What time zone are you in

Time Zone Converter – Time Difference Calculator

Provides time zone conversions taking into account Daylight Saving Time (DST), local time zone and accepts present, past, or future dates.

Did you notice? We recently gave this converter a bit of love to make it more effective and easier to use. Here are some of the changes we made:

We hope you like this new version!

You can still use the legacy version of the classic Time Zone Converter to find the time difference between locations worldwide.

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What Is a Time Zone?

The term time zone can be used to describe several different things, but mostly it refers to the local time of a region or a country.

Our Time Zone Map is always current.

At timeanddate.com we define a time zone as a region where the same standard time is used.

Time Difference from UTC

The local time within a time zone is defined by its offset (difference) from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the world’s time standard.

UTC time changes 1 hour forward and backward corresponding to a 1-hour difference in mean solar time for every 15 degrees east or west of the prime meridian (0° longitude) in Greenwich, London, United Kingdom. The offset is expressed as either UTC- or UTC+ and the number of hours and minutes.

More Than 24 Time Zones

If each time zone were 1 hour apart, there would be 24 in the world. However, the actual borders on the time zone map have been drawn to match up with both internal and international borders, and rarely match up exactly with the 15-degree longitudes. Also, the International Date Line (IDL), creates 3 time zones and several time zones are only 30 and 45 minutes apart. This makes the total number of time zones worldwide much higher.

Daylight Saving Time Zones

Regions that use Daylight Saving Time (DST) change the time zone name and time during the DST period. The words “daylight” or “summer” are then usually included in the time zone name. The areas that don’t use DST remain on standard time zone all year.

For example, California uses Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) during the DST period, but Pacific Standard Time (PST) during the rest of the year.

Not the Same as Local Time

The term time zone is often used instead of local time. For instance, during DST, it is common to say “California and Arizona are now in the same time zone.” However, the correct thing to say would be: “California and Arizona now have the same local time.”

The reason is that California’s local time during DST is UTC-7, but the standard time in California is minus one more hour: UTC-8. However, Arizona’s local time is always UTC-7, because there’s no DST in Arizona, and they remain on standard time all year.

The formal name for Mountain Time in the US is either Mountain Standard Time or Mountain Daylight Time.

Local Time Zone Names

To confuse matters more, each time zone can have different local time zone names, usually linked to the geographical name of the country or region. The time zone names may be completely different, even though the UTC offset is the same.

For instance in Miami, Florida, is 5 hours behind UTC (UTC-5) and the standard time zone is Eastern Standard Time (EST). In Havana, Cuba, the standard time zone is also UTC-5, but it’s called Cuba Standard Time (CST).

Military Time Zones

There are also 25 military time zones which follow the rule of 1 hour per 15 degrees longitude. These are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc. and are used in aviation, at sea, and in telecommunications.

The reason there are 25 military time zones instead of 24 is that Mike Time Zone (M) and Yankee Time Zone (Y) are the same time, but on either side of the International Date Line. J (Juliet Time Zone) is occasionally used to refer to the observer’s local time.

Identical Abbreviations

Another point that can cause confusion is that some time zone’s names in totally different places have exactly the same abbreviation. For example, India Standard Time (IST) and Israel Standard Time (IST) have the same abbreviation, but completely different UTC offsets of UTC+5:30 and UTC+2:00.

In many parts of the world, especially in countries with only one time zone, time zone names are not commonly used at all.

Hot Political Potato

In most countries, the political decision to make adjustments regarding time zones or DST is made for practical reasons, like saving energy, facilitating trade with neighboring areas, or boost tourism.

In some cases, time zone borders and DST can be a political tool, most recently in Russia, Ukraine, and North Korea.

How Many Time Zones Are There?

If each time zone were 1 hour apart, there would be 24 in the world. But several time zones have only 30 and 45 minutes offsets, making the total number worldwide much higher.

Our Time Zone Map shows all current time zones.

More Than 24 Time Zones

If each time zone were 1 hour apart, there would be 24 in the world.

However, the International Date Line (IDL) creates 3 more. Also, several time zones are only 30 or 45 minutes apart, increasing the total number of standard time zones even further.

