the Alaska Time Zone Map for the visual split.

Does Hawaii-Aleutian Time in Alaska observe DST?

Yes. Western Aleutian communities switch between HST and HDT. Hawaii itself is different: it stays on HST year-round and does not observe daylight saving time.

Why does Alaska have several IANA time zone IDs?

IANA preserves location-specific histories. America/Juneau, America/Sitka, America/Metlakatla, America/Yakutat, America/Anchorage and America/Nome have different historical records but follow the modern Alaska Time pattern, while America/Adak represents the western Aleutian area.

When did Alaska change from four time zones to two?

In 1983, a federal plan reduced Alaska from four time zones to two to simplify statewide communications and business. Most of Alaska moved into Alaska Time, while the far western Aleutians remained one hour behind.