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What Time is it in Hawaii, USA? Time Zones

Last Updated : 05 Dec, 2023
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What Time Is It In Hawaii? It’s a question many people ask while planning a trip to Hawaii or before calling a local business. The first thing to notice about time in Hawaii is that every island is inside the same time zone, which is the Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time Zone (abbreviated as HST or HAST) or Hawaii Standard Time. Note that Hawaii Time isn’t the same as Island Time.

The second thing to understand is that Hawaii does not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST). What is DST? This is a process that many US states (and other countries) use that advances time with the aid of one hour within the summer season and then back an hour in the winter. It’s an idea from the late 1800s that is still being used today. Since Hawaii does not use the DST, getting the time in Hawaii compared to the United States mainland may be confusing. Read below this article to find out how you can calculate the current time in Hawaii.

Where is Hawaii?

Hawaii sits over 2,000 miles west of California. Hawaii, which has one of the world’s longest island chains, is the only country in the United States that is entirely made up of islands. But just seven of its 137 islands are inhabited: Hawaii (also called the Big Island), Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau.

The Hawaiian Islands are volcanic islands. They have shaped the Earth’s crust, made up of large rocky slabs referred to as tectonic plates, and move over an especially hot spot in the molten layer below the crust. The heat melts the rock that makes up the crust, transforming it into magma. The magma then cools and forms new land once it has broken through to the surface of the earth’s crust.

The Earth’s crust is constantly moving, just a little bit; however, the hot spot that produces magma isn’t. So over time, the crust moved, but the hot spot remained—growing a chain of volcanic islands. Kilauea, Hawaii’s most active volcano, can be seen at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. Kilauea has been erupting for over 30 years, and its lava expands Hawaii by more than 40 acres each year.

Best Experiences to Get in Hawaii

Hawaii is famous for its stunning beaches, some of which have rare and unusual colors. Many beaches are full of white sand, but many other Hawaiian beaches are covered with green, red, pink, or even black sand.

Whether you want to go hiking, cycling, kayaking, cruising, swimming, or simply sitting on the beach, Hawaii is the place for you. Near the water, you can relax as palm bushes blow in the island breeze. Travel toward the middle of one of the massive islands, and you can hike through dense tropical rainforests and enjoy beautiful waterfalls. Don’t forget to dive into the water and snorkel near Hawaii’s coral reefs.

In Hawaii, you could experience yet another environment: the volcano Mauna Loa’s dry lava is so similar to parts of the moon’s surface that astronauts once walked on it to practice for journeys to the moon. Mount Waialeale on Kauai is known as one of the rainiest spots on Earth, getting 384 inches of rain a year on average.

What time is there in Hawaii?

Hawaii is within the Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time Zone; that’s 10 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-10).

Unlike most states within the US, Daylight Saving Time isn’t used in Hawaii, which means it maintains its 10-hour difference from GMT all through the year. To know the time in Hawaii, subtract 10 hours from Greenwich Mean Time. The time in Hawaii currently is 6:00 AM, Sunday, November 19, 2023.

Time Zones in Hawaii

If you’re going to Hawaii soon, it’s important that you are aware of what time zone it follows. In this way, you could make better plans and schedule your appointments. Here are a few thrilling facts about Hawaii:

  • Hawaii observes Hawaii Standard Time all year.
  • The state does not observe daylight saving time. Meaning, Hawaii does not change its time and follows a spring-forward, fall-back lifestyle, unlike other states. The closing of DST trade in Hawaii occurred on September 30, 1945.
  • Hawaii is one of the few states in the United States that does not observe DST.

Location of Hawaii

The US state of Hawaii is an island group located in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, approximately 4,400 km (2,800 miles) south of Alaska, and 4,200 km (2,600 miles) north of Tahiti (French Polynesia).

The Aloha State (its official nickname) consists of many islands spread over a distance of more than 2,400 km (1,500 miles). The total area of the islands is 28,313 km² (10,932 square miles); it’s slightly smaller than Belgium (30,528 km²) or twice the size of the Bahamas. Compared with other US states, Hawaii is a bit larger than New Jersey; however, it would fit into Texas 25 times.

Largest towns:

  • Honolulu (capital city; estimated population: 360,000 in 2018)
  • East Honolulu (area directly east of the center of Honolulu; population: 50,000)
  • Pearl City (alongside the north shore of Pearl Harbor; population: 47,700)
  • Hilo (2nd-biggest city; population: 43,300)

Other towns and cities: Captain Cook, Haleiwa, Hana, Hanalei, Hawi, Honokaa, Kahului, Kailua, Kailua, Kalaupapa, Kaneohe, Kapaa, Kaunakakai, Kekaha, Lahaina, Laie, Lanai City, Lihue, Maunaloa, Mountain View, Pahala, Pahoa, Puuwai, Wahiawa, Waialua, Wailuku, and Waimea

Conclusion

Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) is one of the GMT/UTC-10:00 time zones. This means that Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) is -10:00 hours behind GMT. And, during the winter, Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) does not change. This means that Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time is still 10 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.

FAQs: What Time Is It In Hawaii, USA?: Time Zones

1. Does Hawaii have two time zones?

Hawaii is in a single-time area, Hawaii-Aleutian Time (HST), which is 10 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-10). The concept of time zones has been a great part of our world for a while now. They help with synchronizing exercises and holding a similarity to arrange across different parts of the world.

2. How many hours is Hawaii behind California?

Hawaii follows the Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST), which is 3 hours behind Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) during daylight saving time and 2 hours behind Pacific Standard Time (PST) during standard time. So, when it’s 12:00 PM in California, it would be 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM in Hawaii, depending on the time of the year.

3. How many islands are in Hawaii?

The state of Hawaii formally recognizes 137 islands, which include four islands in the Midway Atoll. An island in this sense can also have much smaller and usually uninhabited islets, rocks, coral reefs, and atolls.

4. What’s the capital of Hawaii?

Honolulu is the state capital and the largest city in Hawaii. In Hawaiian, the word “Honolulu” means “sheltered bay” or “place of shelter.”



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