Time zone

UTC

Coordinated Universal Time

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) serves as the world's primary time standard, forming the backbone of global timekeeping. It offers a stable, unchanging reference point that never observes daylight saving, making it the most reliable timezone for international coordination.

UTC+00:00 standard1 IANA zone
Current time in UTC☾ Night
20:01:38

Friday, June 5, 2026

☾ NIGHT 06:00noon18:00
Standard
UTC · +0
IANA zones
1

Current offset

UTC+00:00

Standard · UTC

Daylight saving

Not observed

Year-round standard time

IANA zones

1

None observe daylight saving

DST offset

No summer variant

About UTC

A fixed, year-round offset.

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) serves as the world's primary time standard, forming the backbone of global timekeeping. It offers a stable, unchanging reference point that never observes daylight saving, making it the most reliable timezone for international coordination.

IANA zones · the technical identifiers

The zone that resolve to UTC.

For software, always store the IANA identifier — never the abbreviation alone. The database keeps these zones distinct because their rules can, and historically did, diverge.

IANA zonePrimary cityDST
UTCUTC— None

Same offset · UTC+00:00

Other zones at UTC+00:00 right now.

These named zones share UTC's offset today. When daylight saving rules differ, they drift apart for part of the year.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about UTC, daylight saving, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].

Why doesn't UTC observe daylight saving time?
UTC is a fixed time standard based on International Atomic Time, deliberately kept consistent to serve as an anchor for all other timezones worldwide.
How is UTC used globally?
UTC serves as the reference point for all global timezones, used extensively in aviation, military operations, scientific research, and international trade to ensure precise synchronization across borders.
What makes UTC unique compared to other timezones?
UTC stands alone as a fixed standard without member countries or territories—it is a pure time coordination tool rather than a geographic timezone tied to any single nation.
How does UTC relate to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)?
UTC is the modern successor to Greenwich Mean Time, maintaining the same offset (UTC+00:00) but now defined by atomic clocks rather than astronomical observations.

Free · Developer API

Time, as JSON.

Every IANA time zone with live offsets, DST status, and the countries and cities that use them — clean, dependable JSON. Sign up free and get an API key in seconds.

GET /v1/timezones Live

countries, cities, convert, DST transitions coming next.

Get your free API key →
// France's time zones, right now
GET /v1/timezones?country=fr
{
"data": [
{
"iana": "Europe/Paris",
"display_name": "Paris",
"current": {
"utc_offset": "+02:00",
"abbreviation": "CEST",
"is_dst": true
}
}
]
}