Alabama Time Now
Time Zone
Quick Answer
Alabama uses Central Time — CST (UTC-6) in winter, CDT (UTC-5) in summer.
Alabama Time Zone
Alabama is entirely in the Central Time Zone. The state uses CST (Central Standard Time, UTC-6) from November to March and CDT (Central Daylight Time, UTC-5) from March to November. Alabama shares its time zone with neighboring Mississippi and Tennessee, but is one hour behind Georgia and Florida's Eastern Time Zone.
Phenix City and the Eastern Time Border
Phenix City sits directly across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, Georgia, which uses Eastern Time. While Phenix City is officially in the Central Time Zone, many local businesses, TV stations, and residents informally operate on Eastern Time to stay synchronized with Columbus. This makes it one of the most interesting time zone edge cases in the United States.