Daylight Saving Time Zones

During Daylight Saving Time (DST) the time zone name and time changes. The words “daylight” or “summer” are then usually included in the name, and the local time is usually set forward 1 hour.

For example, California uses Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) during the DST period with a UTC offset of UTC-7, but Pacific Standard Time (PST) with an offset of UTC-8 during the rest of the year.

Not the Same as Local Time

The term time zone is often confused with local time. For instance, during DST, it is common to say “California and Arizona are now in the same time zone.” However, the correct thing to say would be: “California and Arizona now have the same local time.”

The reason it may be confusing is that California’s local time during DST is UTC-7, but the standard time in California is UTC-8. However, Arizona’s local time is always UTC-7, because there’s no DST in Arizona, and they remain on standard time all year.

Time Zone Borders Vary

Theoretically, each 1-hour time zone is 15 degrees wide, indicating a 1-hour difference in mean solar time. This can be seen as the white and gray stripes on our Time Zone Map and in the image above.

The actual borders on a time zone map have been drawn to correspond with both internal and international borders, and rarely match up exactly with the 15-degree time zone borders.

Some geographically large (wide) countries, like India and China, use only 1 time zone, while it would have been natural to expect several, like in the US or Australia.

Defined by UTC Offset

Every place on Earth is measured in terms of its distance east or west of the prime meridian (0°longitude) in Greenwich, London, United Kingdom. This is also the reference point for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) with 1 hour per 15 degrees longitude.

You have to divide the longitude, in degrees, by 15 to find the appropriate time zone, in hours. For example:

Below are all the different local times currently in use worldwide.

Time zone abbreviations list

Here you can check local time in all world-wide time zones list sorted by alphabet. This list includes minor and unofficial time zones. For your convenience there is the choice between the 12 hour am/pm and 24 hour time formats. Interested in one particular timezone? By clicking on its name you can review the local time, UTC/GMT offset and linked time zones.

Sort by: City Name | Country | Time Zone | Area code

Directory of all time zone abbreviations: check local time in any time zone around the globe. View world time table, find out official local time in any time zone.

Time Zone Map

If you’re someone who works or communicates with people in different continents or countries – and let’s face it, in the day and age of Zoom calls and remote work, who doesn’t? – being able to calculate differences between time zones is essential. A quick way to figure out what time it is in another location is using a a time zone converter : simply input your local time and select a country you want to know the time of, and you‘ll get an instant result. But what if you need to know the time in several different locations across the globe at the same time?

This is where a time zone map comes in: if you want to know what the time will be in several different places in the world at any given moment, this is the perfect tool for it. You might need to do this if you have an important conference call to make, or schedule a video meeting involving people from different locations. Using the time zone map, you can easily figure out what time is where and what would be the best time to schedule your call for everyone involved. Balancing multiple time zones and making sure the selected time works for everyone is no easy task, and this time zone map can help you get your bearings faster.

The borders on a world clock map which represents the time zones around the world are drawn to match up with the local and international time zone borders. As a result of the different time zones which are shown in this time zone map, there are 39 different local times that are currently being used worldwide which you can view on our time zone map. Time zones are named taking various factors into consideration, the most common one being location. Thankfully, time zones help to prevent the chaos that would reign if we were unable to readily determine the time in another locality.

The time zone map is a helpful tool to quickly calculate the time zone differences around the world, but there are several key factors you should bear in mind before planning your international calls, travels, or meetings:

Time Zone Map Guidelines

To accurately calculate time zone differences, you first need to know exactly how time zones work. Essentially, the time zone system was adapted to ensure countries and people around the world can communicate, use transport systems, and work using the same time standard. The way time zones work is this: the Earth is constantly rotating around its own axis, which is why noon – the time of day when the sun is in its zenith – hits different places around the world at a different time. Noon in Paris is nighttime in Tokyo; to account for these differences, the scientists have discovered that the Earth rotates about 15 degrees an hour. This means that each time zone is exactly fifteen degrees of latitude, and there are a total of 24 of these fifteen-degree slices around the world.

