Nuku'alofa runs on UTC+13 every day of the year, with no daylight saving time.
Nuku'alofa and your time
Nuku'alofa at a glance
| Country | Tonga |
|---|---|
| Region | Tongatapu |
| Capital of | Tonga |
| Time zone | Pacific/Tongatapu |
| UTC offset now | UTC+13 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed since 2017 |
| Coordinates | 21.14° S, 175.20° W |
Which time zone Nuku'alofa uses
The clocks in Nuku'alofa follow Pacific/Tongatapu and do not move with the seasons. The last daylight saving period here was in 2017. Since then the offset has stayed at UTC+13.
With an offset of UTC+13, Nuku'alofa reaches midnight ahead of almost every other city in the world.
As the capital of Tonga, Nuku'alofa shares one clock with the whole country.
Clock changes in Nuku'alofa, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in Nuku'alofa for 2026 or 2027.
Time difference between Nuku'alofa and other cities
When it is 9:00 AM in Nuku'alofa, it 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 | 17 h behind | None |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 21 h behind | 21 h behind | 20 h behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 13 h behind | 13 h behind | 12 h behind | None |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 12 h behind | 12 h behind | 11 h behind | None |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 9 h behind | 9 h behind | 9 h behind | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 7 h 30 min behind | 7 h 30 min behind | 7 h 30 min behind | 30 min |
| Singapore | --:-- | 5 h behind | 5 h behind | 5 h behind | 3 h |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 4 h behind | 4 h behind | 4 h behind | 4 h |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 2 h behind | 2 h behind | 3 h behind | 6 h |
| UTC | --:-- | 13 h behind | 13 h behind | 13 h behind | None |
Nuku'alofa never changes its clocks, but many of these cities do. Where the January and July columns disagree, the gap shifts when the other city moves to or from daylight saving time.
Shared office hours counts the time when the clock reads between 9 AM and 5 PM in both cities on the same day.
Daylight in Nuku'alofa
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Close to the equator, days in Nuku'alofa last between 10 hours 51 minutes and 13 hours 25 minutes, so evenings get dark at about the same time all year.
Daylight through the year in Nuku'alofa
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 21 | 6:45 AM | 6:50 PM | 12 h 5 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 7:17 AM | 6:08 PM | 10 h 51 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 6:29 AM | 6:37 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| December solstice | December 22 | 5:57 AM | 7:22 PM | 13 h 25 min |
Clock time and sun time in Nuku'alofa
Nuku'alofa sits well west of the centre of its time zone. On average the sun reaches its highest point at about 12:40 PM on standard time, not at 12:00. Mornings stay dark longer and evenings stay light later than the clock suggests.
Cities near Nuku'alofa
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alofi (Niue) | 598 km (372 mi) | --:-- | 24 h behind |
| Nasinu (Fiji) | 741 km (461 mi) | --:-- | 1 h behind |
| Suva (Fiji) | 746 km (464 mi) | --:-- | 1 h behind |
| Mata-Utu (Wallis and Futuna) | 880 km (547 mi) | --:-- | 1 h behind |
| Apia (Samoa) | 890 km (553 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Nuku'alofa today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
Tools for time in Nuku'alofa
- Convert a time to or from Nuku'alofa: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Nuku'alofa to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Nuku'alofa and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Nuku'alofa in?
Nuku'alofa uses the Pacific/Tongatapu time zone, which is UTC+13 all year.
Does Nuku'alofa use daylight saving time?
Not any more. Nuku'alofa last changed its clocks for daylight saving time in 2017 and now stays on UTC+13 all year.
What is the time difference between Nuku'alofa and New York?
Nuku'alofa is 18 hours ahead of New York in January and 17 hours ahead of New York in July, because New York moves its clocks for daylight saving time and Nuku'alofa does not.
How long is the longest day in Nuku'alofa?
About 13 hours 25 minutes, around the December solstice. The shortest day, around the June solstice, has about 10 hours 51 minutes of daylight.
Why is the sun not highest at noon in Nuku'alofa?
Clock time follows the time zone, not the sun. Nuku'alofa lies west of the line its offset is based on, so solar noon comes at about 12:40 PM on standard time.
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.