# Powerball Drawing Schedule: Days, Times and Ticket Cutoffs > Powerball draws Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. See the time in every U.S. time zone, how ticket sales cutoffs work and where to watch the results. Source: https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/powerball-drawing-schedule · Published: 2026-10-09 · Publisher: TodayPowerball (independent; not affiliated with any lottery) Powerball drawings are held three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Ticket sales for each drawing close earlier in the evening, and the exact cutoff depends on the state where you buy. In Florida, for example, sales close at 10:00 p.m. ET; in California, they close at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time. This guide covers the full schedule, what 10:59 p.m. ET means in your time zone, how sales cutoffs work, where the drawings take place, and how quickly results are posted. ## The weekly Powerball schedule | Day | Drawing time (ET) | Notes | |---|---|---| | Monday | 10:59 p.m. | Added in August 2021 | | Tuesday | No drawing | | | Wednesday | 10:59 p.m. | | | Thursday | No drawing | | | Friday | No drawing | | | Saturday | 10:59 p.m. | | | Sunday | No drawing | | For most of its history, Powerball drew twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday. On August 23, 2021, Powerball held its first Monday drawing, making it a three-drawing-a-week game. According to Powerball, adding the third drawing did not change the game's odds or set cash prizes. Drawings follow the schedule on holidays as well. If Christmas or New Year's Day falls on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday, there's normally a drawing that night. If you want to confirm a specific date, powerball.com and your state lottery site list upcoming drawings. ## What 10:59 p.m. ET means in your time zone Powerball's drawing time is set in Eastern Time, so it happens at the same moment everywhere. Here's the local equivalent during daylight saving time and standard time: | Time zone | Local drawing time | |---|---| | Eastern (New York, Florida) | 10:59 p.m. | | Central (Texas, Illinois) | 9:59 p.m. | | Mountain (Colorado, Arizona*) | 8:59 p.m. | | Pacific (California, Washington) | 7:59 p.m. | | Alaska and Hawaii | Powerball isn't sold in either state | | Atlantic (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands) | 10:59 p.m. during daylight time; 11:59 p.m. during standard time | *Arizona doesn't observe daylight saving time. From early November to mid-March, Arizona matches Mountain Standard Time (8:59 p.m.); during daylight time, it matches Pacific Daylight Time (7:59 p.m.). Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also stay on Atlantic Standard Time year-round, which is why their local time shifts against Eastern Time. ## How ticket sales cutoffs work Every drawing has a sales cutoff: a point after which tickets sold count toward the *next* drawing instead of tonight's. The cutoff exists so all participating lotteries can finish selling, record every play and send their data in before the balls are drawn. There isn't one national cutoff. Each state lottery sets its own, commonly about an hour or more before the 10:59 p.m. ET drawing. Two examples: - **Florida:** Powerball sales close at 10:00 p.m. ET on drawing nights. The Florida Lottery adds that there's a five-minute sales break between 10:00 and 10:05 p.m. ET, and tickets sold after 10:05 p.m. ET are for the next drawing. - **California:** Powerball ticket sales end at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time on drawing nights, about an hour before the 7:59 p.m. PT drawing, according to the California Lottery. Because cutoffs differ and can change, check your own state lottery's website if you're buying close to the deadline. The ticket itself is the final word: it prints the drawing date (or dates) it's valid for. ### A worked example: buying after the cutoff Say you live in Florida and buy a Powerball ticket at 10:20 p.m. ET on a Wednesday. 1. Wednesday sales closed at 10:00 p.m. ET. 2. Sales resumed at 10:05 p.m. ET for the next drawing. 3. Your ticket is therefore for **Saturday's** drawing, not Wednesday's. 4. If Wednesday's numbers happen to match yours, that ticket doesn't win that drawing. This is why it's worth glancing at the date printed on any ticket you buy late in the evening. ## Where the drawings take place Powerball drawings are normally conducted at the Florida Lottery's draw studio in Tallahassee and broadcast from there. Each drawing uses two machines: one with 69 white balls and one with 26 red Powerballs. Before the main drawing, the Power Play multiplier is selected for players who bought that $1 add-on (see [Power Play explained](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/powerball-power-play-explained) for how it works). Drawings are overseen by lottery security officials and independent auditors, and the equipment is tested before each drawing. On rare occasions, such as when a hurricane threatened Tallahassee in September 2024, Powerball has moved a drawing to a backup location and announced the change on powerball.com. ### The Double Play drawing In jurisdictions that offer Double Play, a separate Double Play drawing is held after every Powerball drawing on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. It uses its own set of numbers, so the Double Play results are different from the main Powerball results. If you bought Double Play, check both sets. ## How to watch and check the results You have several options for seeing the winning numbers: - **Live:** Drawings are streamed on powerball.com and broadcast by participating TV stations in many markets. - **Online after the drawing:** Winning numbers appear on [powerball.com](https://www.powerball.com/) and your state lottery's website shortly after the drawing. - **Retailers and apps:** Most lottery retailers have a ticket checker you can scan your ticket on, and many state lotteries offer an app that does the same. - **Our results pages:** TodayPowerball posts the winning numbers after each drawing. The winning numbers appear quickly, but prize details, such as how many tickets won each tier and where, take longer. Lotteries need time to collect and verify sales data from every jurisdiction, so winner counts and the next jackpot estimate are usually posted later in the night or the following morning. ## Multi-draw tickets and the schedule Many states let you play the same numbers for several consecutive drawings on one ticket. With three drawings a week, a multi-draw ticket covers them in order: for example, a six-draw ticket bought on a Tuesday would cover Wednesday, Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Monday. The number of drawings you can buy at once varies by state, so check your state lottery's rules. If you play a multi-draw ticket, check it after each drawing. A prize won on an early drawing is still valid even while the ticket covers later ones, but claim rules for multi-draw tickets differ by state. ## Planning around claim deadlines Each drawing date also starts a clock for claiming prizes. Deadlines vary by state; the Florida Lottery, for instance, says Powerball tickets expire 180 days after the winning drawing date. If you hold a winning ticket, our guide to [how to play Powerball](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/how-to-play-powerball) explains the basics of checking and claiming, and our [Powerball taxes guide](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/powerball-taxes-explained) covers what's withheld from larger prizes. ## Frequently asked questions ### What time is the Powerball drawing? Powerball draws at 10:59 p.m. ET every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. That's 9:59 p.m. Central, 8:59 p.m. Mountain and 7:59 p.m. Pacific. ### What time do Powerball ticket sales stop? It depends on your state. Each state lottery sets its own cutoff. For example, Florida closes sales at 10:00 p.m. ET and California at 7:00 p.m. PT. Check your state lottery's site for its exact time. ### Is there a Powerball drawing on Sunday or Friday? No. Powerball draws only on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. ### What happens if I buy a ticket after the cutoff? Your ticket goes into the next scheduled drawing. The drawing date is printed on the ticket. ### When are the winning numbers posted? Within minutes of the drawing on powerball.com and state lottery websites. Winner counts and the next jackpot estimate usually follow later that night or the next morning. ## The bottom line Powerball draws Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET, normally from Tallahassee, Florida. Sales close earlier and the cutoff varies by state, so check the date on your ticket if you buy late in the evening. For official schedules and results, rely on [powerball.com](https://www.powerball.com/) and your state lottery, such as the [Florida Lottery's draw games FAQ](https://floridalottery.com/help/faqs/draw-games-faq). However you follow the drawings, keep your play within a budget you're comfortable with, and call 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) if you need help.