Kansas time zone and daylight saving time

Central and Mountain Time Next clock change: Nov 1

Wichita, UTC−5Sunrise 7:52 a.m. · Sunset 6:34 p.m. · 10 h 42 min of daylight

Kansas at a glance

Time zone
Central; Mountain (western edge)
Daylight saving time
Observed. UTC−5 in summer, UTC−6 in winter (Central 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. Kansas is not among the 19 states the Congressional Research Service lists as having enacted one.

Almost all of Kansas uses Central Time. Four counties along the Colorado border use Mountain Time. The whole state observes daylight saving time.

Which parts of Kansas use which time

Mountain Time: Greeley, Hamilton, Sherman and Wallace counties, along the Colorado border. These include Goodland.

Central Time: the rest of the state, including Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, Dodge City, Garden City and Colby.

Time zones in bordering states

Only a narrow strip of Kansas uses Mountain Time, so its western border is mixed.

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

Time zone map of Kansas 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.ColoradoOklahomaTexasWyomingMissouriNew MexicoArkansasIowaNebraska

Current time in each zone

  • Central
  • Mountain

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

  • Missouri and Oklahoma: same time; they share Central Time.
  • Colorado: the four Mountain Time counties match Colorado. Cheyenne, Stanton and Morton counties, in the northwest and southwest corners, use Central Time and are 1 hour ahead of Colorado.
  • Nebraska: same time, except where Cheyenne and Rawlins counties, Kansas (Central) meet Dundy County, Nebraska (Mountain), 1 hour apart.

What permanent time would mean for Kansas

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 Wichita.

Permanent daylight time

Later winter mornings

8:41 a.m.

Sunrise on the shortest day, December 21 (now 7:41 a.m.).

Winter sunset: 6:14 p.m. (now 5:14 p.m.).

Permanent standard time

Earlier summer evenings

7:54 p.m.

Sunset on the longest day, June 21 (now 8:54 p.m.).

Summer sunrise: 5:08 a.m. (now 6:08 a.m.).

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

Kansas and permanent daylight time

Kansas 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.

Lawmakers have also considered the opposite approach: in 2025, a bill to keep standard time year-round unless Congress requires permanent daylight time (Senate Bill 1) did not pass, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Congressional Research Service reports that no state had enacted permanent standard time as of April 2026.

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 Kansas in?

Almost all of Kansas uses Central Time. Greeley, Hamilton, Sherman and Wallace counties, along the Colorado border, use Mountain Time.

Is Goodland on Mountain Time?

Yes. Sherman County, home to Goodland, uses Mountain Time.

Does Kansas observe daylight saving time?

Yes. All of Kansas springs forward in March and falls back in November.

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

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