CalendarHours
Home / Time Zones / Time Zone Abbreviations / Pacific Time Zone
Pacific Time • PST ↔ PDT • Live Zone Guide

Pacific Time Zone

Pacific Time (PT) uses Pacific Standard Time (PST), UTC−08:00, in standard time and Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), UTC−07:00, in seasonal U.S. locations. On August 21, 2026, representative Pacific Time cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco are on PDT / UTC−07:00.

PT is the year-round zone family; PST and PDT are its seasonal forms. Do not label Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland or Las Vegas “PST” year-round. Use PT when the date is unspecified, then derive PST vs PDT from the date. For many U.S. software use cases, America/Los_Angeles is the representative IANA zone—but Pacific Time is broader than one identifier.
Standard timePST · UTC−08Pacific Standard Time
Daylight timePDT · UTC−07Pacific Daylight Time
Representative IANAAmerica/Los_AngelesLocation-specific rules matter
Pacific Time Now Time Zone Converter Pacific Time Zone Map
Search PT, PST, PDT, a city, an IANA zone, DST dates or a related Pacific Time reference.
Popular: PST Time Now PDT Time Now Time Zone Abbreviations Mountain Time Zone Time Zone Converter Pacific Time Zone Map

Pacific Time Zone at a Glance

The standard PST↔PDT answer still works for the U.S. West Coast and Baja California. It no longer describes every place called “Pacific Time” after British Columbia's 2026 move to permanent UTC−07:00.

PT

Pacific Time Now

See the live representative PT clock with the correct current PST or PDT abbreviation.

See live PT → PST

PST vs PDT

Understand UTC−08:00 standard time, UTC−07:00 daylight time and when each applies.

Compare PST & PDT → DST

2026 DST Dates

Seasonal U.S. Pacific locations changed March 8 and return November 1, 2026.

See 2026 changes → USA

U.S. Pacific Time States

See California, Washington and the Oregon, Nevada and Idaho boundary exceptions.

See U.S. geography → IANA

Pacific Time IANA Zones

Learn why America/Los_Angeles, America/Vancouver and America/Tijuana should not be treated as interchangeable strings.

See IANA examples → BC

Vancouver Changed in 2026

Vancouver now stays UTC−07:00 while Los Angeles still returns to PST / UTC−08:00.

See the new winter gap →

Pacific Time Now — PST or PDT?

The current abbreviation depends on the date. This table uses America/Los_Angeles as the representative seasonal U.S. Pacific Time clock.

Browse time-zone abbreviations →
ReferenceIANA ZoneLive TimeCurrent AbbreviationCurrent UTC OffsetZone Family
Seasonal Pacific TimeAmerica/Los_AngelesLive——PT · PST ↔ PDT

Use PT for year-round, date-unspecified references. Use PST only when UTC−08:00 standard time applies, and PDT only when UTC−07:00 daylight time applies.

Pacific Standard Time Pacific Daylight Time Convert Pacific Time

Pacific Time Reference Pages

Move between the PT family, seasonal abbreviations, neighboring U.S. zones, geographic current time and visual geography.

Parent ReferenceTime Zone AbbreviationsBrowse PT, PST, PDT and other global abbreviation families.→ Standard-Time FormPST Time NowPacific Standard Time is the fixed UTC−08:00 abbreviation.→ Daylight-Time FormPDT Time NowPacific Daylight Time is the UTC−07:00 seasonal abbreviation.→ Adjacent Seasonal ReferenceMDT Time NowMountain Daylight Time is one hour ahead of PDT.→ Neighboring U.S. ZoneMountain Time ZoneRepresentative U.S. Mountain Time is normally one hour ahead of seasonal PT.→ Geographic DiscoveryWorld ClockFind current local time by city, state, country or location.→ Visual GeographyPacific Time Zone MapSee U.S. Pacific Time boundaries and split states visually.→ ConversionTime Zone ConverterConvert PT for any date with PST/PDT applied automatically.→

Which U.S. States Are in the Pacific Time Zone?

Pacific Time is used in all or part of five continental U.S. states. California and Washington are wholly in the federal Pacific zone; Oregon, Nevada and Idaho include Mountain Time areas or boundary exceptions.

See all U.S. time zones →
CoverageStatesImportant Boundary Detail
Pacific Time statewideCalifornia, WashingtonSeasonal PST UTC−08 ↔ PDT UTC−07 under current U.S. law
Mostly PacificOregonMost of Oregon uses PT; most of Malheur County is in Mountain Time
Mostly PacificNevadaMost of Nevada uses PT; West Wendover is federally placed in Mountain Time
Split Pacific + MountainIdahoNorthern Idaho is in Pacific Time; southern/eastern Idaho is in Mountain Time

The federal Pacific zone is defined in 49 CFR §71.10 as the continental U.S. west of the Mountain–Pacific boundary in §71.9, excluding Alaska. The boundary follows state, county, river and municipal lines—not a simple longitude.

