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Time Zones

Metadata Updated: July 17, 2025

The Time Zones dataset was compiled on October 04, 2019 and was updated January 05, 2023 from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This layer is a digital representation of the geographic boundaries of the nine time zones that cover the United States and its territories (the Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii–Aleutian, Samoa, and Chamorro time zones). The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) oversees the Nation's time zones and the uniform observance of Daylight-Saving Time. The oversight of time zones was assigned to DOT due to the importance of time coordination for transportation related activities. The time zones were established by the Standard Time Act of 1918 and amended by the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Time zones in the U.S. are defined in the U.S. Code, Title 15, Chapter 6, Subchapter IX - Standard Time. The time zone boundaries are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 49, Subtitle A, Part 71 - Standard Time Zone Boundaries. Segments used to compile the geospatial layer were derived from the CFR’s time zone descriptions (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-71). Descriptions consist of segments referencing administrative boundaries, infrastructure, natural features, and geodesic lines. These segments are contained in various data layers in the National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) portfolio, the federal government’s authoritative geospatial data repository. Referenced segments were extracted from their NGDA and then merged to form continuous boundaries. In instances where there were multiple scales for a given dataset, the largest scale or most detailed layer was used. The standard time of the Atlantic zone is the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) minus 4 hours; Eastern zone is UTC minus 5 hours; Central zone is UTC minus 6 hours; Mountain zone is UTC minus 7 hours; Pacific zone is UTC minus 8 hours; Alaska zone is UTC minus 9 hours; Hawaii–Aleutian zone is UTC minus 10 hours; Samoa zone is UTC minus 11 hours; and Chamorro zone is UTC plus 10 hours. For more information, please visit: https://doi.org/10.21949/1519143. A data dictionary, or other source of attribute information, is accessible at https://doi.org/10.21949/1529083

Access & Use Information

License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

Downloads & Resources

Dates

Metadata Date July 16, 2025
Metadata Created Date August 3, 2024
Metadata Updated Date July 17, 2025
Reference Date(s) July 1, 2019 (creation)
Frequency Of Update asNeeded

Metadata Source

Harvested from National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) Metadata

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Date July 16, 2025
Metadata Created Date August 3, 2024
Metadata Updated Date July 17, 2025
Reference Date(s) July 1, 2019 (creation)
Responsible Party Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) (Point of Contact)
Contact Email
Guid Time Zones
Access Constraints Access Constraints: unrestricted
Bbox East Long -64
Bbox North Lat 71.5
Bbox South Lat 17.5
Bbox West Long -171.5
Coupled Resource
Frequency Of Update asNeeded
Harvest Object Id 47fed498-20d1-49ca-9c37-498dc6aa0e95
Harvest Source Id ee45e034-47c1-4a61-a3ec-de75031e6865
Harvest Source Title National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) Metadata
Licence This NTAD dataset is a work of the United States government as defined in 17 U.S.C. § 101 and as such are not protected by any U.S. copyrights. This work is available for unrestricted public use.
Lineage
Metadata Language eng; USA
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-171.5, 17.5], [-64.0, 17.5], [-64.0, 71.5], [-171.5, 71.5], [-171.5, 17.5]]]}
Progress onGoing
Spatial Data Service Type
Spatial Reference System
Spatial Harvester True

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