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Rhode Island, United States

Rhode Island follows Eastern Time, using Eastern Standard Time in winter and Eastern Daylight Time during the daylight-saving period. The whole state keeps the same local time.

Providence, United States

Friday, 4 September 2026

UTC−4 · America/New_York

Time and sun data for Providence — the administrative centre of Rhode Island

The sun in Providence

Sunrise 06:16 Solar noon 12:46 Sunset 19:16 Daylight 13 h 01 min Night 10 h 59 min Civil twilight 05:47 – 19:45

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Current time in Rhode Island, United States

Rhode Island is in the Eastern Time Zone. Its standard-time offset is UTC−5, while daylight saving changes the offset to UTC−4. A current-time display for the state should therefore account for the seasonal clock change rather than applying one fixed offset throughout the year.

Because Rhode Island has only one time zone, arranging calls and journeys within the state is simple. Providence, Newport, Warwick, and communities along Narragansett Bay all share the same clock. Nearby Boston also follows Eastern Time, as do neighboring Connecticut and the rest of Massachusetts.

In the smallest state, at least nobody needs a long explanation of which end changed its clocks.

Rhode Island cities and local time

Providence is Rhode Island’s capital and largest city. Other significant population centers include Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket, and East Providence. Newport is especially well known to visitors, while Woonsocket serves the northern part of the state. Every one of these places observes the same local time.

Useful points to remember when checking a Rhode Island clock include: Providence time can be used for the entire state. Rhode Island shares its time zone with New York City and Washington, D.C. Daylight saving affects the displayed UTC offset.

No county or municipality has a separate official time zone. For travel planning, the lack of an internal time boundary means departure and arrival times do not require conversion. The main concern is whether another state or country uses Eastern Time on the same date, since daylight-saving schedules are not identical everywhere in the world.

Sunrise and daylight across Rhode Island

Sunrise time depends on both location and date. Eastern communities can see sunrise slightly earlier by the clock than places farther west, although Rhode Island’s compact size keeps the difference modest. A statewide current-time reading is suitable for clocks, but sunrise should be calculated for the particular town.

Seasonal changes are more noticeable than geographic differences within the state. Winter brings later sunrises and shorter daylight, while summer brings earlier dawns and longer evenings. The daylight-saving clock change also alters the displayed time of sunrise even though it does not change the sun’s movement.

For an outing near Newport, a commute in Providence, or an early walk in Westerly, use a local sunrise listing for that date. Weather may hide the horizon, but it does not change the calculated astronomical time.

Questions and answers
What time zone is Rhode Island in?
Rhode Island is in the Eastern Time Zone.
Does Rhode Island observe daylight saving time?
Yes. It uses Eastern Standard Time in the standard-time season and Eastern Daylight Time during daylight saving.
Is sunrise at the same time everywhere in Rhode Island?
No. The precise time varies by date and location, so a city-specific sunrise result is best.

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