Time Zone Converter

Understanding Time Zones

The world is divided into 24 primary time zones, each representing one hour of difference from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). However, in practice there are over 40 distinct offsets, including half-hour offsets (India at UTC+5:30, Iran at UTC+3:30) and even quarter-hour offsets (Nepal at UTC+5:45). Daylight Saving Time (DST) adds another layer of complexity — the United States, European Union, and many other regions shift their clocks forward by one hour in spring and back in autumn, meaning the offset between two cities can change twice per year.

Best Practices for Scheduling Global Meetings

When scheduling across time zones, the golden rule is to always communicate in the recipient's local time. Saying "let's meet at 3pm ET" is clear for someone in New York but requires mental calculation for everyone else. Instead, use a time zone converter to find a time that works for all participants, then share the meeting invite with each person's local time clearly stated.

The overlap window between major business hubs is narrow. New York and London share about 5 hours of business overlap (9am–2pm ET / 2pm–7pm GMT). London and Singapore share about 2 hours (8am–10am GMT / 4pm–6pm SGT). New York and Singapore have almost no overlap during standard business hours. For truly global teams, rotating meeting times is the fairest approach — no single region should always bear the burden of early-morning or late-night calls.