How far apart in time is that?
The world spans 26 hours of time zones, not 24, because two islands sit on either side of the date line.
Almost exactly London to New York
5 h is further than 2 of the 8 references on this page.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| London to Paris | 1 h | 5× | |
| London to Moscow | 3 h | 1.67× | |
| London to New York | 5 h | 1× | |
| London to Delhi | 5.5 h | 0.909× | A half-hour offset |
| London to Kathmandu | 5.75 h | 0.87× | A 45-minute offset |
| London to Tokyo | 9 h | 0.556× | |
| London to Auckland | 12 h | 0.417× | |
| the full span of the world | 26 h | 0.192× | UTC−12 to UTC+14 |
Worth knowing
- The world spans 26 hours of offsets, from UTC−12 to UTC+14, so at some moments three different calendar dates are in use at once.
- China spans five geographic time zones and uses one, so the sun rises at 10 am in the far west of the country.
Frequently asked
How many time zones are there?
38 in current use, including offsets of 30 and 45 minutes. The neat 24-zone picture has never actually been true.
Why does Nepal use a 45-minute offset?
It sets its clocks by the Gauri Shankar mountain, giving UTC+5:45. Chatham Islands and parts of Australia use similar quarter-hour offsets.