Ottawa is on standard time, UTC−5 (EST). On Sunday, March 14, 2027, clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC−4.
Ottawa and your time
Ottawa at a glance
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Region | Ontario |
| Capital of | Canada |
| Time zone | America/Toronto |
| Abbreviation now | EST |
| UTC offset now | UTC−5 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 14, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 14, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 45.41° N, 75.70° W |
Which time zone Ottawa uses
The America/Toronto rules put Ottawa on standard time (UTC−5 (EST)) since Sunday, November 1, 2026. After the change, daylight saving time runs until Sunday, November 7, 2027.
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, which uses 5 different offsets. Official dates and deadlines are often given in capital time, so check which zone a notice means.
Clock changes in Ottawa, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, March 8, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−4 |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−5 |
| Sunday, March 14, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−4 |
| Sunday, November 7, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−5 |
Ottawa time compared with major cities
A 9:00 AM start in Ottawa is 2:00 PM in London, 1:00 AM (next day) in Sydney and 6:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | Same time | Same time | Same time | 8 h |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 5 h |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 3 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 2 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | 8 h ahead | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 10 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | 9 h 30 min ahead | None |
| Singapore | --:-- | 13 h ahead | 13 h ahead | 12 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 13 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 16 h ahead | 16 h ahead | 14 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 4 h ahead | 3 h |
The difference is not fixed for every city: where the January and July columns disagree, one side moves its clocks and the other does not, or both move on different dates.
Shared office hours is the part of a 9 AM to 5 PM local working day that both cities have in common. Weekends are not taken into account.
Daylight in Ottawa
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
The earliest sunrise in Ottawa is at 5:14 AM on June 15, and the latest sunset at 8:55 PM on June 26.
Daylight through the year in Ottawa
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 7:06 AM | 7:15 PM | 12 h 10 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:14 AM | 8:55 PM | 15 h 40 min |
| September equinox | September 22 | 6:50 AM | 7:00 PM | 12 h 10 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 7:40 AM | 4:22 PM | 8 h 43 min |
Sunrise and sunset jump by 1 hour on the days the clocks change, even though the daylight itself changes only by a minute or two.
Clock time and sun time in Ottawa
Clock time and sun time line up fairly well in Ottawa: solar noon falls at about 12:05 PM on standard time and 1:05 PM during daylight saving time.
Places close to Ottawa
All the places listed below keep the same time as Ottawa.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orléans | 16 km (10 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Kingston | 145 km (90 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne | 152 km (95 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Montreal | 165 km (102 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Trois-Rivières | 265 km (165 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Syracuse (United States) | 265 km (165 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Rochester (United States) | 294 km (182 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Sherbrooke | 297 km (184 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Ottawa today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
More cities in Canada
All time zones and cities in Canada
Tools for time in Ottawa
- Convert a time to or from Ottawa: 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 Ottawa and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Ottawa in?
Ottawa uses the America/Toronto time zone: UTC−5 (EST) in standard time and UTC−4 (EDT) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Ottawa?
The next change is on Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 2:00 AM, when clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC−4. They go back again on Sunday, November 7, 2027.
What is the time difference between Ottawa and London?
Ottawa is 5 hours behind London for most of the year. From March 14 to March 27 and October 30 to November 7, the gap is 4 hours, because Ottawa and London change their clocks on different dates.
How long is the longest day in Ottawa?
About 15 hours 40 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 8 hours 43 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.