Where Does Central Time Begin in Florida?
The official Eastern–Central boundary is more precise than a simple “Panhandle” label. Under 49 CFR §71.5(f), the line starts at Florida's border with southwest Georgia, reaches the midpoint of the Apalachicola River below Jim Woodruff Dam, follows the river south to the Jackson River, turns west along the Jackson River and Intracoastal Waterway, then follows the west line of Gulf County south to the Gulf of Mexico.
In practical county terms, nine counties are entirely on the Central Time side: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson and Calhoun. Gulf County is split. The rest of Florida is on Eastern Time.
Pensacola, Destin & Panama CityCentral Time. These western Panhandle destinations use CST in standard time and CDT during daylight saving time.
TallahasseeEastern Time. Florida's capital is east of the federal time-zone boundary even though it is in the Panhandle region.
Gulf CountySplit between the two zones. The boundary turns through waterways and then follows the county's west line, so a county name alone is not enough to determine the clock for every location.
Is Florida Switching to Permanent Daylight Saving Time?
Florida still follows seasonal clock changes. The 2018 Sunshine Protection Act expresses the Legislature's intent to make daylight saving time the year-round standard if federal law is changed to authorize states to do so.
The Florida Senate's official bill summary also notes that further action by a future Florida Legislature may be required even if federal law changes. For current schedules, use the live IANA-based clocks above rather than assuming Florida is permanently on EDT or CDT.
