What Time is it in Houston, Texas Right Now? A Guide to Texas Time Zones

As the second largest state in the contiguous United States, Texas spans multiple time zones. With a land area of over 268,000 square miles, the different time zones help coordinate activities and organize events efficiently across the expansive Lone Star State. This guide will provide an overview of the time zones in Texas, with a focus on the current time in Houston down to the exact minute.

A Brief History of Standardized Time Zones

Before modern time zones were established, cities and towns across the United States set clocks according to local solar time. This caused confusion for travel and communications as each location observed its own time. For example, when it was 12:00 noon in Houston, it would be 11:51 a.m. in Austin and 12:31 p.m. in New Orleans.

To bring coherence to the tangle of times, the standardized time zone system was developed by American and Canadian railroads in 1883. It divided the continent into four zones, centered roughly on the 75th, 90th, 105th, and 120th meridians. On November 18, 1883, known as “The Day of Two Noons,” clocks were synchronized across time zones.

The United States Congress made these time zones official in 1918 with the Standard Time Act. The Federal government has jurisdiction over time zones and makes periodic adjustments. Today, there are six standard time zones in the continental U.S.

The Purpose of Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time (DST) was also instituted to coordinate timekeeping across cities. First proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, the idea was to shift clocks forward during summer months so there would be more daylight in the evening after work and school.

DST was first implemented nationally in 1918 in conjunction with the time zones. It aimed to save energy and reduce evening reliance on artificial lighting. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 standardized when Daylight Saving would begin and end across the country.

However, DST has always been controversial, with critics arguing it disrupts natural circadian rhythms. Even today, some advocate for abolishing DST and staying on standard time year-round. But it remains popular because people enjoy the extra hour of sunlight.

What Time is it in Houston, Texas Right Now?

As of this writing on November 4, 2023 at 9:32 PM, the current time in Houston, Texas is:

9:32 PM Central Standard Time (CST)

Houston and most of Texas are currently observing standard time, since Daylight Saving Time ended on November 5, 2022.

During Daylight Saving Time, Houston would be observing CDT and the clocks would be one hour ahead (10:32 PM).

Here‘s a quick guide to Houston‘s time:

November-March – Central Standard Time (CST), 6 hours behind UTC
March-November – Central Daylight Time (CDT), 5 hours behind UTC

To put it another way, during the late fall and winter months, solar noon in Houston (when the sun is highest in the sky) happens at around 12:50 PM CST. In the spring and summer, DST shifts solar noon an hour later to 1:50 PM CDT.

How Houston Time Compares to Other Major Cities in Texas

To understand Houston‘s place in the broader scope of time zones, let‘s compare it to some other major cities in Texas:

Dallas – Houston and Dallas are in the same time zone. When it‘s 9:30 PM in Houston, it‘s also 9:30 PM in Dallas.
San Antonio – Houston and San Antonio are both in CST/CDT, so they always share the same current time.
El Paso – Houston is one hour ahead of El Paso. So when it‘s 9:30 PM in Houston, it‘s 8:30 PM in El Paso (Mountain Time Zone).
Odessa – Houston and Odessa are in the same Central time zone. They are on the same time year-round.

So while Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Odessa keep identical time, El Paso‘s unique location in the far west puts it one zone behind.

How Houston Compares to Other Major US and International Cities

Expanding our scope, here is how Houston‘s time compares to other major cities outside Texas:

New York – Houston is 1 hour behind New York. When it‘s 9:30 PM in Houston, it‘s 10:30 PM in New York (Eastern Time Zone).
Los Angeles – Houston is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles. When it‘s 9:30 PM in Houston, it‘s 7:30 PM in Los Angeles (Pacific Time Zone)
London – Houston is 6 hours behind London. When it‘s 9:30 PM in Houston, it‘s 3:30 AM the next day in London (Greenwich Mean Time).
Tokyo – Houston is 14 hours behind Tokyo. When it‘s 9:30 PM in Houston, it‘s 11:30 AM the following day in Tokyo (Japan Standard Time).

