Current local time in Madison, United States
The live clock above shows the time in Madison. Madison is in the America/Chicago time zone, UTC−5 right now (CDT).
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | Wisconsin |
| Population | about 276,000 |
| Coordinates | 43.07° N, 89.40° W |
| Time zone | America/Chicago |
| Abbreviation | CST / CDT |
| UTC offset | UTC−6 (winter) / UTC−5 (summer) |
| Daylight saving time | Yes |
Daylight saving time
Madison uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC−6 (CST) and UTC−5 (CDT). 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 | 7:00 AM | 7:09 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| June solstice | 5:18 AM | 8:40 PM | 15 h 22 min |
| September equinox | 6:44 AM | 6:55 PM | 12 h 11 min |
| December solstice | 7:25 AM | 4:25 PM | 8 h 59 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Madison at about 12:06 PM in mid-January, and about 1:03 PM in mid-July. On standard time, local clocks run about 2 minutes behind the sun, because Madison sits at 89.4° W, while its time zone is centred on 90.0° W.
Madison time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Madison |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 hour ahead | |
| Los Angeles | 2 hours behind | |
| London | 6 hours ahead | |
| Paris | 7 hours ahead | |
| Dubai | 10 hours ahead in Jan, 9 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Mumbai | 11.5 hours ahead in Jan, 10.5 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Shanghai | 14 hours ahead in Jan, 13 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Tokyo | 15 hours ahead in Jan, 14 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Sydney | 17 hours ahead in Jan, 15 hours ahead in Jul |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Rockford | 93 km (58 mi) | same time |
| Waukesha | 95 km (59 mi) | same time |
| Milwaukee | 120 km (75 mi) | same time |
| Racine | 135 km (84 mi) | same time |
| Elgin | 147 km (91 mi) | same time |
| Waukegan | 150 km (93 mi) | same time |
| Appleton | 155 km (97 mi) | same time |
| Aurora | 171 km (106 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 Madison in?
Madison is in the America/Chicago time zone, UTC−6, or UTC−5 during daylight saving time.
Does Madison have daylight saving time?
Madison uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC−6 (CST) and UTC−5 (CDT). The next change is on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when clocks go back one hour.
Why isn't noon in Madison when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Madison's clocks follow a zone centred on 90.0° W, so on standard time they run about 2 minutes behind the sun. Daylight saving time adds another hour.
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Time zone data: IANA tz database 2026e. Population: Natural Earth (approximate).