Time Zones
This free tool shows Time Zones on Google Maps, plus the current time and UTC offset for any location worldwide.
This zoomable Time Zone map shows time zone boundary lines anywhere in the world. For U.S. locations, you can also overlay city limits, county lines and state boundaries on the map.
Quick Tips for using this Time Zones map tool
- There are four ways to get started using this Time Zones map tool
- In the “Search places” box above the map, type an address, city, etc. and choose the one you want from the auto-complete list
- Click the map to see the Time Zone and current time where you clicked (Monthly Contributors also get Dynamic Maps)
- To search using GPS coordinates use the “Find lat long” box in the top right above the map*
- Click the ◉ button in the upper right corner of the map to use your current location. Click the ◉ button again to automatically update your location every 1, 5 or 10 minutes (Monthly Contributors also get an option to update every several seconds, shown as ◉A for Active).**
- Optionally, show US city limits, county lines, and county labels by checking the boxes in the lower left corner of the map
- Subscribe to receive notification of tool updates and usage tips
* You can search using various formats of latitude longitude, including degrees, minutes and seconds; degrees and decimal minutes; or decimal degrees
** The “Locate” button will be more accurate on smartphones and other devices containing a GPS; desktop
browsers typically show an approximate location
*** Coordinated Universal Time or Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) offset is the number of hours ahead or behind
the current time in Greenwich, England, adjusted for Daylight Saving Time (DST) if in effect. It is the number of
hours time difference from Greenwich. Prior to 1972, UTC was referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Why would you need a map with time zone boundaries?
Here are several example uses for time zones on Google Maps:
- Business Coordination: Companies operating internationally can schedule meetings, support calls and launches considering the working hours of all regions involved.
- Travel Planning: Travelers can adjust their schedules, set alarms, or plan activities based on the time zones of their destinations and layovers.
- Communication: Whether making international calls to friends, family, or business partners, knowing time zones ensures you’re calling at an appropriate hour.
- Logistics and Shipping: Companies can provide accurate delivery estimates and coordinate transportation based on time zone differences.
- Broadcasting and Streaming: Media companies can schedule broadcasts, livestreams, or premieres to cater to audiences in different time zones.
- Financial Markets: Stock traders and investors can track opening and closing times of global stock exchanges and plan their trades accordingly.
- Event Planning: Organizers of global events or webinars can ensure maximum participation by considering the time zones of all potential attendees.
- Software and Tech Releases: Tech companies can coordinate software updates or product releases to minimize disruption across different regions.
- Cultural Awareness: Time zone maps can be educational tools, helping users understand the concept of time around the world and fostering global awareness.
- Scientific Research: Researchers working on global projects can coordinate data collection, observations, or experiments based on a universal time schedule.
- Emergency Response: International aid organizations can coordinate relief efforts more effectively by understanding the local time of the affected area.
- Daylight Saving Adjustments: Navigate the complexities of regions that observe daylight saving time, ensuring accurate timekeeping throughout the year.
Find Time Zones by radius or by drawing a line or shape
- To find Time Zones within a radius or near a line or shape you draw:
- Click the “Selection Tools” button in the lower left corner of the map
- – RADIUS SELECT: To find Time Zones within a radius, specify the mileage in the “Select map features within x miles of the
shapes I draw” box, then use the Point “Add a marker” tool to draw the center point of the radius
– TOUCHING A LINE OR SHAPE: To find Time Zones that touch a line or a shape you draw, use the Line tool or Shape tool to draw the shape, double-clicking when finished
– WITHIN DISTANCE OF A LINE OR SHAPE: To find Time Zones that are within a distance of a line or a shape you draw, first specify the mileage in the “Select map features within x miles of the shapes I draw” box, then use the Line tool or Shape tool to draw the shape, double-clicking when finished - The Time Zones will be highlighted and listed in a “Results from map” box below the map, where you can copy
the selected Time Zones for use in a spreadsheet or other document
– Optionally, keep drawing shapes to select more Time Zones - When you are finished selecting Time Zones, click the “DONE Selecting” button in the lower left corner of the map
FAQs for Time Zones
Coverage Notes
As with many things, time zone and time zone boundaries are much more complex than meets the eye. This is due in large part to the fact that there is no central global body that determines timezones; rather, time zones can be set at many different political levels (e.g. country, state, county, city, tribal region). Read more here.
Other Notes
- The Search places box uses a standard Google Maps geocoding engine, therefore you can type street addresses, road names, points of interest, etc. to see what time zone that location is part of, as well as the current time there
- Many of the map layers from which this information is extracted are very large, so it may take several seconds for all of the map layers to finish drawing
- Because the map layers are large, boundaries will not be shown if you are zoomed out too far
- Note that typing an address will zoom in the map very close, whereas typing a city or county by itself will show you a map with a wider view
- Disclaimer: While the number of decimals in the latitude and longitude displayed for the map marker may imply a positional accuracy of within a few feet, note that Google Maps and the source data may not be that accurate. Accordingly, this tool should not be used for legal nor surveying purposes or anything beyond entertainment value.
Sources
– Time Zone boundaries: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), Evan Siroky: MIT License and Open Data Commons Open Database License– City, County and State boundaries: US Census Bureau