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Arkansas • Live Time-Zone Reference

Arkansas Time Zone

Q: What time zone is Arkansas in?

Arkansas is entirely in Central Time. The state uses Central Standard Time (CST), UTC−06:00, during standard time and Central Daylight Time (CDT), UTC−05:00, during daylight saving time.

Q: How many time zones are in Arkansas?

Arkansas has one official time zone: Central Time. There is no federal time-zone boundary inside the state.

Q: Does Arkansas observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Under the current U.S. schedule, Arkansas observes daylight saving time. In 2026, DST runs from March 8 at 2:00 a.m. local time to November 1 at 2:00 a.m. local time.

Q: Does Arkansas have a time-zone boundary?

No. Current federal Eastern/Central and Central/Mountain time-zone boundaries do not divide Arkansas, so the state has no in-state time-zone split.

Q: What IANA time zone should I use for Arkansas?

Use America/Chicago for current and future Arkansas civil-time calculations. It applies the Central Time UTC offset and daylight-saving transitions by date.

Arkansas is entirely in Central Time (CT). The state uses CST during standard time and CDT during daylight saving time. Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Bentonville, Hot Springs, Jonesboro and every Arkansas county follow the same official time-zone rules.

Quick answer: Arkansas has one time zone. Standard time is CST (UTC−06:00); daylight time is CDT (UTC−05:00). Arkansas observes daylight saving time, and there is no in-state time-zone boundary to account for when traveling between Arkansas cities.

Official time zoneCentral TimeStatewide

Standard timeCST · UTC−06Central Standard Time

Daylight timeCDT · UTC−05When DST is active

Arkansas Time Zone at a Glance Current Time in Arkansas U.S. Time Zone Map

Search an Arkansas city, related state, time-zone name, abbreviation or UTC offset.

Arkansas Time Zone at a Glance

Everything needed to identify Arkansas time correctly: statewide Central Time, the current abbreviation and offset, DST rules, map context and the live current-time page.

Central Time in Arkansas

Arkansas follows Central Time statewide, with no second official time zone inside the state.

Central Time details → CST

Arkansas Standard Time

During standard time, Arkansas uses CST at UTC−06:00.

See CST now → CDT

Arkansas Daylight Time

During daylight saving time, Arkansas uses CDT at UTC−05:00.

See CDT now → DST

Arkansas Daylight Saving Time

Arkansas changes clocks in March and November under the current U.S. DST schedule.

See DST rules → ⌖

Arkansas on the U.S. Time Zone Map

See Arkansas inside the Central Time region and compare it with U.S. time-zone boundaries.

View U.S. map → ◷

Current Time in Arkansas

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

See Arkansas time now →

Arkansas Time Zone by Major City

Arkansas is a straightforward statewide case: every major city below uses the same Central Time rules. The live abbreviation and UTC offset change automatically with the date.

Current time across Arkansas →

Arkansas Location	Time Zone	Current Time	Current Abbreviation	Current UTC Offset	Reference
Little Rock	Central Time	Live	—	—	Arkansas current time
Fayetteville	Central Time	Live	—	—	Central Time
Fort Smith	Central Time	Live	—	—	Central Time
Bentonville	Central Time	Live	—	—	Central Time
Hot Springs	Central Time	Live	—	—	Central Time
Jonesboro	Central Time	Live	—	—	Central Time

Central Time Zone Current Time in Arkansas U.S. Time Zone Map

Arkansas Time-Zone Guides & Related States

Continue with the Central Time family, the official sibling state references, nearby states and tools that help when Arkansas time is compared with another location.

All U.S. time zones →

Zone familyCentral TimeThe time zone used throughout Arkansas.→ Standard timeCSTUTC−06:00 in Arkansas during standard time.→ Daylight timeCDTUTC−05:00 in Arkansas while DST is active.→ Seasonal ruleDaylight Saving TimeWhy Arkansas changes clocks twice a year.→ Related stateAlabamaAnother Central Time state reference.→ Related stateIllinoisCentral Time reference in the Midwest.→ Neighboring stateOklahomaCentral Time immediately west of Arkansas.→ Neighboring stateTennesseeCentral Time near Arkansas, with Eastern Time farther east.→ Live statewide timeCurrent Time in ArkansasCurrent clock and date for the state.→ Visual referenceU.S. Time Zone MapSee Arkansas inside the Central Time region.→ Conversion toolTime Zone ConverterConvert Arkansas time to another location.→ U.S. directoryU.S. Time ZonesAll state references and major U.S. zones.→

Arkansas Live Reference

Arkansas Central Time & UTC Now

Arkansas stays in Central Time statewide. The abbreviation changes between CST and CDT, so the UTC offset moves between UTC−06:00 and UTC−05:00 while the IANA zone remains America/Chicago.

