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Nebraska • Live Time-Zone Reference

Nebraska Time Zone

Nebraska has two time zones. Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte and most of the state use Central Time (CT). Western Nebraska—including Scottsbluff and 18 entire counties plus the western part of Cherry County—uses Mountain Time (MT).

Quick answer: Most Nebraska residents use Central Time. The western Mountain Time area is normally one hour behind Omaha and Lincoln. Cherry County is split by the federal boundary, making Nebraska more complex than a simple county-only division.
Time zones2Central + Mountain
Most of NebraskaCentral TimeCST / CDT
Western NebraskaMountain TimeMST / MDT
Nebraska Time Zones at a Glance Nebraska Time Zone Map Current Time in Nebraska
Search a Nebraska city, county, related state, time-zone name, abbreviation or UTC offset.
Popular: U.S. Time Zones Central Time Mountain Time Omaha Time Zone Nebraska Time Now Nebraska Time Zone Map Daylight Saving Time

Nebraska Time Zone at a Glance

Nebraska's Central–Mountain split follows a detailed federal boundary through the Sandhills and western part of the state rather than one simple longitude or county line.

CT

Central Time in Nebraska

Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte and most of Nebraska use Central Time.

Central Time details → MT

Mountain Time in Nebraska

18 western counties plus the western part of Cherry County use Mountain Time.

Mountain Time details → DST

Nebraska Daylight Saving Time

Both Nebraska zones currently change clocks in March and November under the U.S. DST schedule.

See DST rules → ⌖

Nebraska Time Zone Map

See the legal Central–Mountain boundary, including its path through Cherry County and western Nebraska.

View Nebraska map → OMA

Omaha Time Zone

Omaha has a dedicated Central Time reference for city-specific offset, abbreviation and DST questions.

Open Omaha guide → ⇄

Nebraska Time Converter

Convert Central or Mountain Nebraska time to another location for a specific date and time.

Convert Nebraska time →

Nebraska Time Zones by Major City

Nebraska cities span both zones. Omaha and Lincoln are Central; Scottsbluff and several western communities are Mountain.

Current time across Nebraska →
Nebraska LocationCurrent TimeCurrent AbbreviationCurrent UTC OffsetReference
Omaha · Douglas CountyLive——Omaha Time Zone
Lincoln · Lancaster CountyLive——Central Nebraska reference
Grand Island · Hall CountyLive——Central Nebraska reference
Kearney · Buffalo CountyLive——Central Nebraska reference
North Platte · Lincoln CountyLive——Central Nebraska reference
Scottsbluff · Scotts Bluff CountyLive——Mountain Time
Alliance · Box Butte CountyLive——Mountain Time
Chadron · Dawes CountyLive——Mountain Time
Central Time Zone Mountain Time Zone Nebraska Time Zone Map

Nebraska Time-Zone Guides & Nearby References

Continue with Nebraska's two zone families, Omaha, official neighboring-state references, live statewide time or the dedicated boundary map.

All U.S. time zones →
Primary Nebraska zoneCentral TimeUsed by Omaha, Lincoln, North Platte and most of Nebraska.→ Western Nebraska zoneMountain TimeUsed by 18 full counties plus western Cherry County.→ City ownerOmahaCentral Time · CST/CDT · America/Chicago.→ Official related stateKansasAnother Central–Mountain state south of Nebraska.→ Official related stateSouth DakotaAnother Central–Mountain state north of Nebraska.→ Live statewide timeCurrent Time in NebraskaCentral and Mountain clocks side by side.→ Live city timeCurrent Time in OmahaOmaha current clock and date.→ Visual referenceNebraska Time Zone MapSee the detailed legal boundary and split Cherry County.→ Zone mapCentral Time Zone MapSee most of Nebraska in the broader Central region.→ Zone mapMountain Time Zone MapSee western Nebraska in the broader Mountain region.→ Seasonal rulesDaylight Saving TimeCurrent U.S. clock-change dates and rules.→ U.S. directoryU.S. Time ZonesAll state references and major U.S. zones.→
Two Nebraska Clocks

Central & Mountain Time in Nebraska Now

Both Nebraska zones follow the same U.S. daylight-saving schedule, so Mountain Time Nebraska normally remains one hour behind Central Time Nebraska. Current abbreviations and UTC offsets are calculated from the date.

