Current Time in Washington, D.C., United States
Washington, D.C., the federal capital of the United States, operates on Eastern Time — EST (UTC-5) during winter standard time and EDT (UTC-4) during daylight saving, which runs from the second Sunday in March through the first Sunday in November, based on the America/New_York timezone identifier. Seat of the U.S. federal government, D.C. shares its time zone with New York, Philadelphia, and Toronto. It's often confused with Washington state on the opposite coast — the two are three time zones apart.
Washington, D.C. time vs major cities
| City | Difference from Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| New York 🇺🇸 | Same time |
| Chicago 🇺🇸 | −1 hour |
| Seattle 🇺🇸 | −3 hours |
| London 🇬🇧 | +5 hours (year-round) |
| New Delhi 🇮🇳 | +10h 30m (winter) / +9h 30m (summer) |
| Tokyo 🇯🇵 | +14 hours (winter) / +13 hours (summer) |
Nearby cities & time zones
Frequently asked questions
Washington, D.C. is in the Eastern Time Zone, using the IANA timezone identifier America/New_York — EST (UTC-5) in winter and EDT (UTC-4) in summer.
Yes — Washington, D.C. and New York are both on Eastern Time and always show the same time, year-round.
Yes. Clocks spring forward 1 hour on the second Sunday in March and fall back on the first Sunday in November, per U.S. federal rules.
No — despite the similar names, Washington, D.C. is on Eastern Time while Seattle, in Washington state, is on Pacific Time, a 3-hour difference.