Current local time in Charleston, United States
The live clock above shows the time in Charleston. Charleston is in the America/New York time zone, UTC−4 right now (EDT).
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | South Carolina |
| Population | about 254,000 |
| Coordinates | 32.79° N, 79.99° W |
| Time zone | America/New York |
| Abbreviation | EST / EDT |
| UTC offset | UTC−5 (winter) / UTC−4 (summer) |
| Daylight saving time | Yes |
Daylight saving time
Charleston uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC−5 (EST) and UTC−4 (EDT). The next change is on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when clocks go back one hour.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 7:23 AM | 7:31 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| June solstice | 6:12 AM | 8:31 PM | 14 h 18 min |
| September equinox | 7:08 AM | 7:17 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| December solstice | 7:18 AM | 5:17 PM | 9 h 59 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Charleston at about 12:29 PM in mid-January, and about 1:25 PM in mid-July. On standard time, local clocks run about 20 minutes ahead of the sun, because Charleston sits at 80.0° W, while its time zone is centred on 75.0° W.
Charleston time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 3 hours behind | |
| London | 5 hours ahead | |
| Paris | 6 hours ahead | |
| Dubai | 9 hours ahead in Jan, 8 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Mumbai | 10.5 hours ahead in Jan, 9.5 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Shanghai | 13 hours ahead in Jan, 12 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Tokyo | 14 hours ahead in Jan, 13 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Sydney | 16 hours ahead in Jan, 14 hours ahead in Jul |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Savannah | 136 km (84 mi) | same time |
| Columbia | 162 km (101 mi) | same time |
| Augusta | 200 km (124 mi) | same time |
| Wilmington | 248 km (154 mi) | same time |
| Fayetteville | 272 km (169 mi) | same time |
| Charlotte | 279 km (173 mi) | same time |
| Jacksonville | 317 km (197 mi) | same time |
| Greenville | 319 km (198 mi) | same time |
Other cities in United States
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Philadelphia
- Dallas
- Miami
- Boston
- Detroit
- Atlanta
- Washington DC
- Phoenix
- San Francisco
- San Diego
- Denver
- Seattle
- Irvine
- Pittsburgh
Questions people ask
What time zone is Charleston in?
Charleston is in the America/New York time zone, UTC−5, or UTC−4 during daylight saving time.
Does Charleston have daylight saving time?
Charleston uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC−5 (EST) and UTC−4 (EDT). The next change is on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when clocks go back one hour.
Why isn't noon in Charleston when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Charleston's clocks follow a zone centred on 75.0° W, so on standard time they run about 20 minutes ahead of the sun. Daylight saving time adds another hour.
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Time zone data: IANA tz database 2026e. Population: Natural Earth (approximate).