San José to Los Angeles Time Difference
Los Angeles is 1 hour behind San José. When it's 11:05:58 AM in San José, it's 10:05:58 AM in Los Angeles.
How Many Hours Behind Is Los Angeles From San José?
Los Angeles is 1 hour behind San José. So San José is 1 hour ahead of Los Angeles looking the other way — the same gap, described from the other end.
In practice that means a working day in San José starts when it is already 8:00 AM in Los Angeles. The gap is not fixed all year: it becomes 2 hours on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when Los Angeles changes its clocks.
Best Time to Call San José and Los Angeles
Both cities are inside normal business hours between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM in San José — that's 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM in Los Angeles. That's a 7-hour window, so a call fits comfortably in either side's working day.
both at work San José only Los Angeles only neither — hours shown along the strip are San José local time.
Convert a Specific Time
Pick any date and time in San José to see the exact equivalent in Los Angeles.
Common Times Converted
San José time on the left, Los Angeles time on the right.
San José to Los Angeles: Full 24-Hour Conversion Table
Based on today, Sunday, October 11, 2026 in San José. Shaded rows are working hours; the darker shade marks the hours when both cities are at work.
| San José | Los Angeles | Working hours |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 11:00 PM prev day | — |
| 1:00 AM | 12:00 AM | — |
| 2:00 AM | 1:00 AM | — |
| 3:00 AM | 2:00 AM | — |
| 4:00 AM | 3:00 AM | — |
| 5:00 AM | 4:00 AM | — |
| 6:00 AM | 5:00 AM | — |
| 7:00 AM | 6:00 AM | — |
| 8:00 AM | 7:00 AM | — |
| 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM | San José only |
| 10:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Both cities |
| 11:00 AM | 10:00 AM | Both cities |
| 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM | Both cities |
| 1:00 PM | 12:00 PM | Both cities |
| 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM | Both cities |
| 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | Both cities |
| 4:00 PM | 3:00 PM | Both cities |
| 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM | Los Angeles only |
| 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | — |
| 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | — |
| 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | — |
| 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | — |
| 10:00 PM | 9:00 PM | — |
| 11:00 PM | 10:00 PM | — |
Understanding the San José – Los Angeles Time Difference
San José runs on America/Costa_Rica, currently CST (UTC-6:00). Los Angeles runs on America/Los_Angeles, currently PDT (UTC-7:00). The gap of 1 hour is simply the distance between those two offsets.
Los Angeles observes Daylight Saving Time and San José does not, so the gap between them shifts by an hour twice a year. The next shift is on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when Los Angeles adjusts its clocks and the difference becomes 2 hours. Anything scheduled across that date needs checking again.
Full clock-change dates: Daylight Saving Time in the United States.
San José today
Los Angeles today
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between San José and Los Angeles?
Los Angeles is currently 1 hour behind San José. That gap becomes 2 hours on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when Los Angeles changes its clocks.
How many hours behind is Los Angeles from San José?
Los Angeles is 1 hour behind San José. Looking at it the other way, San José is 1 hour ahead of Los Angeles.
What time is it in Los Angeles when it is 9:00 AM in San José?
When it is 9:00 AM in San José, it is 8:00 AM in Los Angeles.
Is Los Angeles ahead of or behind San José?
Los Angeles is 1 hour behind San José. San José reaches each point in the day first, so Los Angeles is still getting started while the San José working day is finishing.
What is the best time to call between San José and Los Angeles?
Between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM San José time, which is 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM in Los Angeles. Both cities are inside normal business hours during that window.
Does the time difference between San José and Los Angeles change during the year?
Yes. Los Angeles observes Daylight Saving Time and San José does not, so the gap between them shifts during the year. It changes to 2 hours on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
What time zones are San José and Los Angeles in?
San José uses the America/Costa_Rica time zone, currently CST (UTC-6:00). Los Angeles uses America/Los_Angeles, currently PDT (UTC-7:00).