When does the ball drop on New Year's Eve? Time zones make it difficult.

When the clock strikes midnight in New York City, millions of people will watch the iconic ball drop in person from Times Square or from their homes – but in much of the country it won’t be midnight for hours.

For Americans living in different time zones, the ball drop doesn’t have quite the same significance. In Los Angeles, the event takes place on New Year’s Eve at 9 p.m., and for people living in Hawaii or some U.S. territories, the timing is even further from the start of the new year. The people of Guam will have spent over half a day in 2025 when the ball drops.

The Times Square Ball won’t be happening again after residents and visitors on the East Coast ring in the New Year, but there are still plenty of opportunities for the rest of the nation to watch — and there are plenty of celebrations elsewhere around the country, too .

Watch the ball drop at midnight ET and go to bed

Some take advantage of the fact that they live in a different time zone to watch New Year’s Eve shows from the East Coast and go to bed early while still feeling like they’ve stayed awake into the New Year.

If you’re on the West Coast, you can tune in to watch the ball at 9pm PST and get to bed in time for midnight.

Watch Live:ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025”

Countdowns from coast to coast

You can also follow coverage of the countdowns to 2025 in multiple time zones throughout the night. One option: Nexstar Media Group’s programming begins at 11 p.m. EST and includes countdowns in four time zones.

Watch another “dip” take place in a different time zone

The Times Square ball drop isn’t the only “drop” to ring in the New Year. Several cities will drop their own unique items when it reaches midnight in their time zone.

If you live in the Central Time Zone, CBS will host “Nashville’s Big Bash” starting at 7:00 p.m. CST and counting down as it reaches midnight Eastern Time. But there is also a countdown to midnight in Central Time with the playing of a musical note.

According to WVTJ, a celebration in Fort Lauderdale, Florida includes the throwing of a giant lighted anchor at midnight.

A 15-pound blueberry-flavored edible MoonPie will drop in Mobile, Alabama, WALA reported.

They will drop a large burning cherry in Milwaukie, Oregon, home of the Bing cherry, at 9:00 p.m. PST to ring in the New Year on the East Coast.

Watch the ball drop in New York later

Some will choose to watch the ball drop in New York but watch it after the live broadcast. Check with your local TV station to see if a delayed broadcast of the ball drop is available to you so you can still enjoy the fanfare even when your own clock strikes 12.

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

When does the ball drop on New Year’s Eve? Time zones make it difficult.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply