What time is it in Los Angeles right now? In this article we explain the different time zones in the USA and convert them to German time for you. We also explain the difference between AM and PM and what the US TV times mean for major events in German time.
By Saskia Ebert
05/24/2022 – 2:50 p.m
Since the USA has different time zones, the time can be confusing for some. Especially at sports events such as the Super Bowl or at award ceremonies such as the Oscars or the Grammys, the right time plays a role so that we can sit in front of the screen in time.
The 6 main time zones of the USA (island and mainland)
The area of the USA is so large that it includes several time zones. There are 4 time zones on the contiguous mainland area. CET means “Central European Time” and also includes German time:
- Eastern Standard Time Zone (EST): 6 hours behind the CET
- Central Standard Time Zone (CST): 7 hours behind the CET
- Mountain Standard Time (MST): 8 hours behind the CET
- Pacific Standard Time (PST): 9 hours behind the CET
Delimited from the contiguous mainland, there are two other relevant time zones:
- Alaska Standard Time Zone (ALST): 10 hours behind the CET
- Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time Zone (HAST): 11 hours behind the CET
The time zones of the USA (island and mainland) at a glance. Source: Rainer Lesniewski / shutterstock.com
Also interesting: This is how the electoral system works in the USA
Other US time zones
In addition to the relevant time zones, there are others in the USA:
- Atlantic Standard Time Zone (AST): 5 hours behind CET includes the outskirts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
- Samoa Standard Time Zone (SST): 12 hours behind CET, includes 3 uninhabited islands and the Midway Islands (regarding 40 inhabitants)
- Baker Island Time Zone (BIT): 13 hours behind CET, includes two uninhabited islands
- Chamorro Standard Time Zone (ChST): 9 hours ahead of CET, includes Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands
- Wake Island Time Zone (WAKT): 11 hours ahead of CET, includes WakeAtoll (regarding 150 inhabitants)
USA always earlier than Germany
The relevant time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii-Aleutian) are always earlier than Germany. For example, these cities have the following time difference:
- New York City (New York): 6 hours earlier
- San Francisco (California): 9 hours earlier
- Los Angeles (California): 9 hours earlier
- Chicago (Illinois): 7 hours earlier
- Miami (Florida): 6 hours earlier
- Salt Lake City (Utah): 8 hours earlier
- Honolulu (Hawaii): 11 hours earlier
Daylight Saving Time in the US
Daylight saving time in the United States is known as Daylight Saving Time (DST). In most US states, clocks are put forward one hour at 2:00 am on the second Sunday in March. Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November. Daylight saving time is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and (with a few exceptions) the state of Arizona, which actually belongs to the Mountain Standard Time Zone. Thus, Arizona has the same time as the state of California and is part of Pacific Standard Time in the summer.
However, the USA might soon keep daylight saving time, since winter time is to be abolished. The law for this has already been passed unanimously by the US Senate and only needs to be approved by the US House of Representatives and US President Joe Biden (1).
What does AM and PM mean?
If you take a closer look at the time in the USA, you will see that the time is either AM or PM. The expressions are used to delimit which part of the day it is:
- AM: stands for “ante meridiem” and means morning (with us: 12:00 a.m. – 11:59 a.m.)
- PM: stands for “post meridiem” and means followingnoon (with us: 12:00 p.m. – 11:59 p.m.)
Both terms come from Latin. The reason for this is that the USA follows the 12-hour rhythm and not the 24-hour rhythm. The USA therefore proceeds according to the following scheme:
- 12 AM to 12 PM is from 00.00 to 12.00 German time
- 12 PM to 12 AM is from 12 PM to midnight German time
Also read: What is the time of day in Germany
How do you count?
For example, if you arrived at 12:59 AM, then start once more with 1 and change from AM to PM (1 PM = 1 PM). It also works the other way around.
examples:
|
German time |
American time |
|
12:00 a.m |
12 AM |
|
12:30 a.m |
12:30 AM |
|
1:30 a.m |
1:30 AM |
|
11:45 a.m |
11:45 AM |
|
12:00 o’clock |
12 PM |
|
12:30 pm |
12:30 PM |
|
13:00 ‘O clock |
1 PM |
|
4 p.m |
4 PM |
|
22:00 O’clock |
10 PM |
|
11:45 p.m |
11:45 PM |
How do I find out the German time for live American TV broadcasts?
Due to the many time zones, the TV transmission time in the USA is a mystery to many. This is because broadcasters are unable to localize the timing of major live events in particular (e.g. the Super Bowl or the Oscars). You will often find times like “8 / 7c“.
This is the meaning of “8/7c”
Die The first digit, in this case the 8, stands for Eastern Standard Time (EST) and means 8 p.m. local time. Die 7 stands for Central Standard Time (marked here with a “c”) and in this case means 7 p.m. local time. So if a show or sporting event takes place at 8/7c, that is 2:00 a.m. on the following day in German time. With a time of 10/9c in Germany that would be 4:00 a.m. on the following day.
