What time is it now in Texas? The answer requires knowing whether Texas is currently on CST or CDT and where in the state you need — since El Paso runs one hour behind the rest of the state on Mountain Time. Consequently, this guide provides the live current Texas time and the quick-reference comparisons most useful for everyday scheduling and coordination with Texas contacts from other time zones.
Current Time in Texas Now
Most of Texas follows Central Time right now — the same zone as Chicago, Kansas City, and New Orleans. Therefore, Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Amarillo, and every other major Texas city except El Paso share the same local time at this moment. For the exact live current time in Texas now, use our Texas Time Zone Clock tool — it displays real-time clocks for major Texas cities updated every second.
Texas Now — CST or CDT?
Texas switches between Central Standard Time and Central Daylight Time twice per year. Currently, if the date is between March 8 and November 1, Texas is on CDT at UTC minus 5. If the date is between November 1 and March 8, Texas is on CST at UTC minus 6. Furthermore, in 2026 the spring forward date is March 8 and the fall back date is November 1. As a result, the current date tells you immediately which offset applies for converting Texas time to other zones.
What Time Is It Now — Texas vs Key Cities
- Texas now vs New York now: New York is 1 hour ahead of Texas
- Texas now vs Chicago now: Same time — no difference
- Texas now vs Los Angeles now: Los Angeles is 2 hours behind Texas
- Texas now vs London now: London is 6 hours ahead in winter, 5 in summer
- Texas now vs El Paso now: El Paso is 1 hour behind the rest of Texas
- Texas now vs Mexico City now: Generally the same time (DST differences during transitions)
- Texas now vs Tokyo now: Tokyo is 15 hours ahead of Texas
Why Texas Time Now Matters
Texas is home to four of the ten largest US cities, the world’s largest oil and gas producing region, NASA Johnson Space Center, and major technology hubs in Austin and Dallas. Furthermore, DFW International Airport is one of the world’s most connected aviation hubs, making Texas a constant intersection of global time zones. As a result, accurately knowing what time it is now in Texas is a daily practical need for millions of people coordinating across this economically vital state from across the country and world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is it now in Texas?
Texas follows Central Time for most of the state — either CST (UTC-6) in winter or CDT (UTC-5) from March through November. Use our Texas Time Zone Clock tool for the exact live current time in Texas now.
Is Texas now on daylight saving time?
Texas observes daylight saving time from the second Sunday of March through the first Sunday of November. In 2026 the dates are March 8 (spring forward) and November 1 (fall back).
What time is it now in Houston vs Dallas Texas?
Houston and Dallas are both in the Central Time Zone and share identical local time at all times. There is no time difference between Houston and Dallas.
What time is it now in El Paso compared to Austin Texas?
El Paso follows Mountain Time — one hour behind Austin. If it is now 3 PM in Austin, it is now 2 PM in El Paso at the same moment.
How many hours behind New York is Texas now?
Texas is one hour behind New York right now. If it is now 5 PM in New York (Eastern Time), it is now 4 PM in Texas (Central Time).
Get the live Texas time right now with our Texas Time Zone Clock tool. You can also read our What Time Is It in Texas Right Now guide for the companion reference. Additionally, our Time in Texas guide covers the full annual daylight saving schedule.
