Cologne is on standard time, UTC+1 (CET). On Sunday, March 28, 2027, clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC+2.
Cologne and your time
Cologne at a glance
| Country | Germany |
|---|---|
| Region | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Time zone | Europe/Berlin |
| Abbreviation now | CET |
| UTC offset now | UTC+1 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 28, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 28, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 50.93° N, 6.95° E |
Cologne time zone and clock changes
Cologne follows the Europe/Berlin time zone. Standard time began on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Once the clocks go forward at 2:00 AM, daylight saving time (UTC+2 (CEST)) lasts until Sunday, October 31, 2027.
Cologne is on the same time as the rest of Germany, including the capital, Berlin.
Clock changes in Cologne, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, March 29, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC+2 |
| Sunday, October 25, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 3:00 AM becomes 2:00 AM | UTC+1 |
| Sunday, March 28, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC+2 |
| Sunday, October 31, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 3:00 AM becomes 2:00 AM | UTC+1 |
Cologne time compared with major cities
A 9:00 AM start in Cologne is 3:00 AM in New York, 7:00 PM in Sydney and 12:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 6 h behind | 6 h behind | 6 h behind | 2 h |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 9 h behind | 9 h behind | 9 h behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 7 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | Same time | Same time | Same time | 8 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 3 h ahead | 3 h ahead | 2 h ahead | 5 h |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 4 h 30 min ahead | 4 h 30 min ahead | 3 h 30 min ahead | 3 h 30 min |
| Singapore | --:-- | 7 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 1 h |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 8 h ahead | 8 h ahead | 7 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 10 h ahead | 10 h ahead | 8 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 1 h behind | 1 h behind | 2 h behind | 7 h |
Some gaps change during the year because Cologne and the other city change clocks on different dates, or only one of them changes at all. The January and July columns show both versions.
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 Cologne
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Day length in Cologne runs from 7 hours 55 minutes at the December solstice to 16 hours 32 minutes at the June solstice. The latest sunset, at 9:50 PM, comes on June 25.
Daylight through the year in Cologne
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:35 AM | 6:45 PM | 12 h 10 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:18 AM | 9:50 PM | 16 h 32 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 7:20 AM | 7:28 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 8:33 AM | 4:28 PM | 7 h 55 min |
Daylight saving time moves sunrise and sunset 1 hour later by the clock in summer, which is why the latest sunsets fall in the daylight saving months.
Clock time and sun time in Cologne
Cologne lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 12:30 PM on standard time and 1:30 PM during daylight saving time, close to clock noon.
Places close to Cologne
All the places listed below keep the same time as Cologne.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bergisch Gladbach | 14 km (9 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Bonn | 24 km (15 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Solingen | 28 km (18 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Düsseldorf | 34 km (21 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Wuppertal | 38 km (24 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Mönchengladbach | 45 km (28 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Krefeld | 53 km (33 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Duisburg | 57 km (35 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Cologne today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
- Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Lagos (Nigeria)
- Luanda (Angola)
- Algiers (Algeria)
- Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo)
- N'Djamena (Chad)
More cities in Germany
All time zones and cities in Germany
Tools for time in Cologne
- Convert a time to or from Cologne: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Cologne to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Cologne and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Cologne in?
Cologne uses the Europe/Berlin time zone: UTC+1 (CET) in standard time and UTC+2 (CEST) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Cologne?
The next change is on Sunday, March 28, 2027 at 2:00 AM, when clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC+2. They go back again on Sunday, October 31, 2027.
What is the time difference between Cologne and New York?
Cologne is 6 hours ahead of New York for most of the year. From March 14 to March 28 and October 31 to November 7, the gap is 5 hours, because Cologne and New York change their clocks on different dates.
Is Cologne on the same time as Berlin?
Yes. Cologne and Berlin both use UTC+1 right now.
How long is the longest day in Cologne?
About 16 hours 32 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 7 hours 55 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.