The zero hour is set in Greenwich, England, because Greenwich sits on longitude zero (also known as the Greenwich meridian). Everything West of Greenwich will have a negative offset, or “hours behind”, whereas everything east of it will have a positive time offset, or “hours ahead”. This is why, in reference to, say, London, New York time is “behind” and Sydney time is “ahead”.

The time zone map illustrates this very clearly: if you locate the Greenwich meridian and look at the regions and countries located West of it, you’ll see UTC- time offsets. Equally, looking East, you’ll notice the countries are in UTC+ offset.

Knowing this and using the time zone map, it’s much easier to figure out the exact time around the world and understand how it all works.

Track Time Zones From Across The Globe

How to Use the Time Zone Map

To use the time zone map, you can apply some of the simple strategies that we are laying out for you:

Firstly, you’re looking at a map of the world. The indications on the top and bottom tell you how many hours difference there are from the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and all of the other sections of the time zone map. The numbers represent how far ahead or behind each place is from the places with UTC, such as Greenwich.

Secondly, locate a place on the map where you know the time. That could be the place that you are right now for example.

Now it’s time to locate the places where you want to know the time. There may be several of them. Count the number of time zones between them. If you have to move left, you will subtract these hours from the time of your starting place. If you have to move right, you will add these hours to the time of your starting place.

For example, if you know that the time is 7am on the east coast of the USA and you want to know the time on the west coast of Africa, simply count the time zones between them. You must move five time zones to the right to reach the west coast of Africa, therefore it must be noon there.

To make the time zone map even more effective, you can draw up a simple chart: write out your own location and note the countries you want to know the time of on the top. Then, divide the countries into sections and, using the time zone map, write out the exact time for each country. This way, you can have your own time zone chart to help you decide on the best time to schedule and international call, video meeting, or an online webinar.

As an example, if you are based in Los Angeles and you need to invite people from Madrid, Moscow, and Sydney to a conference call, look at the time zone map and see what time is it in those different locations at 9 am your time. You’ll see that 9AM in Los Angeles is 6 PM in Madrid, 7PM in Moscow, and 2AM in Sydney – a little too late for your Spanish and Russian colleagues and way too early for your Australian contact. Either you’ll have to sacrifice your own time and get up early, or schedule the meeting around the Australian time to make sure it works for everyone.

Juggling different time zones is no easy task, and that’s why using tools like the time zone converter and the time zone map can be helpful when scheduling your work or communications around the world.

A time zone map can also be helpful when you’re planning your work around different time schedules. For example, if you are based in Europe but your work with a Japanese company, keep in mind you’ll need to turn your projects in earlier: Japan is several hours ahead, so to make sure you meet the deadlines, use the time zone map to account for the time zone differences. Telling your boss or co-worker you’ve mixed up the time zones is not an excuse to deliver work late – after all, tools like the online time zone converter and map is just one click away.

Equally, knowing exactly what time it is in a different country can help you stay in touch with friends and family. If your loved ones are away on a holiday, or if you’re traveling yourself, don’t forget that they are in a different time zone now and don’t wake them up by phoning them at midnight or 2AM!

Finally, a time zone map can be helpful when you’re planning a trip. If you’re taking an international flight to another continent, be aware of jetlag: time zone differences mess with our circadian rhythms, so if you know you’re flying from Europe to North America in the morning and the flight takes ten hours, you know you’ll arrive at midday and it’s best not to sleep on a plane but power through instead to make sure you catch up with North American time faster. At the same time, if you’re flying East, adapting to time zone differences will be easier, but it’s handy to know exactly how many hours you’re losing or gaining to make sure you get rid of jetlag as quickly as possible.

Now you know how to use the time zone map and to know what the time will be in several different locations in the world at any given moment. It is also important to look at the International Date Line which is represented on the map. It runs through the Pacific Ocean. If it is Monday to the East of the International Date Line, then it is Tuesday to the West of the International Date line.

You can use the time zone map to organize international communication, travel or deadlines. It gives you a visual representation of the time zones across the world in a single depiction.