North America has a relatively huge landmass (approximately 24, 709, 000 square kilometers) about 16.5% of the earth’s land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. In this regard, Pacific Time (PT) zone is never enough to be the only time reference. As a result, PDT and PST were introduced. PDT and PST are expressed with reference to GMT or UCT. During the fall to winter months, Pacific Standard Time or PST is observed and then during Daylight saving (spring to summer months), Pacific Daylight Time or PDT is used.
Other common time zones around the world include:
- European Central Time (ECT)
- Eastern Africa Time (EAT)
- Australia Central Time (ACT)
- Mountain Standard Time (MST)
- Central Standard Time (CST)
- Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
- Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) is seven hours behind the Coordinated Universal Time Standard, written as an offset of UTC -7.00. That means to find the standard time in the zone; you must subtract seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time.
Territories observing the time zone are primarily in North America. It runs through several U.S states including California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. It also passes through Canada in the North and Mexico in the South.
Depending on where the time zone is being referenced, it may be referred using the following names:
- Pacific Daylight Saving Time or PDST
- North American Pacific Daylight Time or NAPDT
- Heure Avancẻe du Pacifique or HAP (in French)
What You Need To Know About PDT
- PDT is also referred to as Pacific Daylight Saving Time (PDST).
- Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) is 7 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is a Daylight Saving Time and is used in North America.
- PDT is used in summer. Time is moved an hour forward of the typical time during summer to use the more drawn out long stretches of summer and help save energy simultaneously.
- PDT is commonly used in the United States and in the Canadian province of British Columbia and Yukon except Cranbrook, Golden and Invermere.
- PDT is used in places that observe Pacific Time (PT).
- When using PDT, time is moved one hour ahead of its original time.
- An email sent from someone in the Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) time zone will have the time zone listed as “0700’’ in the headers of the email.
Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Pacific Standard Time (PST) is eight hours behind the Coordinated Universal Time Standard, written as an offset of UTC-8.00. That means to find the standard time in the zone; you must subtract eight hours from the Coordinated Universal Time. It is located on the 120th meridian west of the Prime meridian in Greenwich England.
Regions that primarily observe this time zone are in North America. It runs through the west part of Canada, the United States and the Northwestern part of Mexico. The United States and Canada actually refer to this zone as the Pacific Time Zone or PT. In Mexico, it is actually referred to as the Northwest Zone.
When compared to neighboring time Zones, PST is one hour behind Mountain Standard Time (MST) while Alaska Time Zone is one hour ahead. PST is also three hours behind the Eastern Time Zone and two hours behind the Central Time Zone.
What You Need To Know About PST
- PST is also referred to as North American Pacific Standard Time (NAPST).
- Pacific Standard Time (PST) is 8 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is a standard time zone and is used in North America. This time zone is often called Pacific Time (PT). It is based on the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory.
- The United States of America and Canada uses the Pacific Time Zone or PT. In the United States, the states that follow PST include: California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
- PST is used during the winter which has shorter days than summer.
- PST is used in places that observe Pacific Time (PT).
- When using PST time is moved one hour behind its original time.
- An email sent from someone in the Pacific Standard Time (PST) time zone will have the time zone listed as ‘’0800’’ in the headers of the email.