Daylight saving time is in effect in Wellington: the clock reads UTC+13 until Sunday, April 4, 2027, then returns to UTC+12.
Wellington and your time
Wellington at a glance
| Country | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Region | Wellington Region |
| Capital of | New Zealand |
| Time zone | Pacific/Auckland |
| Abbreviation now | NZDT |
| UTC offset now | UTC+13 |
| Daylight saving time | In effect until Apr 4, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, April 4, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 41.29° S, 174.78° E |
Which time zone Wellington uses
Under the Pacific/Auckland rules, Wellington spends part of each year on UTC+13 (NZDT) and the rest on UTC+12 (NZST). Daylight saving time started on Sunday, September 27, 2026 and comes back next on Sunday, September 26, 2027.
At UTC+12, Wellington is among the first places on Earth to start each new day.
Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, which uses 2 different offsets. Official dates and deadlines are often given in capital time, so check which zone a notice means.
Clock changes in Wellington, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, April 5, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 3:00 AM becomes 2:00 AM | UTC+12 |
| Sunday, September 27, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC+13 |
| Sunday, April 4, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 3:00 AM becomes 2:00 AM | UTC+12 |
| Sunday, September 26, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC+13 |
Time difference between Wellington and other cities
A 9:00 AM start in Wellington is 3:00 PM (previous day) in New York, 7:00 AM in Sydney and 12:00 PM (previous day) in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 18 h behind | 18 h behind | 16 h behind | None |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 21 h behind | 21 h behind | 19 h behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 13 h behind | 13 h behind | 11 h behind | None |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 12 h behind | 12 h behind | 10 h behind | None |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 9 h behind | 9 h behind | 8 h behind | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 7 h 30 min behind | 7 h 30 min behind | 6 h 30 min behind | 30 min |
| Singapore | --:-- | 5 h behind | 5 h behind | 4 h behind | 3 h |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 4 h behind | 4 h behind | 3 h behind | 4 h |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 6 h |
| UTC | --:-- | 13 h behind | 13 h behind | 12 h behind | None |
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 Wellington
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Seasons run the other way in Wellington: the December solstice brings 15 hours 10 minutes of daylight and the June solstice only 9 hours 11 minutes.
Daylight through the year in Wellington
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 21 | 7:24 AM | 7:32 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 7:47 AM | 4:58 PM | 9 h 11 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 6:09 AM | 6:18 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| December solstice | December 22 | 5:44 AM | 8:54 PM | 15 h 10 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 Wellington
Clock time and sun time line up fairly well in Wellington: solar noon falls at about 12:20 PM on standard time and 1:20 PM during daylight saving time.
Places close to Wellington
All the places listed below keep the same time as Wellington.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Hutt | 14 km (9 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Wellington today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
More cities in New Zealand
All time zones and cities in New Zealand
Plan around the time in Wellington
- Convert a time to or from Wellington: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Wellington to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Wellington and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Wellington in?
Wellington uses the Pacific/Auckland time zone: UTC+12 (NZST) in standard time and UTC+13 (NZDT) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in Wellington?
The next change is on Sunday, April 4, 2027 at 3:00 AM, when clocks go back 1 hour to UTC+12. They go forward again on Sunday, September 26, 2027.
What is the time difference between Wellington and New York?
Wellington is 18 hours ahead of New York in January and 16 hours ahead of New York in July, because the two are on daylight saving time at opposite times of the year.
Does the difference between Wellington and New York ever change at other times?
Yes, for a few weeks. From March 14 to April 4 and September 26 to November 7, the gap is 17 hours, because the two switch on different dates.
How long is the longest day in Wellington?
About 15 hours 10 minutes, around the December solstice. The shortest day, around the June solstice, has about 9 hours 11 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.