How to convert UTC to local time
Converting between UTC (Zulu) and local time is one addition or subtraction, as long as you know the local UTC offset on that date. Here’s a reliable method and some worked examples.
Step 1: find the UTC offset
Every time zone is defined as UTC plus or minus a number of hours (and sometimes minutes). The offset changes when daylight saving time starts or ends, so always check it for the specific date.
| Place | Standard time | Daylight / summer time |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC / New York | UTC−5 (EST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Chicago | UTC−6 (CST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Denver | UTC−7 (MST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Los Angeles | UTC−8 (PST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| Honolulu | UTC−10 (HST) | No daylight saving time |
| London | UTC+0 (GMT) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Paris / Berlin / Rome / Warsaw | UTC+1 (CET) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Cairo | UTC+2 (EET) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Riyadh / Doha / Istanbul / Moscow | UTC+3 | No daylight saving time |
| Dubai | UTC+4 | No daylight saving time |
| New Delhi | UTC+5:30 (IST) | No daylight saving time |
| Beijing / Taipei / Singapore | UTC+8 | No daylight saving time |
| Tokyo / Seoul | UTC+9 | No daylight saving time |
| Sydney | UTC+10 (AEST) | UTC+11 (AEDT), Oct–Apr |
Step 2: add or subtract
- UTC → local: local time = UTC + offset
- Local → UTC: UTC = local time − offset
With a negative offset, “adding” it means subtracting hours, and vice versa.
Step 3: check whether the date changed
If the result goes past 24:00 or below 00:00, roll over to the next or previous day. This is the most common source of mistakes with flights and meetings.
Worked examples
1. 1400Z in Washington in November
In November, Washington is on EST, UTC−5. 14:00 − 5 hours = 09:00 (9:00 a.m.) local, same day.
2. 0230Z in Los Angeles in July
In July, Los Angeles is on PDT, UTC−7. 02:30 − 7 hours = −04:30, which rolls back to 19:30 (7:30 p.m.) the previous day.
3. 2100Z in New Delhi
New Delhi is UTC+5:30. 21:00 + 5:30 = 26:30, which rolls forward to 02:30 the next day.
4. 10:00 in Cairo in summer, converted to UTC
Egypt observes summer time (UTC+3) from the last Friday of April to the last Thursday of October. 10:00 − 3 hours = 0700Z.
Common pitfalls
- Daylight saving dates differ by country. The U.S. and Europe change clocks on different weekends, so for a few weeks each spring and fall the gap between them is an hour smaller than usual. See daylight saving time explained.
- Not every offset is a whole hour. India is UTC+5:30, Nepal UTC+5:45, and parts of Australia UTC+9:30.
- The Southern Hemisphere is reversed. Sydney’s daylight saving time runs roughly October to April.
- Abbreviations are ambiguous. “CST” can mean U.S. Central Standard Time or China Standard Time. When it matters, use the UTC offset or a city name.
Let the clock do it
The Global Flight Clock uses the IANA time zone database built into your browser, the same data used by phones and operating systems, so daylight saving changes are handled automatically. Set up to three cities to see local times side by side, with UTC across the top.
Open the world clock →Zulu time · up to 3 cities · 12/24 h · moon phase