Texas is huge. You know this. It’s the kind of place where you can drive for ten hours and still see signs for Texas. Because of that massive footprint, figuring out what is time at texas now can actually get a bit tricky depending on where exactly you’re standing.
Right now, most of the state—from the humid piney woods of East Texas to the high plains of the Panhandle—is ticking along on Central Standard Time (CST). If you’re in a city like Dallas, Houston, Austin, or San Antonio, your clock is currently 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-6).
But here’s the kicker: if you keep driving west past the Pecos River, you’ll eventually hit a spot where the clocks just... drop an hour.
The Tale of Two Time Zones
Texas is one of those states that splits its loyalty between two different time zones. It’s not a 50/50 split, though. It’s more like a 95/5 situation.
The vast majority of the Lone Star State observes Central Time. However, the far western tip—basically El Paso and Hudspeth counties—operates on Mountain Standard Time (MST). This means if it’s 10:00 AM in a Houston skyscraper, it’s only 9:00 AM for someone grabbing a breakfast burrito in El Paso.
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Technically, there’s even a weird little "informal" pocket. Parts of Culberson County, specifically around Guadalupe Mountains National Park, often follow Mountain Time because it just makes more sense for the folks living and working there, even if the legal lines are a bit blurry.
When the Clocks Move in 2026
We are currently in the "Standard Time" part of the year. But that’s about to change.
In 2026, Daylight Saving Time starts on Sunday, March 8. At precisely 2:00 AM, almost every clock in Texas (except the ones on your microwave that you never learned how to set) will jump forward one hour.
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- Central Standard Time (CST) becomes Central Daylight Time (CDT) (UTC-5).
- Mountain Standard Time (MST) becomes Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) (UTC-4).
Honestly, the "spring forward" thing is always a bit of a shock to the system. You lose an hour of sleep, but you gain that extra sunlight in the evening for patio dinners and high school football games. We’ll stay on that schedule until Sunday, November 1, 2026, when we finally "fall back" and regain that lost hour.
Is Texas Ever Going to Stop Changing Clocks?
You’ve probably heard the rumors or seen the headlines. There is a lot of talk in the Texas Legislature about making Daylight Saving Time permanent.
Basically, there’s a bill (like SB516) that suggests Texas should just pick a time and stick to it year-round. People are tired of the semi-annual heart attack of realizing they’re an hour late for church or work.
However, even if Texas passes a law saying "no more clock switching," it still requires a literal act of the U.S. Congress to make it legal. Federal law allows states to opt out of Daylight Saving Time (like Arizona and Hawaii), but it doesn’t currently allow them to stay on it permanently. So, for now, keep your calendar marked for March 8.
Practical Tips for Navigating Texas Time
If you’re traveling across the state or just trying to schedule a Zoom call with a client in El Paso, keep these things in mind:
- Check the County: If you’re heading west of the Pecos River, pay attention to your phone’s GPS. It’ll usually switch automatically, but it can be jarring if you're on a tight schedule.
- The El Paso Buffer: When booking flights or buses out of El Paso, always confirm if the time listed is local (Mountain) or Central. Most travel sites are good about this, but it’s easy to get confused.
- National Park Planning: If you’re hiking the Guadalupe Mountains, remember that the park often runs on Mountain Time. You don't want to get caught on a trail after sunset because you forgot about the one-hour shift.
Basically, the best way to handle the what is time at texas now question is to assume it's Central Time unless you can see the New Mexico border. If you can see New Mexico, you're probably an hour behind the rest of us.
For your next step, you might want to double-check your calendar for March 8, 2026, and set a reminder to ensure your non-smart devices are ready for the spring forward shift. You can also look up the specific sunrise times for your Texas city if you're planning any outdoor activities during the transition week.