Time Zone Converter
Convert times between different time zones instantly. Perfect for international meetings, travel planning, and remote work coordination. Automatically handles daylight saving time.
Convert Between Time Zones
A time zone converter helps you convert times between different time zones around the world. Essential for international business, travel planning, remote work coordination, and scheduling meetings across continents. Understanding time zone differences prevents missed meetings and scheduling errors.
How Time Zone Conversion Works
Time zones are regions that observe the same standard time. The world is divided into 24 time zones, each approximately 15 degrees of longitude wide. When you convert a time, you're finding the equivalent moment in a different timezone - the same instant in time, just displayed differently.
Common Time Zone Conversions
US Time Zones
- Eastern Time (ET): UTC-5 (EST) or UTC-4 (EDT)
- Central Time (CT): UTC-6 (CST) or UTC-5 (CDT)
- Mountain Time (MT): UTC-7 (MST) or UTC-6 (MDT)
- Pacific Time (PT): UTC-8 (PST) or UTC-7 (PDT)
- Arizona: Always UTC-7 (no DST)
European Time Zones
- Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): UTC+0
- Central European Time (CET): UTC+1 (CET) or UTC+2 (CEST)
- Eastern European Time (EET): UTC+2 (EET) or UTC+3 (EEST)
Asian Time Zones
- India Standard Time (IST): UTC+5:30
- China Standard Time (CST): UTC+8
- Japan Standard Time (JST): UTC+9
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
Many regions observe daylight saving time, moving clocks forward one hour in spring and back in fall. This affects time zone conversions:
- US DST: Second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November
- European DST: Last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
- Southern Hemisphere: DST is reversed (summer in Dec-Feb)
- No DST: Arizona, Hawaii, most of Asia, most of Africa
This calculator automatically accounts for DST based on the date you enter.
Common Use Cases
International Business
- Meeting Scheduling: Find times that work across multiple timezones
- Deadline Coordination: Ensure everyone understands deadlines in their timezone
- Customer Support: Know when to expect responses from different regions
Travel Planning
- Flight Times: Convert arrival times to local time
- Hotel Check-in: Know what time it is at your destination
- Jet Lag Planning: Understand time differences before travel
Remote Work
- Team Coordination: Schedule meetings across distributed teams
- Work Hours: Know when colleagues are available
- Deadline Management: Convert project deadlines to local time
Understanding UTC
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the primary time standard:
- Replaces GMT as the world time standard
- Not affected by daylight saving time
- Used as reference for all other timezones
- Essential for international coordination
Tips for Time Zone Conversion
- Always specify timezone: "3 PM" is ambiguous - say "3 PM EST" or "3 PM PST"
- Account for DST: Check if DST is in effect on your date
- Double-check conversions: Especially for important meetings
- Use 24-hour format: Reduces confusion (14:00 vs 2:00 PM)
- Consider work hours: 9 AM in one timezone might be 11 PM in another
- Share all times: When scheduling, share times in all relevant timezones
Time Zone Abbreviations
US Time Zones
- EST/EDT: Eastern Standard/Daylight Time
- CST/CDT: Central Standard/Daylight Time
- MST/MDT: Mountain Standard/Daylight Time
- PST/PDT: Pacific Standard/Daylight Time
International
- GMT: Greenwich Mean Time
- UTC: Coordinated Universal Time
- CET/CEST: Central European Time
- IST: India Standard Time (or Irish Summer Time - context matters!)
- JST: Japan Standard Time
Common Conversion Examples
New York to London
New York (EST, UTC-5) to London (GMT, UTC+0): 5 hour difference. 9 AM EST = 2 PM GMT.
Los Angeles to Tokyo
Los Angeles (PST, UTC-8) to Tokyo (JST, UTC+9): 17 hour difference. 10 AM PST = 3 AM next day JST.
New York to Sydney
New York (EST, UTC-5) to Sydney (AEDT, UTC+11): 16 hour difference. 2 PM EST = 6 AM next day AEDT.
International Date Line
The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line at 180° longitude:
- Crossing eastward: Subtract one day
- Crossing westward: Add one day
- Creates time differences of more than 12 hours
- Important for travel and communication
Best Practices
- Use timezone-aware tools: Calendar apps, meeting schedulers
- Confirm times: Always confirm meeting times in both timezones
- Set reminders: Account for timezone in reminder settings
- Consider DST changes: Be aware when DST starts/ends
- Use UTC for coordination: Many systems use UTC internally
Pro Tip: When scheduling international meetings, always share times in all relevant timezones. For example: "Meeting at 2 PM EST / 7 PM GMT / 8 PM CET". This prevents confusion and ensures everyone shows up at the right time. Also, be aware of DST changes - a meeting scheduled in summer might need adjustment in winter!