Time Zone Converter

Understanding Time Zones

A time zone is a region of the globe that observes a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. Time zones tend to follow the boundaries of countries and their subdivisions instead of strictly following longitude.

Common Time Zone Abbreviations

• UTC: Coordinated Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time)
• EST/EDT: Eastern Standard/Daylight Time (UTC-5/-4)
• CST/CDT: Central Standard/Daylight Time (UTC-6/-5)
• MST/MDT: Mountain Standard/Daylight Time (UTC-7/-6)
• PST/PDT: Pacific Standard/Daylight Time (UTC-8/-7)
• IST: India Standard Time (UTC+5:30)
• JST: Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
• AEST: Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10)

Daylight Saving Time

Many regions observe Daylight Saving Time (DST), where clocks are moved forward by one hour during warmer months:

• Spring Forward: Clocks "spring forward" one hour (lose an hour)
• Fall Back: Clocks "fall back" one hour (gain an hour)
• Not Universal: Not all countries or regions observe DST
• Automatic Handling: Our converter automatically accounts for DST

Business Time Zone Considerations

• Meeting Scheduling: Always specify time zones for international meetings
• Market Hours: Financial markets operate in specific time zones
• Customer Support: Consider customer locations for support hours
• Server Timing: Database timestamps should use UTC

Time Zone Conversion Tips

• Always double-check conversions for important events
• Be aware of DST transitions in spring and fall
• Use 24-hour format to avoid AM/PM confusion
• Consider using UTC for international coordination
• Account for date changes when converting across many zones

Major Time Zone Regions

• Americas: UTC-10 to UTC-3 (Hawaii to Brazil)
• Europe/Africa: UTC-1 to UTC+3 (Azores to Moscow)
• Asia: UTC+3 to UTC+12 (Arabia to New Zealand)
• Pacific: UTC-11 to UTC+14 (Samoa to Line Islands)