Central Time CST CDT Mountain Time MST MDT
Omaha · CentralLive timeAmerica/Chicago · current abbreviation and offset
Scottsbluff · MountainLive timeAmerica/Denver · current abbreviation and offset
UTC ReferenceLive timeCoordinated Universal Time · UTC+00:00
Nebraska Zone Difference1 hourMountain Time is normally one hour behind Central Time.

Nebraska UTC Offsets: Central vs Mountain

Nebraska does not have one statewide UTC offset. The correct offset depends on location and date.

Explore UTC offsets →
Nebraska AreaIANA ZoneCurrent TimeCurrent UTC OffsetSeasonal Rule
Omaha / Eastern NebraskaAmerica/ChicagoLive—CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Lincoln / Southeast NebraskaAmerica/ChicagoLive—CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
North Platte / Lincoln CountyAmerica/ChicagoLive—CST UTC−06 → CDT UTC−05
Scottsbluff / Scotts Bluff CountyAmerica/DenverLive—MST UTC−07 → MDT UTC−06
Alliance / Box Butte CountyAmerica/DenverLive—MST UTC−07 → MDT UTC−06
Western Cherry CountyAmerica/DenverLive—MST UTC−07 → MDT UTC−06

Nebraska Standard Time vs Daylight Time

Both Nebraska time zones currently observe the U.S. daylight-saving schedule, preserving their normal one-hour difference through the year.

Daylight Saving Time guide →
Nebraska ZoneStandard TimeStandard OffsetDaylight TimeDaylight Offset
Central Time · most of NebraskaCSTUTC−06:00CDTUTC−05:00
Mountain Time · western NebraskaMSTUTC−07:00MDTUTC−06:00
Nebraska DST Rules When DST Starts When DST Ends DST by State

Compare Nebraska Central & Mountain Time

Compare Omaha with Scottsbluff, or switch either side to another U.S. or world location. The live comparison uses each location's current civil-time rules.

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

How Nebraska Time Zones Work

Six facts explain nearly every Nebraska time-zone question, including why Cherry County is split and why North Platte and Scottsbluff do not share the same clock.

01 · Majority

Most of Nebraska Uses Central Time

Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney and North Platte are all on the Central Time side.

02 · Mountain

18 Full Counties Use Mountain Time

The Mountain region includes the Panhandle plus Arthur, Chase, Dundy, Grant, Hooker, Keith and Perkins counties.

03 · Cherry County

One County Is Split

The legal line passes through Cherry County: its western part is Mountain Time and its eastern part is Central Time.

04 · Boundary

The Line Uses Survey & County Lines

49 CFR §71.7 traces detailed range, township, section and county boundaries through Nebraska.

05 · Boundary Towns

Municipalities on the Line Are Mountain

The current federal rule assigns municipalities directly on this zone boundary to Mountain Standard Time.

06 · DST

Both Nebraska Zones Observe DST

Central and Mountain Nebraska currently change clocks on the same federal schedule, preserving their normal one-hour difference.

Which Nebraska Counties Are in Mountain Time?

Eighteen Nebraska counties are entirely in Mountain Time: Arthur, Banner, Box Butte, Chase, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Dundy, Garden, Grant, Hooker, Keith, Kimball, Morrill, Perkins, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan and Sioux. The western part of Cherry County is also in Mountain Time.

PanhandleBanner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Garden, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan and Sioux are Mountain Time.
Additional western countiesArthur, Chase, Dundy, Grant, Hooker, Keith and Perkins are Mountain Time.
Cherry County exceptionWestern Cherry County is Mountain Time; eastern Cherry County is Central Time.
See the Nebraska Time Zone MapMountain Time Zone

Where Does the Time Zone Change in Nebraska?

The legal boundary is defined in 49 CFR §71.7(c). From the South Dakota line it follows survey range, township and section lines through north-central Nebraska, then county boundaries involving Thomas, McPherson, Keith, Lincoln, Hayes and Hitchcock counties before reaching Kansas.