Central Time CST CDT UTC Time UTC Offsets

Arkansas · Central TimeLive timeAmerica/Chicago · current abbreviation and offset

New York · Eastern TimeLive timeTypical one-hour comparison when U.S. DST schedules align

UTC ReferenceLive timeCoordinated Universal Time · UTC+00:00

Statewide Zone Count1 zoneAll 75 Arkansas counties use Central Time.

Arkansas UTC Offset & City Reference

Arkansas does not have one fixed UTC offset for the entire year. It is UTC−06:00 during CST and UTC−05:00 during CDT, with the same rule applying statewide.

Explore UTC offsets →

Arkansas Area	IANA Zone	Current Time	Current UTC Offset	Seasonal Rule
Little Rock / Central Arkansas	America/Chicago	Live	—	CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Fayetteville / Northwest Arkansas	America/Chicago	Live	—	CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Fort Smith / Western Arkansas	America/Chicago	Live	—	CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Bentonville / Northwest Arkansas	America/Chicago	Live	—	CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Hot Springs / Central Arkansas	America/Chicago	Live	—	CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Jonesboro / Northeast Arkansas	America/Chicago	Live	—	CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05

Arkansas Central Time Abbreviations

Arkansas uses the Central Time umbrella statewide. The fixed abbreviation changes with the season: CST during standard time and CDT during daylight saving time.

Central Time (CT)Central Standard Time (CST) · UTC−06:00 Central Daylight Time (CDT) · UTC−05:00 All Time Zone Abbreviations

One Statewide Civil-Time Rule

All 75 Arkansas counties use the same Central Time schedule. A trip from Little Rock to Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Bentonville, Hot Springs or Jonesboro does not cross an official time-zone boundary.

Current Time in Arkansas U.S. Time Zones U.S. Time Zone Map Daylight Saving Time by State

Arkansas Standard Time vs Daylight Time

Arkansas observes daylight saving time. The state moves from CST to CDT in spring and returns to CST in fall, while remaining inside the Central Time zone.

Daylight Saving Time guide →

Arkansas Zone	Standard Time	Standard Offset	Daylight Time	Daylight Offset
Central Time (statewide)	CST	UTC−06:00	CDT	UTC−05:00

Arkansas DST Rules When DST Starts When DST Ends DST by State

Compare Arkansas Central Time

Compare the current moment in Arkansas with Eastern, Mountain, Pacific, UTC or major world locations. For a specific date and clock time, open the full converter.

From

Live time

Current abbreviation and UTC offset

Live time

Current abbreviation and UTC offset

Open Full Converter Time Zone Difference

How Arkansas Time Works

Six facts answer nearly every Arkansas time-zone question, including whether the whole state shares one clock and why the UTC offset changes during the year.

01 · Official Zone

Arkansas Is Central Time

The entire state belongs to the Central Time zone. Arkansas has no official Eastern or Mountain Time area.

02 · Statewide

All 75 Counties Share One Clock

There is no in-state time-zone boundary, so every Arkansas county follows the same official civil-time rule.

03 · Standard Time

CST Is UTC−06:00

When daylight saving time is not active, Arkansas uses Central Standard Time, six hours behind UTC.

04 · Daylight Time

CDT Is UTC−05:00

During daylight saving time, Arkansas advances one hour to Central Daylight Time.

05 · DST

Arkansas Changes Clocks

Under current U.S. rules, Arkansas moves forward in March and back in November.

06 · IANA

Use America/Chicago

America/Chicago supplies the date-aware Central Time rules used for live Arkansas clocks and UTC offsets.

Does All of Arkansas Have the Same Time?

Yes. Arkansas uses Central Time statewide. Current federal Eastern/Central and Central/Mountain boundaries do not divide Arkansas, so there is no county, city or regional time-zone split inside the state.

