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Indiana • Live Time-Zone Reference

Indiana Time Zone

Indiana has two time zones. Most of the state—including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend and Bloomington—uses Eastern Time (ET). Twelve counties in northwest and southwest Indiana use Central Time (CT). All Indiana counties currently observe daylight saving time.

Quick answer: Indianapolis is on Eastern Time. Evansville and Gary are on Central Time. Indiana has 92 counties: 80 use Eastern Time and 12 use Central Time. Because both sides follow the same U.S. DST schedule, the Central side is normally one hour behind the Eastern side.
Time zones2Eastern + Central
Most countiesEastern Time80 of 92 counties
Central counties12Northwest + southwest
Indiana Time Zones at a Glance Indiana Time Zone Map Current Time in Indiana
Search an Indiana city, Central Time county, nearby state, abbreviation or UTC offset.
Popular: U.S. Time Zones Eastern Time Central Time EST EDT CST CDT Daylight Saving Time

Indiana Time Zone at a Glance

Use these references to understand Indiana's two-zone split, the 12 Central Time counties, current offsets, daylight-saving changes and the cities on each clock.

ET

Eastern Time in Indiana

Eighty of Indiana's 92 counties use Eastern Time, including Indianapolis and most of the state.

Eastern Time details → CT

Central Time in Indiana

Twelve counties in northwest and southwest Indiana use Central Time.

Central Time details → DST

Indiana Daylight Saving Time

All 92 counties currently move forward in March and back in November under the U.S. schedule.

See DST rules → ⌖

Indiana Time Zone Map

See the Eastern–Central county boundary in northwest and southwest Indiana.

View Indiana map → ◷

Current Time in Indiana

Open the statewide current-time page when your main task is to see Indiana's clocks right now.

See Indiana time now → ⇄

Indiana Time Converter

Convert Eastern or Central Indiana time to another location for a specific date and clock time.

Convert Indiana time →

Indiana Time Zones by Major City

Indianapolis and most Indiana cities use Eastern Time. Evansville, Gary and several communities near Chicago or the southwest corner use Central Time.

Current time across Indiana →
Indiana LocationCurrent TimeCurrent AbbreviationCurrent UTC OffsetReference
IndianapolisLive——Indianapolis Time Zone
Fort WayneLive——Eastern Indiana reference
South BendLive——Eastern Indiana reference
BloomingtonLive——Eastern Indiana reference
EvansvilleLive——Evansville time now
GaryLive——Central Indiana reference
Michigan CityLive——Central Indiana reference
ValparaisoLive——Central Indiana reference
Eastern Time Zone Central Time Zone Indiana Time Zone Map

Indiana Time-Zone Guides & Nearby References

Continue by city, zone family, adjacent state, current-time page or the dedicated Indiana boundary map.

All U.S. time zones →
Indiana city ownerIndianapolisEastern Time · EST/EDT.→ Primary Indiana zoneEastern TimeUsed by 80 of Indiana's 92 counties.→ Indiana exception zoneCentral TimeUsed by 12 northwest and southwest counties.→ Official sibling stateIllinoisCentral Time immediately west of Indiana.→ Official sibling stateOhioEastern Time immediately east of Indiana.→ Live statewide timeCurrent Time in IndianaEastern and Central Indiana clocks now.→ Capital live timeIndianapolisCurrent Eastern Time in the capital.→ Central Indiana live timeEvansvilleCurrent Central Time in southwest Indiana.→ Visual referenceIndiana Time Zone MapSee the county boundary visually.→ Zone mapEastern Time MapSee the wider Eastern Time region.→ Zone mapCentral Time MapSee the wider Central Time region.→ U.S. directoryU.S. Time ZonesAll state references and major U.S. zones.→
Two Indiana Clocks

Eastern & Central Time in Indiana Now

Both Indiana zones observe the same federal daylight-saving schedule, so Central Time remains one hour behind Eastern Time. Current abbreviations and UTC offsets are calculated from the date instead of being permanently hardcoded.

Eastern Time EST EDT Central Time CST CDT
Indianapolis · EasternLive timeAmerica/Indiana/Indianapolis · current abbreviation and offset
Evansville · CentralLive timeAmerica/Chicago · current abbreviation and offset
UTC ReferenceLive timeCoordinated Universal Time · UTC+00:00
Indiana Zone Difference1 hourCentral Time is normally one hour behind Eastern Time.

Indiana UTC Offsets: Eastern vs Central

Indiana does not have one statewide UTC offset. The correct offset depends on the county and the date.

Explore UTC offsets →
Indiana AreaIANA ZoneCurrent TimeCurrent UTC OffsetSeasonal Rule
Indianapolis / Central IndianaAmerica/Indiana/IndianapolisLive—EST UTC−05 → EDT UTC−04
Fort Wayne / Northeast IndianaAmerica/Indiana/IndianapolisLive—EST UTC−05 → EDT UTC−04
South Bend / North-Central IndianaAmerica/Indiana/IndianapolisLive—EST UTC−05 → EDT UTC−04
Lake / Porter / LaPorte areaAmerica/ChicagoLive—CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Evansville / Vanderburgh CountyAmerica/ChicagoLive—CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Starke CountyAmerica/Indiana/KnoxLive—CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Perry CountyAmerica/Indiana/Tell_CityLive—CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05

Indiana Standard Time vs Daylight Time

All Indiana counties currently observe the federal daylight-saving schedule. Both zones move forward in March and return to standard time in November.

Daylight Saving Time guide →
Indiana ZoneStandard TimeStandard OffsetDaylight TimeDaylight Offset
Eastern Time (80 counties)ESTUTC−05:00EDTUTC−04:00
Central Time (12 counties)CSTUTC−06:00CDTUTC−05:00
Indiana DST Rules When DST Starts When DST Ends DST by State

Compare Indiana Eastern & Central Time

Compare Indianapolis with Evansville or switch either side to another 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 Indiana Time Zones Work

Six facts explain most Indiana time-zone questions, from why Indianapolis is Eastern to why counties near Chicago and Evansville use Central Time.

