Which States Are in the Central Time Zone?

The clock on the wall in Chicago reads the same as the one in Mexico City for only part of the year. Ten US states live entirely inside the Central Time Zone. Another ten split their clocks between Central and a neighboring zone, following county lines that were first drawn by railroads in 1883 and have been redrawn by the DOT ever since.

Full US Central Time States List

Ten states sit completely inside the Central Time Zone. No county in any of them observes a different time.

These ten run on Central Time year-round for their standard time, with daylight saving time from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Chicago, population 2,664,452, anchors the zone. The IANA time zone database calls it America/Chicago for that reason.

The zone also holds Houston (2,314,157), San Antonio (1,526,656), and Dallas (1,326,087). It stretches from the Gulf Coast through the Mississippi River Valley into the upper Midwest.

Split States: Where the Boundary Runs

Ten states divide their clocks between Central Time and a neighbor. The lines follow county borders, not rivers or highways. Cross one and you lose or gain an hour, often without a sign.

• Texas: Central, except far west
• Florida: Central in the panhandle, elsewhere on Eastern
• Indiana: Central in the northwest and southwest corners
• Kentucky: Central in the west
• Tennessee: Central in the west
• Kansas: Central, except four western counties
• Nebraska: Central, except the western panhandle
• South Dakota: Central in the east
• North Dakota: Central in the east
• Michigan: Eastern, except western Upper Peninsula counties on Central

The US Department of Transportation oversees these lines. They are drawn to keep communities intact, which is why some boundaries look odd on a map.

Texas: Mostly Central, But Not All

Texas is the largest state in the zone. Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio all run on Central Time.

The far western tip does not. El Paso and Hudspeth County run on Mountain Time, one hour behind the rest of the state. Noon in Dallas is 11:00 a.m. in El Paso.

The boundary roughly follows the Pecos River but sticks to county lines. Some towns east of the river are on Central. Others nearby are on Mountain.

The practical effect: a flight from Dallas to El Paso lands an hour earlier local time, though you flew west. A flight from El Paso to Dallas lands an hour later, though you flew east.

Florida and the Panhandle's Central Time Counties

Florida's panhandle dips far enough west to land in Central Time. Pensacola and Panama City run on Central. The line cuts through Gulf County, which is split between the two zones. Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville all run on Eastern.

The boundary roughly follows the Apalachicola River, then cuts north. It follows county lines, not the state's western border.

The practical effect: a drive from Pensacola to Tallahassee crosses the line. You lose an hour heading east, gain one heading west.

Indiana's Central Time Counties: Northwest and Southwest

Indiana sits on the eastern edge of the Central Time Zone, but most of the state observes Eastern Time. Two corners run on Central.

Northwest Indiana: the Gary area, covering Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, and Jasper counties.

Southwest Indiana: the Evansville area, covering Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Spencer counties.

Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Bloomington all run on Eastern.

This split is relatively recent. Until 2006, most of Indiana did not observe daylight saving time at all. The state stayed on Eastern Standard Time year-round, matching Central Time in summer and Eastern Time in winter. DOT rulings in 2007 and 2008 largely settled the current alignment.

The practical effect: a drive from Chicago to Indianapolis crosses the line. You gain an hour heading east.

Kentucky and Tennessee: The Central-Eastern Divide

Both states split cleanly east to west.

Kentucky

Western Kentucky runs on Central Time: Bowling Green, Owensboro, Paducah. Eastern Kentucky, including Lexington and Louisville, runs on Eastern. The line roughly separates the Purchase and Pennyrile regions from the Bluegrass region. It follows county lines.

Tennessee

Western Tennessee runs on Central Time. Memphis and Nashville both sit in it. Eastern Tennessee, including Knoxville and Chattanooga, runs on Eastern.

Tennessee is effectively two states for scheduling. A call from Memphis to Nashville crosses the line. A call from Nashville to Knoxville crosses it again.

The boundary runs roughly along the Cumberland Plateau. It does not follow the Tennessee River.

Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas: Plains State Splits

The Great Plains hold some of the country's starkest time zone divides.

Kansas

Kansas is mostly Central. Four western counties run on Mountain Time: Greeley, Hamilton, Sherman, and Wallace. They are sparsely populated.

Nebraska

Nebraska splits roughly in half. The eastern two-thirds, including Omaha and Lincoln, run on Central. The western panhandle runs on Mountain Time, including Scottsbluff and Chadron.

South Dakota

South Dakota splits roughly along the Missouri River. The eastern half, including Sioux Falls, runs on Central. The western half, including Rapid City and the Black Hills, runs on Mountain Time.

North Dakota

North Dakota is mostly Central. The southwest corner runs on Mountain Time, covering Bowman and Slope counties. The line roughly follows the Missouri River.

Michigan's Upper Peninsula Central Time Exception

Most of Michigan runs on Eastern Time: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing.

The western Upper Peninsula does not. Four counties near the Wisconsin border run on Central Time: Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson, and Menominee. They sit closer to Milwaukee and Green Bay than to Detroit and share a media market with Wisconsin.

The practical effect: a drive from Ironwood, Michigan, to Milwaukee crosses no time zone line. A drive from Ironwood to Lansing crosses it twice.

County-by-County Guide to Split States

For precision, consult the DOT's official time zone map. The lines follow county borders and are adjusted occasionally to reflect community needs.

Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee have the most complex boundaries. Their lines shifted multiple times in recent decades before DOT rulings in 2007 and 2008 settled the current alignment.

How to Tell Which Side a Town Is On

For border towns, check the county. The zone boundary follows county lines, so knowing the county gives you the zone.

If you are unsure, check a mapping app or the DOT's time zone map. The IANA time zone database, which powers most software, lists the zone for each county.

For more on how Central Time relates to the zones on either side, see Central vs Eastern Time and Central vs Eastern Time: Difference and Scheduling Guide.

Beyond the United States

Central Time extends into Canada and Mexico and forms the basis for time in much of Central America.

In Canada, Manitoba follows the US DST schedule. Saskatchewan observes Central Standard Time year-round with no daylight saving time. Regina matches Chicago in winter but sits one hour behind in summer. Parts of Nunavut, Ontario, and Quebec also run on Central.

In Mexico, a large portion of the country, including Mexico City, runs on Central Time. Mexico abolished daylight saving time nationally in October 2022, effective 2023. Border municipalities within 20 kilometers of the US border still observe US DST to stay synchronized with their American neighbors. This means Mexico City and Chicago share the same clock from November through March but diverge by one hour from March through November.

For more, see Mexico Central Time: DST Abolition and Border Rules and Saskatchewan Time Zone: Why CST Year-Round?.

Why the Boundaries Look the Way They Do

The current lines are not natural. Railroads created them on 18 November 1883, the "Day of Two Noons," establishing four standard time zones across the continental United States. The federal government has adjusted them ever since.

Local economic and political pressure drives changes. Communities that share a media market or a school district often petition to switch zones. The DOT oversees these requests and holds public hearings before deciding.

The result is a patchwork of county-level lines that reflect local ties more than geography. When you cross one, you are crossing a line drawn to keep communities together, not a natural border.