Georgia time zone and daylight saving time

Eastern Time Next clock change: Nov 1

Atlanta, UTC−4Sunrise 7:54 a.m. · Sunset 6:48 p.m. · 10 h 54 min of daylight

Georgia at a glance

Time zone
Eastern
Daylight saving time
Observed. UTC−4 in summer, UTC−5 in winter.
Upcoming clock changes
  • Sunday, November 1, 2026: clocks fall back
  • Sunday, March 14, 2027: clocks spring forward
  • Sunday, November 7, 2027: clocks fall back
  • Sunday, March 12, 2028: clocks spring forward
Each change happens at 2:00 a.m. local time.
Permanent daylight time law
Enacted in 2021. It needs federal approval before it can take effect.

All of Georgia uses Eastern Time and observes daylight saving time: UTC−4 in summer and UTC−5 in winter.

Time zones in bordering states

Georgia’s western border with Alabama is also the line between Eastern and Central Time.

Select a state on the map to see its time zone details.

Time zone map of Georgia and surrounding states. Each state is a link to its page.Counties are shaded by time zone. Hatched counties are split between two zones; dotted areas do not observe daylight saving time.AlabamaFloridaNorth CarolinaKentuckyMississippiTennesseeVirginiaSouth CarolinaLouisiana

Current time in each zone

  • Eastern
  • Central

County split between two zones; the exact line isn't drawn

  • South Carolina and North Carolina: same time all along the border.
  • Alabama: Alabama uses Central Time, so Georgia is 1 hour ahead of it all along the border. Around Columbus, though, Phenix City, Alabama unofficially keeps Eastern Time, matching Georgia.
  • Florida: same time along most of the border. Where Decatur and Seminole counties meet Jackson County, Florida, which uses Central Time, Georgia is 1 hour ahead.
  • Tennessee: same time around Chattanooga, which uses Eastern Time. At the far western end, Dade County faces Marion County, Tennessee, on Central Time, 1 hour behind.

What permanent time would mean for Georgia

Ending clock changes would mean keeping one time all year: either permanent daylight time or permanent standard time. Here’s how each would shift sunrise and sunset in Atlanta. Because Georgia sits on the western edge of the Eastern Time zone, its sunrises and sunsets come later in the day than in most eastern states.

Permanent daylight time

Later winter mornings

8:38 a.m.

Sunrise on the shortest day, December 21 (now 7:38 a.m.).

Winter sunset: 6:33 p.m. (now 5:33 p.m.).

Permanent standard time

Earlier summer evenings

7:51 p.m.

Sunset on the longest day, June 21 (now 8:51 p.m.).

Summer sunrise: 5:27 a.m. (now 6:27 a.m.).

Times for Atlanta, calculated for 2026. Actual sunrise and sunset can differ by a few minutes with terrain and weather.

Georgia and permanent daylight time

In 2021, Georgia enacted a law to observe daylight saving time year-round (Senate Bill 100, signed by Governor Brian Kemp on April 21, 2021). It takes effect only if Congress allows states to adopt permanent daylight time; until then, Georgia keeps changing its clocks. Georgia is among the 19 states the Congressional Research Service lists as having enacted such a law.

Any switch to permanent daylight time would need Congress to act first. The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July 2026, and it is now with the Senate.

Common questions

What time zone is Georgia in?

All of Georgia uses Eastern Time and observes daylight saving time.

Is Columbus, Georgia on the same time as Phenix City, Alabama?

In practice, yes. Phenix City is officially on Central Time, but it keeps Eastern Time, the same as Columbus.

Didn’t Georgia pass a law to stop changing clocks?

Georgia passed a law in 2021 to observe daylight saving time year-round, but it takes effect only if Congress allows it. Until then, clocks keep changing.

Sources: U.S. Department of Transportation (49 CFR Part 71); Congressional Research Service; Congress.gov.

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