How do I convert time between different timezones?

Select your source timezone (where the time is from), enter the time and date, then select your target timezone (where you want to convert to). The converter instantly shows the equivalent time in the target timezone. For example, if it's 3:00 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time) in New York, the converter shows it's 8:00 PM GMT in London or 12:00 PM PST in Los Angeles. The tool automatically accounts for daylight saving time (DST) changes, so you don't need to manually adjust for summer/winter time differences. Most converters support hundreds of timezones worldwide, including major cities and UTC offsets.

What's the difference between UTC, GMT, and local timezones?

UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks—it doesn't observe daylight saving time. GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is essentially the same as UTC in winter but is sometimes used to refer to British time specifically. Local timezones are regional time standards like EST (UTC-5), PST (UTC-8), or CET (UTC+1). Most timezones are expressed as offsets from UTC (e.g., New York is UTC-5 in winter, UTC-4 in summer due to DST). When scheduling international meetings or recording timestamps, using UTC eliminates confusion because it's constant worldwide. Local timezones are what people actually use daily and include DST adjustments.

How does daylight saving time (DST) affect timezone conversion?

Daylight saving time shifts clocks forward by 1 hour in spring and back in fall. This changes the UTC offset for regions observing DST. For example, New York is EST (UTC-5) in winter but EDT (UTC-4) in summer. Not all countries or regions observe DST—Arizona (except Navajo Nation) and Hawaii don't change clocks, and many countries near the equator skip DST. Our converter automatically handles DST transitions based on the date you're converting. When DST changes occur, there can be a 1-hour period that doesn't exist (spring forward) or repeats (fall back), which is important for scheduling events near transition times. Always double-check meeting times around DST changeover dates (usually March and November in the Northern Hemisphere).

What's the best way to schedule meetings across multiple timezones?

Use a timezone converter to find a time that works for all participants. Start by identifying each participant's timezone, then look for overlapping business hours. For example, a meeting at 9 AM PST (Los Angeles) is 12 PM EST (New York), 5 PM GMT (London), and 2 AM JST (Tokyo next day)—not ideal for Tokyo. Tools that show multiple timezones simultaneously help visualize overlaps. Aim for times that avoid early mornings or late evenings for any participant. Consider rotating meeting times to share the burden of inconvenient hours fairly. Use 24-hour format to avoid AM/PM confusion. When sending invites, include times in all relevant timezones or use calendar software that auto-converts (Google Calendar, Outlook). For recurring meetings, remember DST changes can shift relative times twice per year.

How do I handle timezone conversion for dates that cross midnight?

When converting times that cross midnight, pay special attention to the date change. For example, 11 PM Monday in New York (EST, UTC-5) is 4 AM Tuesday in London (GMT, UTC+0)—a different day entirely. The converter should automatically show the correct date after conversion. This is critical for deadlines, event start times, or coordinating activities. Always confirm both the time AND date after conversion. For international projects, specify deadlines in UTC with the full date-time to avoid confusion. When scheduling events, be aware that what's evening in one timezone might be morning the next day elsewhere. Calendar invites usually handle this automatically, but manual conversions require careful date tracking.

Are timezone conversions accurate during DST transition periods?

Timezone converters handle DST transitions accurately by using historical and scheduled DST rules for each region. However, edge cases exist: at 2 AM on the spring forward day, clocks jump to 3 AM, so 2:30 AM doesn't exist that day. In fall, when clocks fall back from 2 AM to 1 AM, times between 1 AM and 2 AM occur twice. Good converters display warnings during these periods. For scheduling, avoid the transition hour entirely if possible. Also, DST rules can change—governments occasionally modify start/end dates or abolish DST entirely (like the EU considered). Most timezone databases (IANA time zone database) are regularly updated to reflect these changes, ensuring converters remain accurate.

Can I compare time across more than two timezones at once?

Many timezone converters support comparing multiple timezones simultaneously, displaying a grid or list showing the same moment in 3, 5, or even 10+ timezones. This is invaluable for global teams or international businesses. For example, you can see 2 PM EST as simultaneously 11 AM PST, 7 PM GMT, 8 PM CET, 4 AM JST (next day), and 6 AM AEDT (next day). Some converters let you add custom timezone sets (your team locations, office locations, or frequently used cities). Multi-timezone views help identify meeting windows that work for everyone. They're also useful for understanding global market hours (stock exchanges), coordinating product launches, or managing 24-hour support rotations across different regions.

How do I convert a specific meeting time to my local timezone?

If someone gives you a meeting time in their timezone (e.g., '3 PM CET on March 15'), enter that time and date into the converter with CET as the source timezone, then select your local timezone as the target. The converter shows what time it is for you. Alternatively, many converters auto-detect your local timezone from your browser settings, so you just select the source timezone and the conversion happens automatically. For recurring meetings, remember the time difference might change when DST transitions occur—a meeting at 3 PM CET might be 9 AM EST in winter but 10 AM EDT in summer. Save the meeting in your calendar app, which handles the conversion and adjusts for DST automatically.

What timezones should I use for international business?

For international coordination, commonly referenced timezones include: EST/EDT (New York, US East Coast), PST/PDT (Los Angeles, US West Coast), GMT/BST (London, UK), CET/CEST (Paris, Berlin, Central Europe), IST (India Standard Time, Bangalore), CST (China Standard Time, Beijing/Shanghai), JST (Japan Standard Time, Tokyo), and AEDT/AEST (Sydney, Australia). Many businesses use UTC for technical systems (servers, databases, logs) because it's constant and unambiguous, then convert to local time for human interaction. When documenting time-sensitive information, always specify the timezone explicitly—write '3 PM EST' not just '3 PM'. Using 24-hour format (15:00 instead of 3 PM) reduces AM/PM confusion in international contexts.

Why does my timezone converter show different results than someone else's?

Discrepancies usually come from: outdated timezone databases (one converter has new DST rules, the other doesn't), incorrect timezone selection (PST vs PDT, or mixing up similarly-named zones), different interpretations of ambiguous timezone abbreviations (CST could mean Central Standard Time US, China Standard Time, or Cuba Standard Time), or one converter not accounting for DST when it should. To avoid issues, use full timezone names like 'America/New_York' instead of abbreviations like 'EST', ensure both converters use current data, and verify the date—DST status matters. When in doubt, express times in UTC with offset (e.g., '2024-03-15 14:00 UTC') which is unambiguous. Regularly update timezone converter tools to get the latest DST rule changes.

Timezone Converter

Convert time between different timezones worldwide. Schedule international meetings, check current time in multiple cities, and handle daylight saving time automatically.

Time Converter

Convert a specific date and time between time zones

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