01 · Majority

80 Counties Use Eastern Time

Most of Indiana, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Bloomington and Lafayette, follows Eastern Time.

02 · Central Exceptions

12 Counties Use Central Time

Six counties in northwest Indiana and six in southwest Indiana use Central Time for regional alignment with nearby metro areas.

03 · Northwest

Chicago-Area Counties Use Central

Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter and Starke are the six northwest Central Time counties.

04 · Southwest

Evansville-Area Counties Use Central

Gibson, Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick are the six southwest Central Time counties.

05 · DST

All 92 Counties Observe DST

Indiana now changes clocks statewide under the same U.S. daylight-saving schedule.

06 · IANA History

Indiana Has Multiple IANA IDs

Indiana-specific identifiers preserve different county histories even when several counties share the same present-day Eastern or Central rule.

Which Indiana Counties Are in Central Time?

Twelve Indiana counties use Central Time. The state government lists six in northwest Indiana and six in southwest Indiana. Every other Indiana county uses Eastern Time.

Northwest IndianaJasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter and Starke.
Southwest IndianaGibson, Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick.
All remaining countiesThe other 80 counties use Eastern Time, including Marion County (Indianapolis).
See the Indiana Time Zone MapCurrent Time in Indiana

Where Is the Eastern–Central Boundary in Indiana?

The legal boundary follows county lines rather than a simple longitude. Under 49 CFR §71.5(b), the line crosses northern Indiana along LaPorte, Starke, Marshall, Pulaski, Jasper and Newton County boundaries, then follows the Illinois state line south before wrapping around the southwest Central Time counties near Gibson, Warrick, Spencer and Perry.

The regulation also states that municipalities located directly on the described boundary line are assigned to Central Standard Time. For trip planning near the boundary, the county or exact city matters more than a broad “north” or “south” label.

Indiana Time Zone Map Eastern Time Zone Central Time Zone Time Zone Chart
Visual Geography

Indiana Time Zone Map

Indiana's two-zone pattern is easiest to understand visually: most of the state is Eastern Time, while Central Time appears in two clusters—six counties in the northwest near Chicago and six in the southwest around Evansville.

Indiana Time Zone Map Eastern Time Zone Map Central Time Zone Map

Looking for the Current Time in Indiana?

This page explains Indiana time zones, county exceptions, UTC offsets, abbreviations, boundaries and DST. If your main question is what time it is right now, use the statewide, Indianapolis or Evansville current-time pages.

Statewide current timeCurrent Time in Indiana
Eastern Time clockCurrent Time in Indianapolis
Central Time clockCurrent Time in Evansville
City zone guideIndianapolis Time Zone

Sources & Methodology

CalendarHours uses location-aware, date-aware time-zone logic rather than treating Indiana as one fixed UTC offset. America/Indiana/Indianapolis represents most of Eastern Indiana; America/Chicago is used for current Central Time comparisons, while Indiana-specific IANA zones such as America/Indiana/Knox and America/Indiana/Tell_City preserve important county histories.

Indiana's current county split is checked against IN.gov and Visit Indiana. The federal boundary is checked against 49 CFR §71.5, U.S. daylight-saving dates against NIST, and civil-time rules against the IANA Time Zone Database.

IN.gov — Indiana Time Zone Information Visit Indiana — Indiana Time Zones & County List eCFR — 49 CFR §71.5 Eastern–Central Boundary NIST — Daylight Saving Time Rules IANA — Time Zone Database Time.gov — Official U.S. Time

Reviewed August 20, 2026. This URL is evergreen; live clocks, current abbreviations and UTC offsets update automatically from supported browser time-zone data.

Indiana Time Zone FAQ

What time zone is Indiana in?

Indiana uses two time zones. Most of the state, including Indianapolis, uses Eastern Time. Twelve counties in northwest and southwest Indiana use Central Time.

How many time zones are in Indiana?

Indiana has two official time zones: Eastern Time and Central Time. Eighty of its 92 counties use Eastern Time and 12 use Central Time.

Which Indiana counties are in Central Time?

Northwest: Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter and Starke. Southwest: Gibson, Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick.

Is Indianapolis Eastern or Central Time?

Indianapolis is in Eastern Time. It uses EST (UTC−05:00) during standard time and EDT (UTC−04:00) during daylight saving time.

Is Evansville Eastern or Central Time?

Evansville is in Vanderburgh County, one of Indiana's Central Time counties. It uses CST in standard time and CDT during daylight saving time.

Does Indiana observe daylight saving time?

Yes. All Indiana counties currently observe DST. In 2026, it runs from March 8 at 2:00 a.m. local time to November 1 at 2:00 a.m. local time.

What is Indiana's UTC offset?

Eastern Indiana uses UTC−05:00 in standard time and UTC−04:00 in daylight time. Central Indiana uses UTC−06:00 in standard time and UTC−05:00 in daylight time.

Where is the Eastern and Central Time boundary in Indiana?

The federal boundary follows county lines through northwest and southwest Indiana. See the Indiana Time Zone Map for the visual pattern.

What IANA time zone should I use for Indiana?

America/Indiana/Indianapolis represents most of Eastern Indiana. America/Chicago is suitable for current Central Time comparisons, while IANA also maintains Indiana-specific historical identifiers such as America/Indiana/Knox and America/Indiana/Tell_City.

Are Indianapolis and Evansville the same time?

No. Indianapolis is in Eastern Time and Evansville is in Central Time, so Indianapolis is normally one hour ahead.