Indiana time zone and daylight saving time

Eastern and Central Time Next clock change: Nov 1

Indianapolis, UTC−4Sunrise 8:10 a.m. · Sunset 6:46 p.m. · 10 h 36 min of daylight

Indiana at a glance

Time zone
Eastern; Central (northwest and southwest)
Daylight saving time
Observed. UTC−4 in summer, UTC−5 in winter (Eastern Time areas).
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
None. Indiana is not among the 19 states the Congressional Research Service lists as having enacted one.

Indiana is split between two time zones: 80 of its 92 counties use Eastern Time, and 12 counties in the northwest and southwest use Central Time. Every county observes daylight saving time.

Which parts of Indiana use which time

Central Time: Gibson, Jasper, LaPorte, Lake, Newton, Perry, Porter, Posey, Spencer, Starke, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties. These include the areas around Gary and Hammond near Chicago, and Evansville in the southwest.

Eastern Time: the rest of the state, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and South Bend.

Statewide clock changes are relatively recent. Before 2006, most of Indiana stayed on Eastern Standard Time all year. A 2005 state law brought every county into daylight saving time, starting on April 2, 2006.

Time zones in bordering states

Because Indiana itself is split, whether you change time at the state line depends on where you cross.

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

Time zone map of Indiana 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.MinnesotaNorth CarolinaPennsylvaniaMissouriWest VirginiaIllinoisArkansasIowaKentuckyMichiganNew YorkOhioTennesseeVirginiaWisconsin

Current time in each zone

  • Eastern
  • Central
  • Ohio: same time all along the border.
  • Michigan: same time, except at LaPorte County, which uses Central Time and is 1 hour behind Michigan.
  • Illinois: same time in the northwest (Lake and Newton counties) and southwest (Gibson and Posey counties). In between, Benton, Warren, Vermillion, Vigo, Sullivan and Knox counties use Eastern Time and are 1 hour ahead of Illinois.
  • Kentucky: across the Ohio River, southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky share Central Time, and southeastern Indiana and the Louisville and northern Kentucky areas share Eastern Time. One exception: Perry County, Indiana (Central) faces Meade County, Kentucky (Eastern), 1 hour apart.

What permanent time would mean for Indiana

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 Indianapolis, which sits near the western edge of the Eastern Time zone.

Permanent daylight time

Later winter mornings

9:02 a.m.

Sunrise on the shortest day, December 21 (now 8:02 a.m.).

Winter sunset: 6:23 p.m. (now 5:23 p.m.).

Permanent standard time

Earlier summer evenings

8:16 p.m.

Sunset on the longest day, June 21 (now 9:16 p.m.).

Summer sunrise: 5:17 a.m. (now 6:17 a.m.).

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

Indiana and permanent daylight time

Indiana has not enacted a law to adopt permanent daylight time; it is not among the 19 states the Congressional Research Service lists as having done so.

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 Indiana in?

Most of Indiana uses Eastern Time. Twelve counties, in the northwest near Chicago and in the southwest around Evansville, use Central Time.

Does all of Indiana observe daylight saving time?

Yes. Every Indiana county has observed daylight saving time since April 2, 2006.

Is Gary on the same time as Chicago?

Yes. Lake County, which includes Gary and Hammond, uses Central Time, the same as Chicago.

Is Evansville on Central Time?

Yes. Vanderburgh County, home to Evansville, uses Central Time.

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

Spot an error on this page? Report it