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How Many Time Zones Are There?
24 in theory — but about 38 different local times are used around the world.
Counted live from the time zone database in your browser.
The short answer
The Earth is split into 24 hourly time zones of 15° each, but countries draw their own borders and some use half- or quarter-hour offsets. In practice there are about 38 distinct UTC offsets in use, from UTC−12 to UTC+14. The exact number moves by a few when places start or end daylight saving. The live count above checks every zone in your browser's IANA database.
Time zone facts
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Standard hourly zones (theory) | 24, each 15° of longitude wide |
| Distinct UTC offsets in use | About 38 (varies with daylight saving) |
| Range of offsets | UTC−12 to UTC+14 — a 26-hour spread |
| Unusual offsets | :30 (India, Iran, Newfoundland, central Australia) and :45 (Nepal, Chatham Islands) |
| Country with the most zones | France, 12 (thanks to overseas territories) |
| Russia | 11 zones |
| United States | 6 across the 50 states; 9 including inhabited territories; 11 counting uninhabited islands |
| China | 1 zone (UTC+8) despite spanning roughly 5 hours of longitude |
| India | 1 zone (UTC+5:30) |
| First to reach a new day | Line Islands, Kiribati (UTC+14) |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the most time zones?
France, with 12, because of overseas territories such as French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Réunion. Russia has 11 and the United States 11 if uninhabited islands are counted.
How many time zones does the US have?
Six cover the 50 states (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii-Aleutian). Territories add Atlantic, Samoa, and Chamorro time, for 9 in use, and 11 counting uninhabited islands.
Why does China have only one time zone?
China has used Beijing Time (UTC+8) nationwide since 1949, even though the country is wide enough for about five hourly zones.
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