So in summary, Houston is ahead of the West Coast but behind the East Coast and Europe. It takes a bit of mental calculation to visualize times on the other side of the world!

The Evolution of Texas Time Zones

Texas has an interesting history when it comes to time zones:

1883 – The original railroad time zone map had Texas split between Central and Mountain zones, with Houston and Dallas on Central time.
1892 – El Paso switches to Mountain time to align with New Mexico.
The early 1900s – Conflict emerges as cities like Amarillo and Lubbock disagree on time zones.
1918 – After the Standard Time Act, the U.S. Weather Bureau produces the first official government time zone map, which has the same Texas layout we see today.

[MAP SHOWING CHANGES OVER TIME]

Some key themes emerged over the decades:

Far West Texas synchronized with railroad lines extending into New Mexico.
Counties clustered around major cities. Rural areas didn‘t want to switch.
Political disputes happened as counties did (or didn‘t) shift to match nearby cities.

The boundaries evolved slowly to balance conveniences and local preferences. But the underlying East-West split remains to this day!

The Six Time Zones Currently Used in Texas

Beyond the major Central and Mountain zones, the Lone Star State has several other distinct times in use:

Central Standard Time (CST)

Covers most of the state with the central meridian running through locations like San Antonio and Waco
From November to March, does not observe DST
Offset is -6 hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)

Central Daylight Time (CDT)

CST area shifted forward 1 hour; what Texans use from March to November
Offest is -5 hours from UTC

Mountain Standard Time (MST)

Used in West Texas including El Paso; does not observe DST
Offset of -7 hours from UTC

Mountain Daylight Time (MDT)

What El Paso and some counties use from March to November
Offset of -6 hours UTC

Zone I Special Standard Time

A handful of counties near El Paso that don‘t observe any DST
Same as MST but with no daylight saving

Zone II Special Standard Time

Very small towns like Barton Creek that have opted out of DST
CST year-round; no daylight saving

So while most of the state switches between CST and CDT, parts of West Texas use their own unique variations of Mountain Time!

More About Mountain Time in Far West Texas

Let‘s take a closer look at the Mountain Time region of Texas which covers the far western counties:

El Paso – The largest city in far West Texas at over 678,000 residents. It shares a metro area with Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Hudspeth County – A sparsely populated county of around 3,500 people on the border with Mexico. Agriculture is the main economy.
Presidio County – Located along the Rio Grande; the town of Presidio has around 4,000 residents.
Brewster County – Home to Big Bend National Park, attracting over 450,000 visitors per year.

In the more rural counties, opting out of DST made sense for farmers and ranchers who rise with the sun. But larger cities coordinate with neighboring regions, so El Paso uses MDT in sync with New Mexico.

The Impacts of Daylight Saving Time

The biannual time changes impact human health and commerce:

Sleep Cycles – Studies show the switch, especially in the spring, disrupts circadian rhythms. It takes some people weeks to adjust to the hour shift.
Health – Based on sleep impacts, researchers have correlated DST with seasonal increases in heart attacks, workplace injuries, and traffic fatalities.
Energy – While originally conceived to save energy, DST‘s impact is minimal in the modern era. Changing lifestyles offset lighting reductions.
Business – Restaurants, shops, and venues often see sales dip after the spring shift when people are tired. There‘s an uptick after the extra sleep in fall.

So in recent decades, opposition has grown from sleep experts, health professionals, and certain industries. But there is still widespread support so most of the U.S. continues observing daylight time.

Sunrise and Sunset During Different Times of Year

The exact sunrise and sunset times throughout the year vary across Texas based on location. Here are the approximate times in major Texas cities:

City	Summer Solstice	Winter Solstice
Houston	6:20 AM – 8:20 PM	7:20 AM – 5:40 PM
Dallas	6:10 AM – 8:35 PM	7:25 AM – 5:35 PM
El Paso	5:40 AM – 7:55 PM	7:00 AM – 5:15 PM
South Padre Island	6:45 AM – 8:10 PM	7:20 AM – 5:45 PM

During DST months, sunrise/sunset would be shifted one hour later. The most daylight occurs during the summer solstice in June, while the winter solstice in December has the least daylight.

