Days in Columbus are currently getting shorter, about 19 minutes shorter than a week ago.*
* Calculated from sunrise and sunset times; actual visible daylight can vary slightly with weather, elevation and atmospheric conditions.
Geographic position of Columbus
Columbus is located in the Northern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. Its coordinates are 41.4297° N, 97.3684° W.
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Distance from the Equator:
about 4,612 km (2,866 mi)
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Distance from the North Pole:
about 5,407 km (3,360 mi)
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Distance from the South Pole:
about 14,631 km (9,091 mi)
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Distance from the Prime Meridian:
about 8,127 km (5,050 mi) west
Columbus lies in the temperate latitude zone. This latitude affects daylight length, seasonal variation and how local solar time compares with standard clock time.
Antipode of Columbus
The point on Earth exactly opposite Columbus is near Perth - when it's noon in Columbus, it's close to midnight there.
Golden Hour & Blue Hour in Columbus
Approximate times based on sunrise/sunset. Actual golden hour quality varies with weather and season.
Current Season in Columbus
Columbus is currently in Autumn. Autumn begins around September 22, which is 1 day from now.
Because Columbus is in the Northern Hemisphere, its seasons run opposite to cities in the other hemisphere. When it is autumn here, places on the other side of the equator are experiencing the opposite season at the same time.
Longest & Shortest Day in Columbus
In Columbus, the longest day of the year falls around June 21 and lasts about 15h 10m. The shortest day falls around December 21 and lasts about 9h 10m, a difference of roughly 6h 0m between the two.
This seasonal swing depends on Columbus's latitude: cities closer to the equator see little variation in daylight throughout the year, while cities farther from it, like Columbus at 41.43° N, experience a much wider gap between summer and winter daylight.
Population Ranking of Columbus
With a population of 22,797, Columbus ranks as the 2303rd most populous city in United States, out of 3,397 cities tracked on this site.
Nearest Airport to Columbus
Lincoln Airport (LNK / KLNK) is a regional airport located about 83 km (51 mi) from Columbus.
Current local time at the airport is 09:24:11.
Daylight saving time changes in Columbus
Columbus uses the IANA time zone identifier America/Chicago. The current local offset is UTC-5 / CDT.
2026
Previous change: Daylight saving time started
- The offset changed from UTC-6 / CST to UTC-5 / CDT.
- The clock was moved forward from 02:00 to 03:00 local time.
2026
Next change: Standard time starts
- The offset will change from UTC-5 / CDT to UTC-6 / CST.
- The clock will be moved back from 02:00 to 01:00 local time.
Best Time to Call Columbus
Business hours in Columbus (9 AM-5 PM local time) fall at these local times elsewhere:
- New York: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM ( Convenient)
- Los Angeles: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM ( Partial overlap)
- London: 3:00 PM - 11:00 PM ( Partial overlap)
- Dubai: 6:00 PM - 2:00 AM (next day) ( Partial overlap)
- Mumbai: 7:30 PM - 3:30 AM (next day) ( Partial overlap)
- Tokyo: 11:00 PM - 7:00 AM (next day) ( Outside normal hours)
- Sydney: 12:00 AM (next day) - 8:00 AM (next day) ( Outside normal hours)
Times shown reflect current UTC offsets and may shift by up to an hour around daylight saving transitions.
Time Difference from Columbus
Compare time in Columbus with major cities worldwide.
Time now in other cities in United States
Public Holidays Affecting Columbus
Official national holiday observed in United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time zone is Columbus in?
Columbus follows the America/Chicago time zone, the official IANA identifier used by computers and databases worldwide to track local time accurately. Right now, this puts Columbus at UTC-5.
What time is it in Columbus right now?
The current local time in Columbus is 09:24:11 on Sunday, 20 September 2026. This page updates automatically, so refreshing it will always show the live time.
Does Columbus observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Columbus is currently observing daylight saving time, which temporarily shifts the clock forward by one hour compared to standard time.
How far ahead or behind UTC is Columbus?
Columbus is currently UTC-5, meaning local time is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
What is the nearest airport to Columbus?
Lincoln Airport (LNK) is the nearest airport to Columbus, located about 83 km away. The current local time at the airport is 09:24:11.
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