75 countiesArkansas has 75 counties, and all of them share the same Central Time rules.

No in-state zone lineYou do not change official time zones when driving between Arkansas regions or major cities.

One seasonal scheduleWhen Arkansas changes between CST and CDT, the whole state changes together.

See the U.S. Time Zone Map Central Time Zone

Why Use America/Chicago for Arkansas?

America/Chicago is the practical IANA identifier for Arkansas civil time. It is not saying Arkansas is physically in Chicago; it is a ruleset that supplies the Central Time offset and U.S. daylight-saving transitions for the requested date.

This matters because “UTC−6” alone is not a complete year-round Arkansas time-zone description. Arkansas is UTC−06:00 during CST but UTC−05:00 during CDT, while America/Chicago automatically applies the correct seasonal rule.

UTC Offsets Time Zone Chart Daylight Saving Time What Time Zone Am I In?

Visual Geography

Arkansas on the U.S. Time Zone Map

Arkansas sits entirely within the Central Time region. The U.S. map is the best visual reference because Arkansas does not have a separate state-map page and does not contain an internal time-zone boundary.

U.S. Time Zone Map Central Time Zone Map Time Zone Map

Looking for the Current Time in Arkansas?

This page explains Arkansas time-zone rules, UTC offsets, abbreviations and DST. If your main question is what time it is in Arkansas right now, use the live statewide current-time page.

Statewide current timeCurrent Time in Arkansas

Zone referenceCentral Time Zone

U.S. directoryU.S. Time Zones

Visual referenceU.S. Time Zone Map

Related Arkansas & U.S. Time-Zone References

U.S. Time Zones Central Time Zone Alabama Time Zone Illinois Time Zone Oklahoma Time Zone Tennessee Time Zone Daylight Saving Time U.S. Time Zone Map

Arkansas Time-Zone Tools

Time Zone Converter Time Zone Difference Time Zone Meeting Planner Time Zone Chart Time Zone Abbreviations UTC Offsets What Time Zone Am I In?All Time Zones

Sources & Methodology

CalendarHours uses location-aware, date-aware time-zone logic rather than permanently hardcoding Arkansas as UTC−6 or UTC−5. America/Chicago supplies the Central Time rules used throughout Arkansas.

The IANA Time Zone Database is the primary rules source for civil offsets and 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; federal standard-time boundaries are checked against 49 CFR Part 71; and the statewide 75-county fact is checked against Arkansas state government sources.

IANA — Time Zone Database NIST — Daylight Saving Time Rules eCFR — 49 CFR Part 71, Standard Time Zone Boundaries Arkansas Department of Health — 75 Arkansas Counties 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.

Arkansas Time Zone FAQ

What time zone is Arkansas in?

Arkansas is entirely in Central Time. The state uses CST (UTC−06:00) in standard time and CDT (UTC−05:00) during daylight saving time.

How many time zones are in Arkansas?

Arkansas has one official time zone: Central Time. There is no federal time-zone boundary inside the state.

Does all of Arkansas have the same time?

Yes. All 75 Arkansas counties share the same official Central Time rules, so Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Bentonville, Hot Springs and Jonesboro are on the same clock.

Is Arkansas on CST or CDT right now?

Arkansas uses CST during standard time and CDT during daylight saving time. The live clock at the top calculates the current abbreviation for today’s date.

What is the UTC offset in Arkansas?

Arkansas is UTC−06:00 during Central Standard Time and UTC−05:00 during Central Daylight Time.

Does Arkansas observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Under the current U.S. schedule, Arkansas observes 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.

What time zone is Little Rock, Arkansas in?

Little Rock is in Central Time and follows the same CST/CDT schedule as the rest of Arkansas.

What time zone are Fayetteville and Bentonville in?

Fayetteville and Bentonville are in Central Time. Northwest Arkansas follows the same official time-zone schedule as the rest of the state.

Does Arkansas have a time-zone boundary?

No. Current federal time-zone boundaries do not divide Arkansas, so the state has no in-state time-zone split.

What IANA time zone should I use for Arkansas?

Use America/Chicago for current and future Arkansas civil-time calculations. It applies the correct Central Time UTC offset and daylight-saving transition for the requested date.