At What Time on Average Is Dinner Time?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 09, 2023

While dinner time varies across households and countries, in the United States, most families eat dinner between 6 and 7 p.m. While the time used to be around 5 p.m., increasing traffic and work commitments have pushed back dinner time.

To every rule, there are exceptions. In some other countries, dinner is usually eaten later. Therefore, recent immigrants or Americans with international heritage may be more accustomed to later dinner times. Also, certain households may just prefer different times for dinner depending on what is convenient for them. Dinner may also depend on whether a person has drinks or appetizers before his or her meal.