PT = PST ↔ PDT

Seasonal U.S. Pacific Time Has Two UTC Offsets

Pacific Standard Time (PST) is UTC−08:00. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) is UTC−07:00. In U.S. Pacific Time locations that observe daylight saving time, clocks change on the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. “Pacific Time” or “PT” is the safest year-round label for seasonal U.S. use.

PST Time Now PDT Time Now 2026 DST Dates Convert PT
Los AngelesLive timeLoading current offset
SeattleLive timeLoading current offset
Vancouver, BCLive timeLoading current offset
TijuanaLive timeLoading current offset

Pacific Time Difference from Mountain, Central, Eastern, Alaska & Hawaii

Representative U.S. PT, MT, CT and ET locations change clocks on the same federal dates, so their differences stay stable. Fixed-offset or newly permanent zones require more care.

Convert a specific date and time →
Reference Zone / PlaceTypical Relationship to U.S. PTImportant Detail
Mountain TimeMT +1 hourRepresentative seasonal U.S. Mountain and Pacific locations change on the same dates.
Central TimeCT +2 hoursRepresentative U.S. CT remains two hours ahead of representative PT.
Eastern TimeET +3 hoursRepresentative U.S. ET remains three hours ahead of representative PT.
Alaska TimePT +1 hourRepresentative Alaska and Pacific zones normally change on the same U.S. dates.
HawaiiPT +2h on PST; +3h on PDTHawaii stays HST / UTC−10:00 year-round.
PhoenixSame as PT on PDT; Phoenix +1h on PSTMost of Arizona remains MST / UTC−07:00 year-round.
Vancouver, BCSame on PDT; Vancouver +1h after U.S. fall-backBritish Columbia's Vancouver stays UTC−07:00 year-round from 2026 onward.
Mountain Time Zone MDT Time Now Open Full Converter

Pacific Time Daylight Saving Time in 2026

U.S. Pacific Time locations follow the federal daylight-saving schedule. NIST confirms that in 2026 DST runs from March 8 at 2:00 AM local time until November 1 at 2:00 AM local time.

March 8, 2026 · 2:00 AM PSTClocks jump forward to 3:00 AM PDT. UTC−08:00 becomes UTC−07:00.
November 1, 2026 · 2:00 AM PDTU.S. Pacific clocks move back to 1:00 AM PST. UTC−07:00 becomes UTC−08:00.
General U.S. ruleSecond Sunday in March → first Sunday in November.

Pacific Time Extends Beyond One U.S. Rule

The label “Pacific Time” now needs location context. California and Washington still use PST↔PDT; Baja California keeps a seasonal border schedule; Vancouver, British Columbia became permanent UTC−07:00 in 2026.

Seasonal U.S. PTLos Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland and Las Vegas use PST↔PDT.
Baja CaliforniaThe Mexican northern-border seasonal rule keeps Tijuana aligned with California's seasonal clock under current law.
British ColumbiaVancouver's final wall-clock change was March 8, 2026; it stays UTC−07:00 instead of returning to UTC−08:00.

Los Angeles vs Vancouver After British Columbia's 2026 Change

This is the biggest modern change to the Pacific Time story: the two cities still match in summer, but they no longer share the same winter UTC offset.

Los Angeles

America/Los_Angeles · PST ↔ PDT

California continues the U.S. seasonal rule: UTC−08:00 in PST and UTC−07:00 in PDT.

Vancouver, BC

America/Vancouver · Permanent UTC−07

British Columbia's Vancouver advanced in March 2026 and does not move its wall clock back in November.

March 8 → November 1

Los Angeles & Vancouver Match

Both cities are on UTC−07:00 during the U.S. PDT season.

After November 1

Vancouver Is One Hour Ahead

Los Angeles returns to PST / UTC−08:00 while Vancouver remains UTC−07:00.

Software

Short Labels May Differ

Time-zone libraries may display PDT, MST, GMT−7 or other transition labels for Vancouver. The stable fact is the UTC−07:00 offset and America/Vancouver location rule.

Best Practice

Use City-Specific IANA Zones

Use America/Los_Angeles for California and America/Vancouver for British Columbia instead of assuming “Pacific Time” means identical future behavior.

Quick Pacific Time Zone Compare

Compare representative U.S. Pacific Time with Mountain, Central, Eastern, Vancouver, Phoenix and Tijuana. Each selection uses its own IANA rules for the current date.

Live time
Current abbreviation, UTC offset and difference
⇄
Live time
Current abbreviation, UTC offset and difference
Open Full Converter

How the Pacific Time Zone Works

Six rules resolve the most common PT, PST, PDT, Vancouver and West Coast questions.

01 · PT

PT Is the Year-Round Family

Use Pacific Time or PT when you mean the seasonal U.S. zone generally without committing to PST or PDT.

02 · PST

PST Is UTC−08:00

Pacific Standard Time is the standard-time form used by seasonal U.S. Pacific locations in winter.

03 · PDT

PDT Is UTC−07:00

Pacific Daylight Time is the daylight-saving form used by California, Washington and other seasonal Pacific areas.

04 · IANA

America/Los_Angeles Is a Reference, Not a Universal Zone

Vancouver and Tijuana have their own identifiers because legal rules and historical behavior can diverge.

