Texas is massive. Honestly, it is so big that the sun doesn't even set at the same time for everyone living in the Lone Star State. If you are asking what time is it in Texas, the answer usually depends on exactly which stretch of highway you’re standing on.
Most of the state—about 99% of it—runs on Central Time. But if you head far enough west, things get weird.
The Great Divide: Central vs. Mountain Time
Most people assume Texas is one solid block of time. It’s not. While Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio are all ticking away on Central Standard Time (CST), the folks out in El Paso and Hudspeth County are actually an hour behind. They operate on Mountain Standard Time (MST).
This isn't just a minor detail for travelers. It’s a way of life. Imagine driving from San Antonio to El Paso. You'll spend about eight hours behind the wheel, but when you finally cross that county line, you "gain" an hour back. It’s like a tiny reward for surviving the desert stretch of I-10.
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Currently, as of January 2026, the majority of Texas is observing Central Standard Time (CST), which is $UTC-6$. Meanwhile, El Paso and its neighbors are on Mountain Standard Time (MST), or $UTC-7$.
Why Does West Texas Do Its Own Thing?
It comes down to geography and economics. El Paso is closer to Phoenix, Arizona, than it is to Houston. Historically, the city’s trade and cultural ties were linked more closely with the mountain regions and Mexico than with the swampy piney woods of East Texas.
There's even a small pocket in Culberson County, near the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, where things get even more confusing. While most of that county officially uses Central Time, the park itself often observes Mountain Time because it just makes more sense for the hikers and staff coming in from New Mexico.
Daylight Saving Time: The 2026 Schedule
Texas still plays the "spring forward, fall back" game. Despite years of talk in the Austin state legislature about "locking the clock," we are still changing our watches twice a year.
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For 2026, here are the dates you need to circle on your calendar:
- March 8, 2026: Clocks move forward one hour at 2:00 AM (Spring Forward).
- November 1, 2026: Clocks move back one hour at 2:00 AM (Fall Back).
When this shift happens, the state moves from CST to CDT (Central Daylight Time) and MST to MDT (Mountain Daylight Time). It’s a headache for cattle ranchers and corporate office workers alike.
The Practical Impact of the Time Gap
If you’re a business owner in Dallas trying to call a client in El Paso, you've got to be careful. A 9:00 AM meeting in Dallas is an 8:00 AM wake-up call in El Paso. I've seen more than one Zoom call missed because someone forgot that Texas isn't a monolith.
The sun also behaves differently. In the peak of summer, the sun might set in Beaumont around 8:15 PM, but out in El Paso, because of that time zone shift and their western position, you might see twilight lingering much "later" relative to the clock.
Quick Reference: Major Texas Cities and Their Zones
To keep it simple, almost every major hub you can think of is in the Central zone.
Central Time Cities:
- Houston
- Dallas / Fort Worth
- Austin
- San Antonio
- Corpus Christi
- Amarillo (Yes, even the Panhandle is Central!)
Mountain Time Cities:
- El Paso
- Sierra Blanca
- Fort Bliss
Actionable Steps for Your Next Trip
If you're planning a cross-state trek or a business launch, don't just ask what time is it in Texas once and call it a day.
- Check the County: If you are heading west of the Pecos River, double-check if your destination is in Hudspeth or El Paso County.
- Sync Your Calendar: When scheduling meetings, use "CT" or "MT" specifically. Just saying "Texas Time" is a recipe for disaster.
- Automate Your Phone: Most modern smartphones handle the switch automatically via cell towers, but if you’re driving through "dead zones" in West Texas, your clock might jump back and forth unexpectedly. Trust a manual watch or a hard-wired car clock if you're on a tight schedule.
Understanding the Texas time split is basically a rite of passage for locals and a survival skill for visitors. It’s a big state with its own rules, and the clock is no exception.