Standard time applies in Essen right now, at UTC+1. The next change comes on Sunday, March 28, 2027, when clocks move to UTC+2.
Essen and your time
Essen 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 | 51.46° N, 7.01° E |
Time zone in Essen
The Europe/Berlin rules put Essen on standard time (UTC+1 (CET)) since Sunday, October 25, 2026. After the change, daylight saving time runs until Sunday, October 31, 2027.
All of Germany keeps the same time, so Essen reads the same clock as Berlin.
Clock changes in Essen, 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 |
Essen time compared with major cities
A 9:00 AM start in Essen 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 |
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 counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Sunrise and sunset in Essen
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Day length in Essen runs from 7 hours 50 minutes at the December solstice to 16 hours 38 minutes at the June solstice. The latest sunset, at 9:53 PM, comes on June 24.
Daylight through the year in Essen
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:35 AM | 6:45 PM | 12 h 10 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:15 AM | 9:53 PM | 16 h 38 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 7:20 AM | 7:28 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 8:35 AM | 4:25 PM | 7 h 50 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 Essen
Essen 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 Essen
All the places listed below keep the same time as Essen.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bochum | 14 km (9 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Duisburg | 17 km (11 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Wuppertal | 24 km (15 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Düsseldorf | 31 km (19 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Solingen | 32 km (20 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Dortmund | 32 km (20 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Hagen | 34 km (21 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Krefeld | 34 km (21 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Essen 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
Plan around the time in Essen
- Convert a time to or from Essen: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Essen to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Essen and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Essen in?
Essen 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 Essen?
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 Essen and New York?
Essen 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 Essen and New York change their clocks on different dates.
Is Essen on the same time as Berlin?
Yes. Essen and Berlin both use UTC+1 right now.
How long is the longest day in Essen?
About 16 hours 38 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 7 hours 50 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.