Date & Time
Time Zone Converter
Easily convert time between different time zones across the world with our free Time Zone Converter. Perfect for travel, remote meetings, and global business scheduling.
How Do Time Zones Work?
The Earth is divided into 24 primary time zones, each roughly 15° of longitude wide, based on the offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). As you move east from the Prime Meridian (0° longitude in Greenwich, London), each zone is one hour ahead; moving west, each zone is one hour behind.
Many regions also observe Daylight Saving Time (DST), shifting clocks forward by one hour in spring and back in autumn. This converter uses the JavaScript Intl API to automatically handle DST transitions, so the converted times are always accurate for the selected date.
Converted Times
Major World Time Zones
| Time Zone | Abbreviation | UTC Offset | Major Cities | DST? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii Standard | HST | UTC−10 | Honolulu | No |
| Pacific Time | PT | UTC−8 / −7 | Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle | Yes |
| Mountain Time | MT | UTC−7 / −6 | Denver, Phoenix (no DST) | Varies |
| Central Time | CT | UTC−6 / −5 | Chicago, Houston, Mexico City | Yes |
| Eastern Time | ET | UTC−5 / −4 | New York, Toronto, Miami | Yes |
| Brasília Time | BRT | UTC−3 | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro | No |
| Greenwich Mean | GMT/BST | UTC±0 / +1 | London, Dublin, Lisbon | Yes |
| Central European | CET/CEST | UTC+1 / +2 | Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid | Yes |
| Moscow Standard | MSK | UTC+3 | Moscow, St. Petersburg | No |
| Gulf Standard | GST | UTC+4 | Dubai, Abu Dhabi | No |
| India Standard | IST | UTC+5:30 | Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore | No |
| Indochina Time | ICT | UTC+7 | Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta | No |
| China Standard | CST | UTC+8 | Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore | No |
| Japan Standard | JST | UTC+9 | Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul | No |
| Australian Eastern | AEST/AEDT | UTC+10 / +11 | Sydney, Melbourne | Yes |
| New Zealand | NZST/NZDT | UTC+12 / +13 | Auckland, Wellington | Yes |
Understanding Daylight Saving Time (DST)
What is DST?
Daylight Saving Time is the practice of advancing clocks by one hour during warmer months so that evenings have more daylight. Clocks "spring forward" in March/April and "fall back" in October/November in the Northern Hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere countries that observe DST do the opposite.
Who observes DST?
About 70 countries observe DST, primarily in North America and Europe. Most of Asia, Africa, and South America do not. Notable exceptions: Arizona (US) and Saskatchewan (Canada) skip DST despite neighboring regions observing it.
Common DST Transition Dates
| Region | Spring Forward | Fall Back |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2nd Sun in March | 1st Sun in November |
| European Union | Last Sun in March | Last Sun in October |
| Australia (SE) | 1st Sun in October | 1st Sun in April |
| New Zealand | Last Sun in September | 1st Sun in April |
FAQ – Time Zone Converter
What is a time zone converter?
A time zone converter is a tool that calculates the equivalent local time in different cities or regions around the world. You enter a date, time, and source time zone, and it shows what that moment corresponds to in other time zones, accounting for UTC offsets and Daylight Saving Time.
How many time zones are there in the world?
There are 24 primary time zones based on hourly offsets from UTC. However, several countries use half-hour (UTC+5:30 for India, UTC+9:30 for central Australia) or quarter-hour offsets (UTC+5:45 for Nepal), bringing the total to over 37 distinct UTC offsets in practice.
What is UTC and how is it different from GMT?
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the global time standard that all time zones are defined relative to. GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is the time zone at 0° longitude. In practice they show the same time, but UTC is a precise scientific standard based on atomic clocks, while GMT is a time zone that can observe BST (British Summer Time) in the UK.
Does this converter handle Daylight Saving Time automatically?
Yes. The converter uses the JavaScript Internationalization API (Intl.DateTimeFormat), which includes the IANA time zone database with all current DST rules. When you select a specific date, the conversion automatically applies the correct DST offset for that date in each time zone.
Why do some countries have half-hour time zones?
Half-hour and quarter-hour offsets exist because some countries chose offsets that better align with their geographic position or to maintain a single time zone across a wide area. India uses UTC+5:30 to cover the entire country with one zone, and Nepal uses UTC+5:45 to distinguish itself from India.
How do I schedule a meeting across multiple time zones?
Enter a proposed meeting time in your local time zone, then check the converted times for all participants' locations. Look for a window that falls within normal business hours (9 AM–6 PM) for everyone. For teams spanning more than 8–10 hours apart, consider rotating meeting times to share the inconvenience.
What is the International Date Line?
The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line running roughly along the 180° meridian in the Pacific Ocean. When you cross it heading west, you skip forward one calendar day; heading east, you go back one day. This is why UTC+12 (New Zealand) and UTC−12 (Baker Island) are 24 hours apart despite being geographically close.
Do all US states observe Daylight Saving Time?
No. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe DST. US territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands also stay on standard time year-round. The remaining 48 states and Washington D.C. all observe DST, springing forward on the second Sunday in March.
How does China have only one time zone?
Despite spanning five geographical time zones (UTC+5 to UTC+9), China uses a single official time zone — China Standard Time (UTC+8), based on Beijing. This means western regions like Xinjiang experience sunrise as late as 10 AM in winter. Some locals unofficially use "Xinjiang Time" (UTC+6) for daily life.
Can I convert times for past or future dates?
Yes. Select any date and time using the date-time picker. The converter will apply the correct UTC offset and DST rules that were (or will be) in effect on that specific date. This is useful for planning future events or checking what time a past event occurred in another time zone.