Time in Canada
It is 1:21 PM on September 3, 2026 in Ottawa. Canada spans 6 standard time zones, from UTC-08:00 to UTC-03:30; Ottawa is on summer time, UTC-04:00, right now. Clocks go back to UTC-05:00 on November 1, 2026. Not every region does the same: Saskatoon, Whitehorse, Fort St. John, Swift Current and 5 more stay on standard time all year, while Ottawa changes its clocks.
What time is it in Canada right now?
Which time zones does Canada use?
| Time zone | UTC offset | Daylight saving | Largest city | Cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| America/Toronto also America/Atikokan, America/Iqaluit | UTC-04:00 EDT · standard UTC-05:00 | Varies by region | Toronto | 290 |
| America/Vancouver | UTC-07:00 PDT · standard UTC-08:00 | Observed | Vancouver | 103 |
| America/Edmonton also America/Cambridge_Bay, America/Creston, America/Dawson and 4 more identifiers | UTC-06:00 MDT · standard UTC-07:00 | Varies by region | Calgary | 25 |
| America/Halifax also America/Blanc-Sablon, America/Glace_Bay, America/Goose_Bay, America/Moncton | UTC-03:00 ADT · standard UTC-04:00 | Varies by region | Halifax | 17 |
| America/Winnipeg also America/Rankin_Inlet, America/Regina, America/Resolute, America/Swift_Current | UTC-05:00 CDT · standard UTC-06:00 | Varies by region | Winnipeg | 11 |
| America/St_Johns | UTC-02:30 NDT · standard UTC-03:30 | Observed | St. John's | 5 |
Each row groups the IANA identifiers that share a standard offset. Where a row is marked as varying, the offset printed beside it is the one its largest listed city is on right now; other places in that row follow a different daylight-saving rule and can be an hour away from it.
Zone count and offsets come from the IANA time zone database; the city figures count the 451 cities our database places in a time zone in Canada, and the 292 largest are listed below.
- Capital
- Ottawa
- Dialing code
- +1
- Local time
- UTC-04:00
Does Canada use daylight saving time?
Yes. Ottawa alternates between EST (UTC-05:00) and EDT (UTC-04:00). On November 1, 2026 at 2:00 AM local time, clocks go back one hour to 1:00 AM.
Not every region does the same: Saskatoon, Whitehorse, Fort St. John, Swift Current and 5 more stay on standard time all year, while Ottawa changes its clocks.
When is the best time to call Canada from the US?
Office hours are taken as 09:00 to 17:00 on both sides, and the window is computed to the half hour.
| US office | Window in Ottawa | Same window in the US |
|---|---|---|
| US Eastern (New York) | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| US Pacific (Los Angeles) | 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM |
When does the sun rise and set in Ottawa today?
Major cities in Canada
16 of the 292 largest cities (451 in our database)
Time in Canada: common questions
What is the UTC offset in Canada?
Ottawa is on UTC-04:00 right now (EDT). Standard offsets across Canada run from UTC-08:00 to UTC-03:30, so check the city you actually need.
How many time zones does Canada have?
6. Time zones are counted as distinct standard UTC offsets, from UTC-08:00 to UTC-03:30; the 23 IANA identifiers the database lists for Canada collapse into those 6 zones. Ottawa itself keeps America/Toronto.
When do the clocks change in Canada?
The next change in Ottawa is on November 1, 2026: at 2:00 AM local time the clock goes back one hour to 1:00 AM, and the zone moves to EST (UTC-05:00). The date and the hour come from the IANA time zone database. Not every region does the same: Saskatoon, Whitehorse, Fort St. John, Swift Current and 5 more stay on standard time all year, while Ottawa changes its clocks.
What is the time difference between Canada and the United States?
Ottawa is the same as New York and 3:00 ahead of Los Angeles right now. Both gaps shift whenever one side starts or ends daylight saving time.
Can I reach Canada during US office hours?
Call Ottawa between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM local time to land inside a working day in US Eastern (New York), which is 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM there. Call Ottawa between 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM local time to land inside a working day in US Pacific (Los Angeles), which is 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM there.
What time does the sun rise and set in Ottawa?
Today the sun rises at 6:25 AM and sets at 7:38 PM, local time in Ottawa. Both are computed from the city's own coordinates and its IANA time zone.