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Convert Time Zones
Scheduling across time zones is where mistakes happen. Pick the date, enter the time, choose the from and to zones, and this converter shows the exact local time on the other side. Daylight saving time is applied automatically from the official time zone database, so a July meeting and a January meeting convert correctly without you thinking about it. The result also shows each zone's UTC offset and exactly how many hours apart the two zones are.
Daylight saving time is handled automatically for the date you pick.
How to use
- Pick the date the time belongs to (daylight saving depends on the date).
- Enter the time and choose the zone it is currently in.
- Choose the zone you want to convert to.
- Click Convert Time Zone to see the exact local time, the UTC offsets, and how far apart the zones are.
How the conversion actually works
Every conversion goes through one absolute moment in time. First your entered wall-clock time (say, 3:00 PM in Chicago on July 10) is pinned to the single UTC instant it represents, using Chicago's daylight saving rule for that date. Then that instant is displayed as wall-clock time in the target zone, using the target's rule for the same date.
Going through UTC instead of adding a fixed offset is what makes daylight saving correct. A fixed New York to London offset of 5 hours is right in winter but wrong for the weeks when the US and Europe start daylight saving on different Sundays. The database method never has that problem.
Tricky zones to watch
Three cases cause most real-world mistakes. First, half-hour zones: converting to India, add 5 hours 30 minutes, not 5. Second, zones that skip daylight saving entirely: Arizona (except the Navajo Nation), Hawaii, and all of India stay on one offset year-round, so their difference to DST zones changes with the seasons.
Third, the International Date Line: converting between the US and places like Sydney or Auckland routinely crosses into the next (or previous) day. Always read the day note in the result before sending a calendar invite.
Frequently asked questions
Does the converter handle daylight saving time?
Yes. It uses the official IANA time zone database built into your browser, which knows every daylight saving rule. Converting a July date applies summer offsets (like EDT, UTC-4) while a January date applies winter offsets (like EST, UTC-5), automatically.
Why do I need to enter a date, not just a time?
Because the correct offset depends on the date. New York is UTC-5 in January but UTC-4 in July. Without a date, no converter can know which offset applies, and many tools silently guess wrong.
The converted time shows a different day. Is that right?
Very often, yes. When you convert across many zones, the result can land on the previous or next calendar day. The tool flags this with a next day or previous day note so you schedule meetings on the right date.
What is the difference between UTC and GMT?
For everyday conversion they are interchangeable: both are the zero-offset reference. UTC is the precise modern standard used by computers and aviation; GMT is the older name still used in the UK in winter.
Why is the difference sometimes 30 or 45 minutes, not a whole hour?
A few zones use half-hour or 45-minute offsets. India (IST) is UTC+5:30, Nepal is UTC+5:45, and parts of Australia use +9:30. The converter handles these exactly, which is where manual math usually goes wrong.
Can I convert times in the past or far future?
Yes. The time zone database includes historical rule changes and scheduled future rules, so past and future dates convert with the rules that applied (or will apply) on that date.
Which time zones are supported?
The dropdown covers the most-used zones across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, plus UTC itself. Each uses its official IANA name (like America/Chicago), which is what airlines, calendars, and developers use.