South Dakota time zone and daylight saving time

Central and Mountain Time Next clock change: Nov 1

Sioux Falls, UTC−5Sunrise 7:59 a.m. · Sunset 6:22 p.m. · 10 h 23 min of daylight

South Dakota at a glance

Time zone
Central; Mountain (west)
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. South Dakota is not among the 19 states the Congressional Research Service lists as having enacted one.

South Dakota is split roughly in half: the eastern part of the state uses Central Time, and the western part, west of the Missouri River, uses Mountain Time. The whole state observes daylight saving time.

Which parts of South Dakota use which time

Mountain Time: Bennett, Butte, Corson, Custer, Dewey, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Lawrence, Meade, Oglala Lakota, Pennington, Perkins, Stanley and Ziebach counties. These include Rapid City, Spearfish and Sturgis.

Central Time: the rest of the state, including Sioux Falls, Pierre, Aberdeen, Brookings and Mitchell.

Near the capital, the time zone line follows the Missouri River. Fort Pierre, on the west bank, is officially in the Mountain Time zone, but the City of Fort Pierre has said that most of the city, and most of surrounding Stanley County, uses Central Time, the same as Pierre across the river, because most of their business is done in Pierre.

Time zones in bordering states

South Dakota’s time zone line runs through the middle of the state, so its neighbours meet whichever half is next to them.

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

Time zone map of South Dakota 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.ColoradoMinnesotaNorth DakotaWyomingMissouriIowaMontanaNebraska

Current time in each zone

  • Central
  • Mountain

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

  • Minnesota and Iowa: same time; eastern South Dakota shares their Central Time.
  • Montana and Wyoming: same time; western South Dakota shares their Mountain Time.
  • North Dakota: same time along most of the border. Where Corson County, South Dakota (Mountain) meets Emmons County and part of Sioux County, North Dakota (Central), they are 1 hour apart.
  • Nebraska: both states change zone in a similar place, so their times match along almost the whole border.

What permanent time would mean for South Dakota

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 Sioux Falls.

Permanent daylight time

Later winter mornings

8:57 a.m.

Sunrise on the shortest day, December 21 (now 7:57 a.m.).

Winter sunset: 5:53 p.m. (now 4:53 p.m.).

Permanent standard time

Earlier summer evenings

8:12 p.m.

Sunset on the longest day, June 21 (now 9:12 p.m.).

Summer sunrise: 4:46 a.m. (now 5:46 a.m.).

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

South Dakota and permanent daylight time

South Dakota 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 (Senate Bill 186) failed, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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 South Dakota in?

Both. Eastern South Dakota, including Sioux Falls and Pierre, uses Central Time; western South Dakota, including Rapid City, uses Mountain Time.

Is Rapid City on Mountain Time?

Yes. Pennington County, home to Rapid City, uses Mountain Time.

Are Pierre and Fort Pierre on the same time?

In practice, mostly yes. Fort Pierre is officially in the Mountain Time zone, but most of the city uses Central Time, the same as Pierre across the Missouri River.

Sources: U.S. Department of Transportation (49 CFR Part 71); Congressional Research Service; Congress.gov; National Conference of State Legislatures; City of Fort Pierre (statement published on the IANA time zone mailing list, 2015).

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