05 · Boundaries

U.S. PT Is Defined Legally

The Department of Transportation maintains the official Mountain–Pacific boundary through Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and neighboring states.

06 · 2026 Change

British Columbia No Longer Mirrors California in Winter

Vancouver stays UTC−07:00 while Los Angeles returns to UTC−08:00 after the U.S. fall-back.

Pacific Time IANA Zones — Why America/Los_Angeles Is Only a Reference

“Pacific Time” is a human regional label, not one universal IANA identifier. America/Los_Angeles is the representative zone for California and much of the U.S. Pacific region, but software should store the actual location zone whenever possible.

PST · UTC−08:00 abbreviation reference PDT · UTC−07:00 abbreviation reference PT and global abbreviations MDT · adjacent Mountain daylight reference Date-aware location conversion

Useful IANA Examples in Pacific-Time Geography

America/Los_AngelesRepresentative seasonal U.S. Pacific Time zone for California and many Pacific states.
America/VancouverBritish Columbia history plus permanent UTC−07:00 from 2026.
America/TijuanaBaja California's seasonal northern-border rule, currently aligned with California's clock.
America/BoiseUseful contrast for Idaho: Boise is Mountain Time, not Pacific.
America/PhoenixFixed UTC−07:00 Arizona reference that matches PDT in summer but not PST in winter.

Best practice: store the location's IANA identifier rather than “PT,” “PST,” “PDT” or a fixed UTC offset when historical or future rule changes matter.

Visual Geography

See the Pacific Time Zone on a Map

Use the Pacific Time Zone Map for boundary-specific intent. It owns map queries for Pacific Time, PST and PDT and shows the Pacific–Mountain boundary through Idaho, Oregon and Nevada.

Open Pacific Time Zone Map U.S. Time Zone Map
PT · PST UTC−08 ↔ PDT UTC−07

Looking for the Current Time in a Pacific Time City?

Pacific Time is a zone-family reference. If your main question is the current local time in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Las Vegas or another place, use the geographic world clock so the correct local IANA rule is applied.

Geographic DiscoveryWorld Clock CaliforniaCurrent Time in Los Angeles WashingtonCurrent Time in Seattle British ColumbiaCurrent Time in Vancouver

Sources & Methodology

U.S. Pacific Time offsets and 2026 daylight-saving dates are based on NIST. The federal Pacific zone and Mountain–Pacific boundary are based on 49 CFR Part 71 and U.S. Department of Transportation oversight. British Columbia's permanent UTC−07:00 rule is based on provincial guidance and law. Baja California's seasonal northern-border rule is based on Mexico's federal time-zone law. IANA location identifiers are used for date-aware implementation.

NIST — U.S. Daylight Saving Time Rules U.S. Department of Transportation — Uniform Time & Time-Zone Oversight 49 CFR § 71.10 — Pacific Zone 49 CFR § 71.9 — Mountain–Pacific Boundary Government of British Columbia — Permanent Pacific Time Mexico Diario Oficial — Baja California Seasonal Border Rule IANA Time Zone Database — Location-Based Rules

Last reviewed: August 21, 2026. Representative U.S. Pacific Time is currently PDT / UTC−07:00 and returns to PST / UTC−08:00 on November 1, 2026. Vancouver, British Columbia remains UTC−07:00 after that date.

Pacific Time Zone FAQ

What is the Pacific Time Zone?

Pacific Time (PT) is a North American time-zone family. Seasonal U.S. PT locations use PST at UTC−08:00 in standard time and PDT at UTC−07:00 during daylight time.

What is Pacific Time right now, PST or PDT?

On August 21, 2026, representative U.S. Pacific Time locations such as Los Angeles are observing PDT at UTC−07:00. They return to PST on November 1, 2026.

What is the UTC offset for Pacific Time?

Seasonal PT is UTC−08:00 during PST and UTC−07:00 during PDT.

When does Pacific Time change clocks in 2026?

U.S. Pacific Time locations moved forward on March 8, 2026 and move back on November 1, 2026, both at 2:00 AM local time.

Is PT the same as PST?

No. PT is the year-round family. PST specifically means UTC−08:00 standard time; PDT means UTC−07:00 daylight time.

What IANA time zone should I use for Pacific Time?

America/Los_Angeles is the standard representative for many U.S. PT use cases, but Pacific Time geography also includes distinct identifiers such as America/Vancouver and America/Tijuana.

Which U.S. states use Pacific Time?

Pacific Time is used in all or part of California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho.

Is Pacific Time always three hours behind Eastern Time?

Representative U.S. Pacific and Eastern Time locations remain three hours apart because they follow the same federal DST calendar.

Is Vancouver, British Columbia still the same time as Los Angeles?

They match while Los Angeles is on PDT / UTC−07:00. After Los Angeles falls back to PST / UTC−08:00, Vancouver stays UTC−07:00 and is one hour ahead.

Is Tijuana on the same time as California?

Under current law, Baja California's northern-border seasonal schedule aligns Tijuana with California's Pacific clock.