- PlugsType A, B
- Power120 V · 60 Hz
- CurrencyUSD · US Dollar
- Tipping15–20% at restaurants
- Time6 standard offsets, UTC−10 to UTC−5 · DST observed in some zones
Plugs and power
The United States uses Type A (two flat pins); Type B (two flat + round pin). Mains power is 120 V at 60 Hz. Phone, tablet and laptop chargers are usually rated 100–240 V, so they need at most a plug adapter; check the label on hair dryers, straighteners and kettles.
| Travelling from | Adapter needed? | Voltage note |
|---|---|---|
| UK / Ireland | Yes | Different voltage (230 V → 120 V): check each device label for “100–240V” |
| Australia / NZ | Yes | Different voltage (230 V → 120 V): check each device label for “100–240V” |
Plugs and voltage in the United States · Do I need a plug adapter for the USA from Australia or NZ? · Do I need a plug adapter for the USA from the UK? · Plug adapter vs voltage converter
Money: currency, cash and cards
The currency of the United States is the US Dollar (USD, $). Convert from your home currency below; the rate is a daily mid-market reference rate, so a card, ATM or exchange counter will usually give you a little less.
Daily mid-market rates, fetched in your browser (loading…). Rates By Exchange Rate API
- 1 AUD = … USD
- 1 NZD = … USD
- 1 GBP = … USD
- 1 EUR = … USD
- 1 CAD = … USD
AUD → USD · CAD → USD · EUR → USD · GBP → USD · NZD → USD · Pay in local or home currency? Checker · Paying abroad: cards, cash and ATMs
Tipping
In the United States, tipping is typically 15–20% at restaurants (Aorista tipping data: “Expected”, part of service culture). Rates for taxis, hotels and tours are on the country page.
Tipping in the United States · Tipping around the world
Time difference
The United States is covered by 29 zones in the IANA tz database, with 6 standard UTC offsets; daylight saving time is observed in some zones. The table compares New York (now 06:00, UTC−5) with common home cities, using the 2026e rules.
| City | Local time | Difference | Next change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 00:00 | New York is 18 hours behind | Sun 14 Mar 2027: becomes 17 hours behind |
| Sydney | 22:00 | New York is 16 hours behind | Sun 14 Mar 2027: becomes 15 hours behind |
| London | 11:00 | New York is 5 hours behind | Sun 14 Mar 2027: becomes 4 hours behind |
| Los Angeles | 03:00 | New York is 3 hours ahead | No change in the next 12 months |
- UTC−5, with daylight saving time: America/New_York (Eastern (most areas)); America/Detroit (Eastern - MI (most areas)); America/Kentucky/Louisville (Eastern - KY (Louisville area)) and 7 more zones
- UTC−6, with daylight saving time: America/Chicago (Central (most areas)); America/Indiana/Tell_City (Central - IN (Perry)); America/Indiana/Knox (Central - IN (Starke)) and 4 more zones
- UTC−7, with daylight saving time: America/Denver (Mountain (most areas)); America/Boise (Mountain - ID (south), OR (east))
- UTC−7, no daylight saving time: America/Phoenix (MST - AZ (except Navajo))
- UTC−8, with daylight saving time: America/Los_Angeles (Pacific)
- UTC−9, with daylight saving time: America/Anchorage (Alaska (most areas)); America/Juneau (Alaska - Juneau area); America/Sitka (Alaska - Sitka area) and 3 more zones
- UTC−10, with daylight saving time: America/Adak (Alaska - western Aleutians)
- UTC−10, no daylight saving time: Pacific/Honolulu (Hawaii)
Time in Chicago · Time in Honolulu · Time in Los Angeles · Time in Miami · Time in New York · Time in San Francisco · Time in Seattle · Auckland and New York time difference · Sydney and New York time difference · London and New York time difference · Clock changes 2026–2027
Weather
Current conditions and 7-day forecasts (Open-Meteo) for Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York in the United States.
Weather in Chicago · Weather in Los Angeles · Weather in Miami · Weather in New York
Getting there: flight times
Typical non-stop flight times and local arrival times for 17 routes into the United States:
Auckland → New York · Auckland → Los Angeles · Amsterdam → New York · Paris → New York · Dubai → New York · Frankfurt → New York · Hong Kong → New York · Hong Kong → Los Angeles · London → New York · London → Los Angeles · London → Chicago · London → San Francisco · Tokyo → New York · Tokyo → Los Angeles · Tokyo → Chicago · Singapore → New York · Sydney → Los Angeles
Packing
Packing lists you can tick off and save in your browser:
City break · Business trip · Family holiday · Build your own list
Nearby and also popular
Japan travel essentials · Indonesia travel essentials · Australia travel essentials · All countries
Questions
What plug do I need for the United States?
The United States uses Type A, B plugs at 120 V, 60 Hz. From the US or Canada: adapter not needed (same plugs). From the UK or Ireland: adapter needed. From Australia or New Zealand: adapter needed.
What currency is used in the United States?
The US Dollar (USD).
Do you tip in the United States?
Typically 15–20% at restaurants, according to our tipping data (expected).
What is the time difference between the United States and the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand?
Right now (Sun 1 Nov 2026), compared with New York: Auckland 18 hours ahead, Sydney 16 hours ahead, London 5 hours ahead, Los Angeles 3 hours behind. Differences change when either side starts or ends daylight saving time.
Does the United States have daylight saving time?
In some areas only. No daylight saving in: America/Phoenix (MST - AZ (except Navajo)); Pacific/Honolulu (Hawaii). All other zones observe it (IANA tz database 2026e).
Sources and last checked
- Plug types and voltage: Aorista voltage checker data. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
- Tipping norms: Aorista tipping data. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
- Time zones and daylight saving: IANA tz database 2026e. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
- Exchange rates: Rates By Exchange Rate API. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
- Weather: Open-Meteo forecasts, on the linked weather pages. Checked 18 Oct 2026.