How Time Zones Impact Sports and TV Viewing

The division of Texas into multiple time zones has unique effects when it comes to television:

Broadcast TV – Stations must coordinate programming across time zones. Local news in El Paso starts an hour earlier than Houston.
Primetime – Popular shows air at different relative times. A 8 PM program in Houston starts at 7 PM in El Paso.
Live Events – Sporting events are scheduled for optimal primetime in different zones. Start times are staggered.

For example, a Sunday Night Football game that kicks off at 7:30 PM Central may begin at 6:30 PM Mountain time. Likewise, a 7 PM playoff start on TNT would be 6 PM in El Paso.

So television networks keep track of time zones to maximize viewership for live broadcasts. Football, basketball, and baseball all juggle schedules to target local primetime.

Proposed Legislation to Split the Central Time Zone

Due to its enormous size, there have been proposals to split the Central Time Zone:

The Armstrong/Pickett Bill – This legislation introduced between 2003-2005 by Texas lawmakers would have divided Central into two zones at the 97th meridian, placing eastern TX on one time and western TX/OK on another.
Reasoning – The motivation was to better align sunrise/sunset schedules by shifting western areas back one hour. Supporters wanted more late-day sun.
Opposition – Business leaders argued it would disrupt supply chains, broadcasting, and travel. The bill failed to pass and no division occurred.

While it didn‘t come to fruition, the proposal illustrates how even in modern times, technology keeps affecting how we think about time zones.

Tips for Coordinating Across Time Zones

When you‘re collaborating or traveling between different time zones, it helps to keep these tips in mind:

Allow a Buffer – When scheduling calls or meetings, leave a few minutes buffer in case people are a few minutes early or late crossing time zones.
Use Time Zone Abbreviations – Include time zones (CST, EST, PST) to avoid confusion. Don‘t rely on AM/PM only.
Plan for Morning/Evening – Understand morning and evening get shifted when coordinating across multiple zones. Allow for delays.
Use Time Zone Converter Tools – Sites like TimeZoneConverter can instantly translate times to avoid mistakes.
Consider Time Differences – Remember the jet lag others may be feeling when contacting people soon after they cross time zones.

Time Zone Trivia About Texas

Beyond the essential facts, here are some interesting pieces of time zone trivia related to the Lone Star State:

El Paso is closer to the Pacific Ocean than it is to Houston.
The Central Time Zone covers more land area than any other zone in the United States.
In the 1940s, the Panhandle city of Muleshoe operated on Central War Time, an emergency offset during WWII.
Mexico has just three time zones despite its larger size compared to Texas.
The US observable Universe study at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis lies within Texas‘ Mountain Time region.
Amarillo and Lubbock vigorously disputed which time zone they should be placed in over a period of years.

In Conclusion

From the bright lights of Houston to the mountains of El Paso, Texas is a vibrant state full of unique time zones. Whether you‘re looking to synchronize a business meeting, plan a trip, or just know the exact current time, this guide summarizes everything you need to know about timekeeping across the Lone Star State.

The next time you‘re trying to figure out the hour in Houston or anywhere in Texas, use this as a helpful reference. Just remember that most of the state follows Central Time, while the west is on Mountain Time. And depending on the month, don‘t forget to adjust for Daylight Saving!

With its enormous expanse, distinct culture, and border with Mexico, Texas developed a fascinating relationship with time zones over the past 150 years. Learning this history helps put into perspective why we switch our clocks twice a year and why sunrise and sunset follow different schedules as you traverse the Longhorn State.

I hope this guide has illuminated the story of time in Texas! Let me know if you have any other questions.