San Diego is on standard time, UTC−8 (PST). On Sunday, March 14, 2027, clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC−7.
San Diego and your time
San Diego at a glance
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | California |
| Time zone | America/Los_Angeles |
| Abbreviation now | PST |
| UTC offset now | UTC−8 |
| Daylight saving time | Starts Mar 14, 2027 |
| Next clock change | Sunday, March 14, 2027 |
| Coordinates | 32.72° N, 117.16° W |
Which time zone San Diego uses
The America/Los_Angeles rules put San Diego on standard time (UTC−8 (PST)) since Sunday, November 1, 2026. After the change, daylight saving time runs until Sunday, November 7, 2027.
Watch out when booking with the capital: Washington D.C. is 3 hours ahead of San Diego, because the United States spans 6 offsets.
Clock changes in San Diego, 2026 and 2027
| Date | Change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, March 8, 2026 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−7 |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−8 |
| Sunday, March 14, 2027 | Clocks go forward 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 3:00 AM | UTC−7 |
| Sunday, November 7, 2027 | Clocks go back 1 hour: 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM | UTC−8 |
San Diego time compared with major cities
Take 9:00 AM in San Diego: the clock reads 5:00 PM in London, 4:00 AM (next day) in Sydney and 12:00 PM in Washington D.C.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington D.C. | --:-- | 3 h ahead | 3 h ahead | 3 h ahead | 5 h |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 8 h ahead | 8 h ahead | 8 h ahead | None |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | None |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 12 h ahead | 12 h ahead | 11 h ahead | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 13 h 30 min ahead | 13 h 30 min ahead | 12 h 30 min ahead | None |
| Singapore | --:-- | 16 h ahead | 16 h ahead | 15 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 17 h ahead | 17 h ahead | 16 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 19 h ahead | 19 h ahead | 17 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 8 h ahead | 8 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 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 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.
Sunrise and sunset in San Diego
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Over the year, daylight in San Diego grows from 10 hours to 14 hours 19 minutes and back, a swing of 4 hours 19 minutes.
Daylight through the year in San Diego
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:52 AM | 7:00 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:41 AM | 8:00 PM | 14 h 19 min |
| September equinox | September 22 | 6:37 AM | 6:45 PM | 12 h 8 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 6:47 AM | 4:47 PM | 10 h |
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.
When the sun is highest in San Diego
Clock time and sun time line up fairly well in San Diego: solar noon falls at about 11:50 AM on standard time and 12:50 PM during daylight saving time.
Places close to San Diego
Every city below shares San Diego’s clock.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Cajon | 21 km (13 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Tijuana (Mexico) | 28 km (17 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Rosarito (Mexico) | 41 km (25 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Escondido | 45 km (28 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Vista | 54 km (34 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Oceanside | 57 km (35 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Temecula | 87 km (54 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Ensenada (Mexico) | 108 km (67 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Other cities on America/Los_Angeles time
Same clock, same changes: these cities use America/Los_Angeles just like San Diego.
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as San Diego today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
More cities in United States
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- San Antonio
- The Bronx
- Dallas
- Jacksonville
- Fort Worth
- San Jose
All time zones and cities in the United States
Plan around the time in San Diego
- Convert a time to or from San Diego: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add San Diego to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in San Diego and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is San Diego in?
San Diego uses the America/Los_Angeles time zone: UTC−8 (PST) in standard time and UTC−7 (PDT) during daylight saving time.
When do the clocks change in San Diego?
The next change is on Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 2:00 AM, when clocks go forward 1 hour to UTC−7. They go back again on Sunday, November 7, 2027.
What is the time difference between San Diego and London?
San Diego is 8 hours behind London for most of the year. From March 14 to March 27 and October 30 to November 7, the gap is 7 hours, because San Diego and London change their clocks on different dates.
Is San Diego on the same time as Washington D.C.?
No. Washington D.C. is 3 hours ahead of San Diego, because the United States uses more than one offset.
How long is the longest day in San Diego?
About 14 hours 19 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 10 hours 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.