There is no single time in Canada: it spans 5 offsets, and daylight saving time applies only in some regions.
Canada at a glance
| Capital | Ottawa |
|---|---|
| UTC offsets | UTC−7 … UTC−3:30 |
| IANA time zones | 23 |
| Daylight saving time | Some regions only |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 14, 2027 |
| Abbreviations in use | EST, EDT, CST, MST, AST, ADT, NST, NDT, MDT, CDT |
Time zones in Canada
Across Canada, the tz database lists 23 zones. They differ in two ways: the base offset, and whether daylight saving time applies. A trip or call between regions can cross either difference.
| Time zone | Time now | UTC offset | Daylight saving time | Main cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| America/Cambridge_Bay | --:-- | UTC−7 | Observed | |
| America/Creston | --:-- | UTC−7 | Not observed | |
| America/Dawson | --:-- | UTC−7 | Not observed | |
| America/Dawson_Creek | --:-- | UTC−7 | Not observed | |
| America/Fort_Nelson | --:-- | UTC−7 | Not observed | |
| America/Vancouver | --:-- | UTC−7 | Not observed | Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria |
| America/Whitehorse | --:-- | UTC−7 | Not observed | |
| America/Edmonton | --:-- | UTC−6 | Not observed | Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge |
| America/Inuvik | --:-- | UTC−6 | Not observed | |
| America/Rankin_Inlet | --:-- | UTC−6 | Observed | |
| America/Regina | --:-- | UTC−6 | Not observed | Saskatoon, Regina |
| America/Resolute | --:-- | UTC−6 | Observed | |
| America/Swift_Current | --:-- | UTC−6 | Not observed | |
| America/Atikokan | --:-- | UTC−5 | Not observed | |
| America/Iqaluit | --:-- | UTC−5 | Observed | |
| America/Toronto | --:-- | UTC−5 | Observed | Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa |
| America/Winnipeg | --:-- | UTC−5 | Not observed | Winnipeg |
| America/Blanc-Sablon | --:-- | UTC−4 | Not observed | |
| America/Glace_Bay | --:-- | UTC−4 | Observed | Sydney |
| America/Goose_Bay | --:-- | UTC−4 | Observed | |
| America/Halifax | --:-- | UTC−4 | Observed | Halifax, Dartmouth |
| America/Moncton | --:-- | UTC−4 | Observed | |
| America/St_Johns | --:-- | UTC−3:30 | Observed | St. John's |
Daylight saving time in Canada
Daylight saving time applies in some parts of Canada only. The table shows which zones change and when, so check the exact region before you fix a time.
Clock changes in Canada, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | Zones that change |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, March 8, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour in every zone that uses daylight saving time (NST→NDT, AST→ADT, EST→EDT, CST→CDT, MST→MDT and PST→PDT) | St. John's, Halifax, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour in every zone that uses daylight saving time (NDT→NST, ADT→AST, EDT→EST, CDT→CST and MDT→MST) | St. John's, Halifax, Toronto, America/Rankin_Inlet, America/Cambridge_Bay |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Daylight saving time ends for good: clocks stay at UTC−5 (EST) | Winnipeg |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Daylight saving time ends for good: clocks stay at UTC−6 (CST) | Calgary |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Daylight saving time ends for good: clocks stay at UTC−7 (MST) | Vancouver |
| Sunday, March 14, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour in every zone that uses daylight saving time (NST→NDT, AST→ADT, EST→EDT, CST→CDT and MST→MDT) | St. John's, Halifax, Toronto, America/Rankin_Inlet, America/Cambridge_Bay |
| Sunday, November 7, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour in every zone that uses daylight saving time (NDT→NST, ADT→AST, EDT→EST, CDT→CST and MDT→MST) | St. John's, Halifax, Toronto, America/Rankin_Inlet, America/Cambridge_Bay |
Local time in the largest cities of Canada
| City | Region | Time now | Time zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Ontario | --:-- | America/Toronto |
| Montreal | Quebec | --:-- | America/Toronto |
| Calgary | Alberta | --:-- | America/Edmonton |
| Ottawa | Ontario | --:-- | America/Toronto |
| Edmonton | Alberta | --:-- | America/Edmonton |
| Winnipeg | Manitoba | --:-- | America/Winnipeg |
| Mississauga | Ontario | --:-- | America/Toronto |
| Vancouver | British Columbia | --:-- | America/Vancouver |
| Brampton | Ontario | --:-- | America/Toronto |
| Hamilton | Ontario | --:-- | America/Toronto |
| Surrey | British Columbia | --:-- | America/Vancouver |
| Québec | Quebec | --:-- | America/Toronto |
Time difference between Canada and other countries
Differences below use the time in the capital, Ottawa. Other regions of Canada differ by up to 4 hours 30 minutes.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | Same time | Same time | Same time |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 3 h behind |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | 8 h ahead |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 10 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | 9 h 30 min ahead |
| Singapore | --:-- | 13 h ahead | 13 h ahead | 12 h ahead |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 13 h ahead |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 16 h ahead | 16 h ahead | 14 h ahead |
| UTC | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 4 h ahead |
Daylight across Canada
Canada stretches far from north to south, so daylight differs a lot between regions. Around the June solstice, Edmonton gets 17 hours 3 minutes of daylight and Hamilton 15 hours 24 minutes.
Countries on the same time as Canada
These countries read the same time as Ottawa right now.
- Bahamas Daylight saving time
- Cayman Islands
- Colombia
- Cuba Daylight saving time
- Ecuador
- Haiti Daylight saving time
- Jamaica
- Panama
- Peru
- Turks and Caicos Islands Daylight saving time
- United States Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Plan around the time in Canada
- Convert a time to or from Canada: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Ottawa to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Canada and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
How many time zones does Canada have?
5 offsets, from UTC−7 to UTC−3:30. The tz database splits them into 23 named zones.
Does Canada use daylight saving time?
Only in some regions. Clocks change in places such as Toronto, Halifax, St. John's and Sydney, while Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Saskatoon keep the same offset all year.
What is the time difference between Canada and London?
It depends on the region. The capital, Ottawa, is 5 hours behind London for most of the year, and the gap is 4 hours from March 14 to March 27 and October 30 to November 7.
What time is it in the capital of Canada?
The capital, Ottawa, uses America/Toronto (UTC−5 right now). The live clock for Ottawa is on its own page.
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.