Africa · Western Africa · Sovereign state
Current time in Burkina Faso
A single time zone at null.
Friday, June 5, 2026
About Burkina Faso's time
A single time zone.
Burkina Faso observes a single timezone, Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0), year-round without daylight saving time changes, providing straightforward timekeeping across the country.
Major cities
Cities of Burkina Faso.
History
How Burkina Faso keeps time.
Burkina Faso, formerly known as French Upper Volta, inherited Greenwich Mean Time from its colonial administration. During French colonial rule, West African territories west of Ghana were kept on GMT due to their position near the Prime Meridian, which runs close to their western border. After independence in 1960, the newly named Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso in 1984 under Thomas Sankara) continued observing GMT without modification. The change from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso in 1984 saw the country adopt Greenwich Mean Time formally in place of earlier colonial time designations, but no actual clock changes were involved. The country has never implemented daylight saving time, following the same pattern as most tropical nations near the equator.
Did you know?
Things about Burkina Faso's time.
Burkina Faso's position near the Prime Meridian makes its UTC+0 time zone geographically natural — solar noon in Ouagadougou is close to 12:00 local time. The country shares its timezone with 14 other African nations and with the UK (when Daylight Saving Time isn't observed), Burkina Faso is in sync with London.
Like many equatorial nations, Burkina Faso sees relatively consistent sunrise and sunset times year-round (roughly 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM), making daylight saving time unnecessary for maximizing daylight. Visitors from continental North America should note that Burkina Faso spans multiple US time zones — from Central (UTC−6) to UTC+3 in East Africa — so coordinating calls requires careful planning depending on which African nation is involved.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Burkina Faso's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What timezone is Burkina Faso in?
- Burkina Faso observes Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0), the same as the UK during winter and much of West Africa.
- Does Burkina Faso observe daylight saving time?
- No, Burkina Faso does not observe daylight saving time. The clocks remain on UTC+0 year-round, as is common for countries near the equator.
- When is the best time to call Burkina Faso from the US?
- Burkina Faso is 5 hours ahead of the US East Coast and 8 hours ahead of the West Coast. Business hours in Burkina Faso (8:00–17:00 local) correspond to 3:00–12:00 in New York — mornings work well for calls from East Coast offices.
- What timezone capital is Ouagadougou?
- Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, uses the Africa/Ouagadougou timezone, set to Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0) with no daylight saving time.
- Is Burkina Faso in the same timezone as London?
- Part of the year. When the UK is on GMT (October–March), Burkina Faso and London share the exact same time. During UK summer time (March–October), London is one hour ahead.
- How many timezones does Burkina Faso have?
- Burkina Faso has a single timezone: GMT (UTC+0). The entire country, including cities like Bobo-Dioulasso, Koudougou, and Ouahigouya, observes the same time.
- I'm traveling from Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire, do I need to change my watch?
- No adjustment needed. Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire also observe GMT (UTC+0), so you won't need to change your watch when crossing into or out of Burkina Faso from those neighbors.
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