São Luís keeps UTC−3 all year. There is no daylight saving time, so the clock never changes.
São Luís and your time
São Luís at a glance
| Country | Brazil |
|---|---|
| Region | Maranhão |
| Time zone | America/Fortaleza |
| UTC offset now | UTC−3 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed since 2002 |
| Coordinates | 2.53° S, 44.30° W |
São Luís time zone and clock changes
The clocks in São Luís follow America/Fortaleza and do not move with the seasons. The last daylight saving period here was in 2002. Since then the offset has stayed at UTC−3.
Brazil spans 4 offsets. São Luís shares its time with the capital, Brasília.
Clock changes in São Luís, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in São Luís for 2026 or 2027.
Time difference between São Luís and other cities
Take 9:00 AM in São Luís: the clock reads 12:00 PM in London, 11:00 PM in Sydney and 4:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brasília | --:-- | Same time | Same time | Same time | 8 h |
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 1 h behind | 6 h |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 5 h behind | 5 h behind | 4 h behind | 3 h |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 3 h ahead | 3 h ahead | 4 h ahead | 5 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 4 h ahead | 4 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 4 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 7 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 1 h |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 8 h 30 min ahead | 8 h 30 min ahead | 8 h 30 min ahead | None |
| Singapore | --:-- | 11 h ahead | 11 h ahead | 11 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 12 h ahead | 12 h ahead | 12 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 13 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 3 h ahead | 3 h ahead | 3 h ahead | 5 h |
Because São Luís keeps one offset all year, any change in the gap comes from the other city’s daylight saving time. Compare the January and July columns.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Sunrise and sunset in São Luís
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Close to the equator, days in São Luís last between 11 hours 59 minutes and 12 hours 16 minutes, so evenings get dark at about the same time all year.
Daylight through the year in São Luís
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:01 AM | 6:08 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 6:00 AM | 5:58 PM | 11 h 59 min |
| September equinox | September 22 | 5:47 AM | 5:53 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 5:47 AM | 6:04 PM | 12 h 16 min |
When the sun is highest in São Luís
São Luís lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 11:55 AM on standard time, close to clock noon.
Places close to São Luís
Every city below shares São Luís’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| São José de Ribamar | 27 km (17 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Bacabal | 197 km (122 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Codó | 219 km (136 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Caxias | 279 km (174 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Parnaíba | 284 km (176 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Cities that share São Luís’s time zone
These cities follow the same time zone rules as São Luís.
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as São Luís today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
More cities in Brazil
- São Paulo
- Rio de Janeiro
- Belo Horizonte
- Salvador
- Fortaleza
- Manaus
- Brasília
- Curitiba
- Recife
- Goiânia
- Belém
- Porto Alegre
All time zones and cities in Brazil
Plan around the time in São Luís
- Convert a time to or from São Luís: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add São Luís to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in São Luís and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is São Luís in?
São Luís uses the America/Fortaleza time zone, which is UTC−3 all year.
Does São Luís use daylight saving time?
Not any more. São Luís last changed its clocks for daylight saving time in 2002 and now stays on UTC−3 all year.
What is the time difference between São Luís and London?
São Luís is 3 hours behind London in January and 4 hours behind London in July, because London moves its clocks for daylight saving time and São Luís does not.
Is São Luís on the same time as Brasília?
Yes. São Luís and Brasília both use UTC−3 right now.
How long is the longest day in São Luís?
About 12 hours 16 minutes, around the December solstice. The shortest day, around the June solstice, has about 11 hours 59 minutes of daylight.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.