If you’re standing on the edge of the Palo Duro Canyon or just pulling into a truck stop off I-40, you’ve probably asked the same question: what time is it in Amarillo anyway? Honestly, it’s a fair question. Texas is massive. When you’re out in the Panhandle, you feel like you’re halfway to the West Coast, so it’s easy to assume the clocks might have skipped a beat somewhere along the drive from Dallas or Houston.
But they haven't.
Amarillo sits firmly in the Central Time Zone. Whether you’re grabbing a 72-ounce steak at The Big Texan or just passing through, you’re on the same rhythm as Chicago, New Orleans, and the rest of the Texas "mainland."
The Breakdown: What Time Is It in Amarillo Right Now?
Right now, it’s Sunday, January 18, 2026. If you’re checking your watch, Amarillo is currently observing Central Standard Time (CST).
In technical terms, that’s UTC-6.
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Basically, if it’s noon in London (UTC), it’s 6:00 AM in Amarillo. You’ve likely noticed the sun rises a bit later here than it does in East Texas. That’s because Amarillo is tucked way over on the western edge of the Central Time Zone boundary. It’s almost—but not quite—Mountain Time.
Why does the sun feel "off" in Amarillo?
Geographically, Amarillo is actually further west than some parts of the Mountain Time Zone. Because it stays in Central Time, the sun stays up significantly later in the evening than it does in places like Chicago. In the peak of summer, you’ll see people playing golf or sitting on their porches in broad daylight well past 9:00 PM. It’s a quirk of the map.
Dealing with the Daylight Saving Switch in 2026
Texas doesn't play around with its clocks—it follows the federal standard. This means Amarillo participates in the twice-a-year ritual of moving the hands of the clock.
In 2026, the shift happens on these dates:
- Spring Forward: Sunday, March 8, 2026. At 2:00 AM, the clocks jump to 3:00 AM. Suddenly, you’re in Central Daylight Time (CDT) or UTC-5.
- Fall Back: Sunday, November 1, 2026. At 2:00 AM, the clocks slide back to 1:00 AM, returning to CST.
It's a polarizing topic. If you spend ten minutes on a local Reddit thread, you’ll find people arguing that the "spring forward" is a relic of the past that needs to go. Others love those extra-long summer evenings. For now, though, the law is the law.
Exploring the "Time Gap" with Nearby States
Amarillo is a hub. People are constantly coming in from New Mexico or Oklahoma. This is where things get slightly annoying for travelers.
New Mexico is on Mountain Time.
If you drive just an hour and a half west from Amarillo toward Tucumcari, you’ll cross the state line and magically gain an hour. It’s great when you’re heading west—you feel like a time traveler. It’s considerably less fun when you’re heading back east into Amarillo and realize you’ve "lost" an hour of your afternoon.
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Expert Tip: If you have an appointment or a flight out of Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA) and you're coming from New Mexico, always double-check your phone. Sometimes the GPS gets confused near the border and doesn't update your arrival time correctly until you're deep into Potter County.
Life on the Edge of the Zone
Living in Amarillo means embracing the "western" feel while staying on "central" time. It affects everything from when the local news starts to when high school football games kick off under the Friday night lights.
Because the sun sets so much later here than in the eastern parts of the time zone, the summer heat lingers. You might find that local businesses stay open a bit later or that the "rush hour" feels shifted compared to a city like Nashville. It’s just the nature of life in the high plains.
When you wonder what time is it in Amarillo, remember that the city is effectively the western guardian of Central Time. It keeps the rest of the state connected, even if the geography suggests it belongs with the mountains.
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Quick reference for 2026:
- Current Phase: Central Standard Time (January).
- Next Shift: March 8 (Spring Forward).
- The Offset: Always 1 hour behind New York (Eastern) and 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles (Pacific).
If you’re planning a trip, make sure your digital devices are set to "Set Automatically." The towers around Amarillo are reliable, and they'll keep your schedule on track. If you're using an old-school analog watch, just remember: whatever time it is in Dallas, it's the same in Amarillo.