The result is a jagged boundary rather than a clean vertical line. That explains why North Platte remains in Central Time while Ogallala in Keith County is in Mountain Time, and why Cherry County is split. Under §71.7(g), municipalities located directly on the boundary are assigned to the Mountain Standard Time zone.

Nebraska Time Zone Map Central Time Zone Mountain Time Zone Time Zone Chart
Visual Geography

Nebraska Time Zone Map

Nebraska's boundary is unusually detailed and cannot be understood accurately as a straight east–west split. The dedicated map is the best way to see the 18 full Mountain Time counties, split Cherry County, the Panhandle and the line's relationship to I-80 and major cities.

Nebraska Time Zone Map Central Time Zone Map Mountain Time Zone Map

Looking for the Current Time in Nebraska?

This page explains Nebraska time zones, UTC offsets, abbreviations, the federal boundary and DST. If your main question is what time it is right now, use the statewide or Omaha current-time page.

Statewide current timeCurrent Time in Nebraska
Omaha current timeCurrent Time in Omaha
Omaha zone guideOmaha Time Zone
Visual boundaryNebraska Time Zone Map

Sources & Methodology

CalendarHours uses location-aware, date-aware time-zone logic rather than hardcoding one Nebraska offset. America/Chicago is used for Omaha, Lincoln and most of the state; America/Denver is used for western Nebraska locations such as Scottsbluff.

The current Central–Mountain boundary is checked against 49 CFR §71.7(c), including the municipality-on-boundary rule in §71.7(g). U.S. daylight-saving dates are checked against NIST. Nebraska's 93-county geography is checked against Nebraska.gov, and current time-change legislation is checked against the Nebraska Legislature.

IANA — Time Zone Database eCFR — 49 CFR §71.7 Central–Mountain Boundary NIST — Daylight Saving Time Rules Nebraska.gov — County Listings Nebraska Legislature — LB302

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

Nebraska Time Zone FAQ

What time zone is Nebraska in?

Nebraska uses two time zones. Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte and most of the state use Central Time, while western Nebraska uses Mountain Time.

How many time zones are in Nebraska?

Nebraska has two official time zones: Central Time and Mountain Time.

Which Nebraska counties are in Mountain Time?

Mountain Time includes Arthur, Banner, Box Butte, Chase, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Dundy, Garden, Grant, Hooker, Keith, Kimball, Morrill, Perkins, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan and Sioux counties, plus the western part of Cherry County.

Is Cherry County, Nebraska in two time zones?

Yes. The federal boundary crosses Cherry County. Its western part is Mountain Time while its eastern part is Central Time.

Is Omaha in Central Time?

Yes. Omaha uses CST (UTC−06:00) during standard time and CDT (UTC−05:00) during daylight saving time. See the Omaha Time Zone guide.

Is Lincoln, Nebraska in Central Time?

Yes. Lincoln is in Central Time and follows the same CST/CDT schedule as Omaha.

Is Scottsbluff in Mountain Time?

Yes. Scottsbluff uses MST (UTC−07:00) during standard time and MDT (UTC−06:00) during daylight saving time.

Is North Platte in Central Time?

Yes. North Platte remains on the Central Time side of the federal Nebraska boundary.

Where does the time zone change in Nebraska?

The federal boundary in 49 CFR §71.7(c) follows detailed township, range, section and county lines through north-central and western Nebraska before reaching Kansas.

What time zone are Nebraska municipalities on the boundary in?

Under 49 CFR §71.7(g), municipalities located directly on the Central–Mountain boundary are assigned to the Mountain Standard Time zone.

Does Nebraska observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Both Nebraska zones currently 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.

What IANA time zones should I use for Nebraska?

Use America/Chicago for Omaha, Lincoln and most of Nebraska, and America/Denver for western Nebraska locations such as Scottsbluff.

Is Nebraska ending daylight saving time?

No change is in force. LB34, which proposed year-round daylight saving time, and LB302, which proposed eliminating daylight saving time under specified conditions, were both indefinitely postponed on April 17, 2026.