Timezone Converter
Convert time between 400+ cities worldwide, schedule meetings across timezones, and compare local times for international collaboration.
Time Difference
Meeting Planner
Conversion History
Major Cities Time
Timezone Information
Timezone Regions
Timezone Tips
- Check daylight saving time for both locations
- Consider business hours for international calls
- Use 24-hour format to avoid AM/PM confusion
What is a Timezone Converter?
A timezone converter is an essential tool for global communication that calculates the time difference between locations in different time zones. It allows you to convert a specific time from one timezone to another, helping schedule international meetings, coordinate remote teams, plan travel, and understand global business hours.
Our timezone converter supports 400+ cities worldwide, accounts for daylight saving time (DST) changes automatically, and provides real-time updates. It's particularly valuable for international businesses, remote workers, travelers, event planners, and anyone coordinating across different parts of the world.
How to Use This Timezone Converter
This intuitive timezone converter makes international time conversion simple and accurate. Follow these steps:
- Select Source Timezone: Choose your starting location or timezone from the first dropdown menu.
- Enter Time & Date: Input the specific time and date you want to convert. Use the "Use Current Time" button for immediate conversions.
- Select Target Timezone: Choose the destination timezone where you want to know the equivalent time.
- View Results: The converted time appears instantly with time difference information and business day indicators.
- Meeting Planner: Use the meeting planner to find overlapping business hours between timezones for scheduling calls.
- World Clock: Toggle the world clock view to see current times in major global cities simultaneously.
Why Use This Timezone Converter?
This converter offers significant advantages over manual calculations, basic converters, and mental timezone math:
Comprehensive Coverage
400+ cities worldwide with automatic daylight saving time adjustments. From major business hubs to remote locations, we cover every timezone.
Meeting Planner
Intelligent business hour calculator that finds overlapping working hours between timezones for optimal meeting scheduling.
Real-Time Updates
Automatic daylight saving time detection and real-time world clock updates. Never manually adjust for seasonal time changes.
Global Perspective
World clock view showing simultaneous times in multiple cities, perfect for managing global teams and international projects.
Who Should Use This Timezone Converter?
| User Group | Common Uses | Key Features Used |
|---|---|---|
| Remote Teams | Scheduling meetings, coordinating deadlines | Meeting planner, business hour overlap |
| Business Travelers | Flight scheduling, appointment planning | Time conversion, date crossing detection |
| Event Planners | Global webinars, international conferences | Multiple timezone display, date calculation |
| Freelancers | Client calls across timezones, deadline management | Quick conversion, time difference calculator |
| Students & Researchers | International collaboration, study groups | Academic scheduling, global time awareness |
Understanding Timezones
What are Timezones?
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)
Primary time standard regulating clocks and time worldwide
Time Zone Offsets
Expressed as UTC+ or UTC- hours (e.g., UTC-5 for EST)
Timezones are regions that observe a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. They're typically offset from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) by a whole number of hours, though some are offset by 30 or 45 minutes (e.g., India Standard Time is UTC+5:30).
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
Daylight Saving Time is the practice of advancing clocks during warmer months so that darkness falls later according to the clock. Not all countries or regions observe DST, and those that do have different start and end dates.
United States
2nd Sun in Mar to 1st Sun in Nov
European Union
Last Sun in Mar to last Sun in Oct
Australia
1st Sun in Oct to 1st Sun in Apr
No DST
Arizona, Hawaii, most of Asia
The International Date Line
What is the International Date Line?
The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line on Earth's surface that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole and demarcates the change of one calendar day to the next. When you cross the IDL from west to east, you subtract a day; when you cross from east to west, you add a day.
Example:
If it's 3:00 PM Tuesday in Tokyo (just west of IDL), it's 6:00 PM Monday in Los Angeles (just east of IDL). This explains why you can "lose" or "gain" a day when traveling across the Pacific.
Time Conversion Challenges
Date Crossing
When conversion results in different calendar days
DST Transitions
When one location observes DST but another doesn't
Time Zone Boundaries
Some regions have unusual timezone boundaries
Historical Changes
Timezone rules can change due to legislation
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How does the converter handle daylight saving time?
Our timezone converter automatically detects and applies daylight saving time (DST) rules based on the selected location and date. We use the IANA Time Zone Database (also known as tz database) which contains historical and projected DST rules for all regions. When you select a date, the converter checks if DST was/will be in effect for that location on that date and adjusts the time offset accordingly. This means you don't need to manually add or subtract an hour for DST - it's handled automatically.
What happens when a time conversion crosses the International Date Line?
When a time conversion crosses the International Date Line, the converter automatically adjusts the date. For example, 3:00 PM Tuesday in Tokyo converts to 10:00 PM Monday in Los Angeles (the previous day). The converter shows this clearly with both the time and date changing. We also indicate when conversions result in a different business day, which is crucial for scheduling meetings and deadlines across the Pacific.
Why are some timezone offsets not whole hours?
While most timezones are offset from UTC by whole hours, some regions use half-hour or quarter-hour offsets for historical, geographical, or political reasons. Examples include:
- India Standard Time (IST): UTC+5:30
- Newfoundland Time (NST): UTC-3:30
- Nepal Time (NPT): UTC+5:45
- Australian Central Time (ACST): UTC+9:30
Our converter handles all these fractional offsets accurately, including their DST variations where applicable.
How accurate are the timezone rules for future dates?
Our converter uses the IANA Time Zone Database which includes projected DST rules for several years into the future based on current legislation. However, timezone rules can change due to new legislation, so extremely future dates (beyond 2-3 years) may have less certainty. For critical future planning (like events years in advance), it's wise to verify timezone rules closer to the date. The converter is most accurate for dates within the current DST rule cycle.
Can I convert times for historical dates?
Yes, our converter works for historical dates as well. The IANA database includes historical timezone and DST rules going back many decades. This is useful for:
- Researching historical events in their local time context
- Converting birth times for astrology across timezones
- Understanding time references in historical documents
- Calculating time differences for past international communications
Keep in mind that some regions have changed timezone rules multiple times throughout history.
Related Time & Date Tools
Other useful calculators for time management and scheduling: