Time zone · Americas
AKST
Alaska Standard Time
Alaska Standard Time covers the last frontier of the United States across six member zones. All of them observe daylight saving time, currently running an hour ahead at AKDT.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Current offset
UTC-08:00
Daylight · AKDT
Daylight saving
Active
Reverts 1 Nov 2026
IANA zones
6
6 observe DST, 0 don't
DST offset
UTC-08:00
AKDT · +1h
About AKST
Standard time, with a summer shift.
Alaska Standard Time covers the last frontier of the United States across six member zones. All of them observe daylight saving time, currently running an hour ahead at AKDT.
DST schedule · AKST · AKDT
2026 Sunday · clocks fall back
Clocks fall back by one hour · in 2 months.
One year, two clocks
IANA zones · the technical identifiers
The 6 zones that resolve to AKST.
For software, always store the IANA identifier — never the abbreviation alone. The database keeps these zones distinct because their rules can, and historically did, diverge.
Where AKST is used
One country.
Same offset · UTC-08:00
Other zones at UTC-08:00 right now.
These named zones share AKST's offset today. When daylight saving rules differ, they drift apart for part of the year.
Convert
AKST to the world's clocks.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about AKST, daylight saving, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- Is Alaska Standard Time always 9 hours behind UTC?
- No — during daylight saving time (March to November), AKST jumps to AKDT, shifting to UTC-08:00.
- Do all Alaskan cities switch to AKDT in summer?
- Yes — Anchorage, Juneau, Nome, Sitka, Yakutat, and Metlakatla all observe daylight saving time and are currently on AKDT.
- When does Alaska switch back from AKDT to AKST?
- The next transition is scheduled for 2026-11-01 01:00:00 AKDT.
- How many different time zones does Alaska have?
- There are six member zones in total, each representing a different locality within Alaska.
- Why does Alaska have its own time zone code?
- Alaska's longitude spans 123° to 172° W, and the extreme variation in daylight between summer and winter months makes a dedicated time zone necessary.
- Is Alaska the only US state in this time zone?
- Yes, only the state of Alaska uses AKST/AKDT as its primary time zone.
- What are the daylight saving hours like in Alaska?
- Alaskan communities experience the most extreme variations in daylight in the US — in summer the sun barely sets, while winter brings prolonged darkness.
- Is Metlakatla the same as the rest of Alaska in terms of DST?
- Metlakatla is the only community in Alaska that elected to stay on Pacific Time, but it still follows DST and is currently on AKDT.
Free · Developer API
Time, as JSON.
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