Time Zone Converter

Select two time zones and enter a time.

What is a Time Zone Converter?

A time zone converter takes a specific time in one time zone and tells you what time it is simultaneously in another. This is essential for scheduling meetings across countries, understanding API log timestamps, or converting a server time to your local time. This converter uses your browser's built-in time zone data, so daylight saving transitions are handled automatically.

How It Works

The converter constructs an absolute UTC instant from the input, then reformats it for the target zone:

1. Parse input date + time in the "from" timezone
2. Convert to UTC (absolute moment in time)
3. Reformat that UTC instant in the "to" timezone

Example

A team standup is at 9:00 AM ET (New York) on a summer weekday. For the Singapore teammate:

  • ET in summer = UTC-4
  • 9:00 AM ET = 13:00 UTC
  • SGT = UTC+8 — so 13:00 UTC = 9:00 PM SGT

Tips

  • Always include the date when converting times near daylight saving transitions. The offset can differ by an hour on either side of the change.
  • For server timestamps, use the UTC clock to find the current UTC reference, then convert here.
  • India (IST) is UTC+5:30 — a half-hour offset. This surprises people used to whole-hour offsets. Nepal is UTC+5:45.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this handle daylight saving time correctly?

Yes. The conversion uses the IANA timezone database built into your browser via the Intl API. DST transitions are applied automatically based on the date you enter. The offset shown reflects the actual offset on that specific date, not a fixed offset.

What is the difference between a time zone and a UTC offset?

A UTC offset like UTC-5 is fixed. A time zone like America/New_York changes its offset seasonally: it is UTC-5 in winter (EST) and UTC-4 in summer (EDT). Named time zones are more accurate for scheduling because they account for these changes automatically.

Why do some time zones not observe daylight saving time?

Countries near the equator have roughly equal day lengths year-round, so adjusting clocks provides little benefit. Others, like parts of Arizona and all of China, simply chose not to adopt it. Japan and India have never used daylight saving time.

What is the IANA timezone database?

The IANA Time Zone Database (also called the Olson database or tz database) is the authoritative list of all time zones and their historical rules. It is maintained by IANA and used by operating systems, browsers, and programming languages worldwide. Zone IDs like "America/New_York" come from this database.