Current Time in London
The exact time in London and the rest of the UK right now, updated every second. See whether the UK is on GMT or British Summer Time, when the clocks change next, how far ahead or behind you London is, and today's sunrise and sunset.
Last updated:
Current time in London (GMT / BST)
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Sunrise and sunset today
Times are in UK time (GMT or BST) and accurate to about a minute (standard refraction, sea-level horizon).
Quick time converter
London time vs. other time zones right now
| Place | Time now | vs. London | London 9–5 office hours there |
|---|
How to use the Current Time in London
- Read the clock: the big display shows the current time in London with today's UK date.
- Check GMT or BST: the badges show the zone in use, the UTC offset and whether summer time applies.
- See the difference: the first card tells you how many hours London is ahead of or behind you.
- Convert a time: enter a date and time, choose From and To (your time, London, a US zone…) and press Convert.
- Plan calls with the table, which shows what London's 9 am–5 pm working day is in other time zones.
GMT and British Summer Time explained
The UK keeps one time zone across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In winter it uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+00:00), the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. In summer it uses British Summer Time (BST, UTC+01:00).
- Clocks go forward on the last Sunday of March: at 1:00 am GMT the time jumps to 2:00 am BST, so that night is one hour shorter.
- Clocks go back on the last Sunday of October: at 2:00 am BST the time returns to 1:00 am GMT, so the hour from 1:00 to 2:00 happens twice.
- The rules are set by the Summer Time Order and match the European Union's changeover dates, so London stays one hour behind Paris and Berlin all year.
London time vs. US time zones
| When it is 12:00 noon in London | Most of the year | Mismatch weeks (March and Oct/Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| New York, Miami, Toronto (Eastern) | 7:00 am (London 5 h ahead) | 8:00 am (4 h ahead) |
| Chicago, Dallas (Central) | 6:00 am (6 h ahead) | 7:00 am (5 h ahead) |
| Denver (Mountain) | 5:00 am (7 h ahead) | 6:00 am (6 h ahead) |
| Phoenix (Arizona, no DST) | 4:00 am in UK summer, 5:00 am in UK winter | follows UK changes only |
| Los Angeles, Seattle (Pacific) | 4:00 am (8 h ahead) | 5:00 am (7 h ahead) |
| Honolulu (Hawaii, no DST) | 1:00 am in UK summer, 2:00 am in UK winter | follows UK changes only |
The mismatch happens because the US starts daylight saving time on the second Sunday of March and ends it on the first Sunday of November, while the UK changes on the last Sundays of March and October.
Daylight in London through the year
| Date (approx.) | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|
| December solstice (21 Dec) | about 8:04 am GMT | about 3:53 pm GMT | about 7 h 50 min |
| March equinox (20 Mar) | about 6:03 am GMT | about 6:14 pm GMT | about 12 h 10 min |
| June solstice (21 Jun) | about 4:43 am BST | about 9:21 pm BST | about 16 h 38 min |
| September equinox (23 Sep) | about 6:47 am BST | about 6:57 pm BST | about 12 h 10 min |
Scotland sees bigger swings: Edinburgh gets about 17½ hours of daylight in June and about 7 hours in December. Pick a place in the sunrise section above to compare.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is London in?
London uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+00:00) in winter and British Summer Time (BST, UTC+01:00) in summer. The whole United Kingdom uses the same time, so the time in London is also the time in Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
When do the clocks change in the UK?
Clocks go forward one hour at 1:00 am GMT on the last Sunday of March, starting BST, and go back one hour at 2:00 am BST on the last Sunday of October, returning to GMT. The card on this page shows the exact date of the next change.
How many hours ahead is London from New York?
Usually 5 hours. Because the US changes its clocks on different dates (second Sunday of March and first Sunday of November), London is only 4 hours ahead of New York for a few weeks each spring and about one week each autumn.
What is the time difference between London and Los Angeles?
London is normally 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles (Pacific Time). During the short periods when only one of the two countries is on summer time, the difference is 7 hours.
Is GMT the same as London time?
Only in winter. From late March to late October London is on BST, one hour ahead of GMT. GMT itself never changes, which is why it is used as a reference, much like UTC.
What are London's office hours in US time?
A 9 am to 5 pm working day in London is 4 am to noon in New York and 1 am to 9 am in Los Angeles for most of the year. The table on this page converts these hours live for many cities.
Why is sunset so early in London in winter?
London lies at about 51.5° north, so day length changes a lot. Around the December solstice the sun sets before 4 pm and the day is under 8 hours long; around the June solstice it sets after 9 pm and the day lasts about 16 and a half hours.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.