TimeSync Now
← Back to Articles

Popular Time Zone Conversions: A Complete Guide

•8 min read

Popular Time Zone Conversions: A Complete Guide

Time zone conversions are essential for anyone who communicates, works, or travels internationally. Understanding the relationship between different time zones can help avoid scheduling mishaps and ensure seamless global coordination.

North America to Europe

EST to GMT/BST (New York to London)

  • EST is 5 hours behind GMT
  • During DST: EDT is 4 hours behind BST
  • Example: 9:00 AM EST = 2:00 PM GMT

PST to CET (San Francisco to Paris)

  • PST is 9 hours behind CET
  • During DST: PDT is 8 hours behind CEST
  • Example: 9:00 AM PST = 6:00 PM CET

CST to CET (Chicago to Berlin)

  • CST is 7 hours behind CET
  • During DST: CDT is 6 hours behind CEST
  • Example: 9:00 AM CST = 4:00 PM CET

North America to Asia

EST to JST (New York to Tokyo)

  • EST is 14 hours behind JST
  • During DST: EDT is 13 hours behind JST
  • Example: 9:00 AM EST = 11:00 PM JST

PST to CST (San Francisco to Beijing)

  • PST is 16 hours behind CST (China)
  • During DST: PDT is 15 hours behind CST
  • Example: 9:00 AM PST = 1:00 AM CST (next day)

EST to IST (New York to Mumbai)

  • EST is 10.5 hours behind IST
  • During DST: EDT is 9.5 hours behind IST
  • Example: 9:00 AM EST = 7:30 PM IST

Europe to Asia

GMT to JST (London to Tokyo)

  • GMT is 9 hours behind JST
  • During DST: BST is 8 hours behind JST
  • Example: 9:00 AM GMT = 6:00 PM JST

CET to CST (Paris to Beijing)

  • CET is 7 hours behind CST (China)
  • During DST: CEST is 6 hours behind CST
  • Example: 9:00 AM CET = 4:00 PM CST

GMT to IST (London to Mumbai)

  • GMT is 5.5 hours behind IST
  • During DST: BST is 4.5 hours behind IST
  • Example: 9:00 AM GMT = 2:30 PM IST

Asia-Pacific Region

JST to AEST (Tokyo to Sydney)

  • JST is 1 hour behind AEST
  • During AU DST: JST is 2 hours behind AEDT
  • Example: 9:00 AM JST = 10:00 AM AEST

CST to SGT (Beijing to Singapore)

  • CST is in the same time zone as SGT
  • Example: 9:00 AM CST = 9:00 AM SGT

IST to SGT (Mumbai to Singapore)

  • IST is 2.5 hours behind SGT
  • Example: 9:00 AM IST = 11:30 AM SGT

Americas

EST to PST (New York to Los Angeles)

  • EST is 3 hours ahead of PST
  • During DST: EDT is 3 hours ahead of PDT
  • Example: 9:00 AM EST = 6:00 AM PST

EST to BRT (New York to São Paulo)

  • EST is 2 hours behind BRT
  • During US DST: EDT is 1 hour behind BRT
  • Example: 9:00 AM EST = 11:00 AM BRT

PST to ART (Los Angeles to Buenos Aires)

  • PST is 5 hours behind ART
  • During US DST: PDT is 4 hours behind ART
  • Example: 9:00 AM PST = 2:00 PM ART

Business Hour Overlaps

North America and Europe

  • New York and London: ~5 hours overlap
  • San Francisco and Paris: ~2 hours overlap
  • Chicago and Berlin: ~4 hours overlap

North America and Asia

  • New York and Tokyo: Limited overlap (early NY morning/late Tokyo evening)
  • San Francisco and Beijing: Better overlap (late SF day/early Beijing morning)
  • New York and Mumbai: ~4 hours overlap

Europe and Asia

  • London and Tokyo: Limited overlap (early London afternoon/late Tokyo day)
  • Paris and Beijing: Better overlap (early Paris day/late Beijing day)
  • London and Mumbai: Significant overlap (~7 hours)

Best Practices for Common Conversions

Meeting Scheduling

  1. Use World Clock Meeting Planner

    • Input all participant locations
    • Find suitable time slots
    • Consider local business hours

  2. Calendar Invites

    • Always include time zone information
    • Use tools that automatically convert to local time
    • Double-check DST periods

Regular Communication Windows

  1. Team Coordination

    • Establish core overlap hours
    • Create recurring meeting schedules
    • Document time conversion references

  2. Communication Protocol

    • Specify time zones in all communications
    • Use 24-hour format when possible
    • Include date for cross-date line communications

Tools and Resources

Time Zone Converters

  1. Online Tools

    • TimeSync Now (recommended)
    • World Time Buddy
    • Every Time Zone

  2. Mobile Apps

    • World Clock
    • Time Zone Converter Plus
    • Meeting Planner Pro

Calendar Applications

  1. Features to Look For

    • Multiple time zone display
    • Automatic conversion
    • DST awareness

  2. Popular Options

    • Google Calendar
    • Microsoft Outlook
    • Apple Calendar

Special Considerations

Daylight Saving Time

  1. Major DST Periods

    • North America: March-November
    • Europe: March-October
    • Australia: October-April

  2. Non-DST Regions

    • Most of Asia
    • Parts of South America
    • Most of Africa

Unusual Time Zones

  1. 30-Minute Offsets

    • India (UTC+5:30)
    • Sri Lanka (UTC+5:30)
    • Nepal (UTC+5:45)

  2. Political Time Zones

    • China (single time zone)
    • Russia (reduced time zones)
    • Venezuela (UTC-4)

Conclusion

Mastering common time zone conversions is essential for global business and communication. While the calculations can be complex, especially during DST periods, tools like TimeSync Now can help ensure accurate conversions. Remember to:

  1. Always verify critical meeting times
  2. Consider business hours in all locations
  3. Account for DST changes
  4. Use reliable conversion tools
  5. Document common conversions for regular use

With practice and the right tools, managing time zone conversions becomes second nature, enabling more efficient global collaboration.