Colombo runs on UTC+5:30 every day of the year, with no daylight saving time.
Colombo and your time
Colombo at a glance
| Country | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Province |
| Capital of | Sri Lanka |
| Time zone | Asia/Colombo |
| UTC offset now | UTC+5:30 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed |
| Coordinates | 6.94° N, 79.85° E |
Which time zone Colombo uses
The clocks in Colombo follow Asia/Colombo and keep UTC+5:30 through every season. No daylight saving time has been recorded here since 1970.
Because UTC+5:30 ends in :30, a call booked on the hour in London or New York starts at half past the hour in Colombo.
As the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo shares one clock with the whole country.
Clock changes in Colombo, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in Colombo for 2026 or 2027.
Time difference between Colombo and other cities
A 9:00 AM start in Colombo is 10:30 PM (previous day) in New York, 2:30 PM in Sydney and 7:30 PM (previous day) in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 10 h 30 min behind | 10 h 30 min behind | 9 h 30 min behind | None |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 13 h 30 min behind | 13 h 30 min behind | 12 h 30 min behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 5 h 30 min behind | 5 h 30 min behind | 4 h 30 min behind | 2 h 30 min |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 4 h 30 min behind | 4 h 30 min behind | 3 h 30 min behind | 3 h 30 min |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 1 h 30 min behind | 1 h 30 min behind | 1 h 30 min behind | 6 h 30 min |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | Same time | Same time | Same time | 8 h |
| Singapore | --:-- | 2 h 30 min ahead | 2 h 30 min ahead | 2 h 30 min ahead | 5 h 30 min |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 3 h 30 min ahead | 3 h 30 min ahead | 3 h 30 min ahead | 4 h 30 min |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 5 h 30 min ahead | 5 h 30 min ahead | 4 h 30 min ahead | 2 h 30 min |
| UTC | --:-- | 5 h 30 min behind | 5 h 30 min behind | 5 h 30 min behind | 2 h 30 min |
Because Colombo keeps one offset all year, any change in the gap comes from the other city’s daylight saving time. Compare the January and July columns.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Sunrise, sunset and day length in Colombo
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Being in the tropics, Colombo sees little change in day length: the longest day (12 hours 32 minutes) is only 49 minutes longer than the shortest (11 hours 43 minutes). Sunrise stays between 5:53 AM and 6:29 AM all year.
Daylight through the year in Colombo
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:15 AM | 6:21 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:57 AM | 6:28 PM | 12 h 32 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 6:00 AM | 6:06 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| December solstice | December 22 | 6:17 AM | 6:01 PM | 11 h 43 min |
When the sun is highest in Colombo
Colombo lies close to the centre of its time zone, so the sun is highest at about 12:10 PM on standard time, close to clock noon.
Places close to Colombo
Every city below shares Colombo’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negombo | 30 km (19 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Kandy | 95 km (59 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Kalmunai | 225 km (140 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Trincomalee | 238 km (148 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Thoothukudi (India) | 278 km (173 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Plan around the time in Colombo
- Convert a time to or from Colombo: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Colombo to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Colombo and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Colombo in?
Colombo uses the Asia/Colombo time zone, which is UTC+5:30 all year.
Does Colombo use daylight saving time?
No. Colombo stays on UTC+5:30 all year, so the time difference to places without daylight saving time never changes.
What is the time difference between Colombo and New York?
Colombo is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of New York in January and 9 hours 30 minutes ahead of New York in July, because New York moves its clocks for daylight saving time and Colombo does not.
How long is the longest day in Colombo?
About 12 hours 32 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 11 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.