Time Zone Difference
Working with people in different parts of the world? This tool is your best friend. Instantly see the current time in two different time zones and find out the exact hour difference between them. It helps eliminate confusion when scheduling meetings, making calls, or collaborating on projects across geographical boundaries. Know at a glance if it's morning in London when it's evening in Tokyo.
America/New York is 5 hours behind UTC.
This tells you how far ahead or behind one location is from the other.
UTC
05:13 PM
Current Time (UTC+00:00)
America/New York
12:13 PM
Current Time (UTC-05:00)
How the Time Difference Is Calculated
Comparing UTC Offsets
Every time zone is defined by how far it is from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). To find the difference between two locations, the calculator fetches their current UTC offsets—including any daylight saving adjustments—and then compares them.
- Find each offset: Determine the current UTC offset for both time zones.
- Compare the offsets: Subtract the origin offset from the destination offset.
- Interpret the result: A positive number means the destination is ahead; a negative number means it is behind.
Example Calculation
- UTC: UTC+00:00 (offset of +0.00 hours from UTC)
- America/New York: UTC-05:00 (offset of -5.00 hours from UTC)
Step-by-step math
- Subtract the origin offset from the destination: -5.00 − 0.00 = -5.00 hours.
- Convert that to minutes: -5.00 × 60 = -300 minutes.
- Express it in hours and minutes: 5 hours behind.
Because the destination offset is smaller, the tool concludes that America/New York is 5.00 hours behind UTC.