South America time zones and current time
South America lies further east than many people expect: most of it is east of New York, so much of the continent is ahead of US Eastern time. Times run from UTC−5 in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to UTC−3 in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil's big cities, with UTC−6 on the Galápagos and Easter Island and UTC−2 on Brazil's Atlantic islands.
Chile is the only mainland country that still changes its clocks, moving forward in September and back in April because the seasons are reversed. Brazil stopped daylight saving time in 2019, and Paraguay moved to permanent UTC−3 in 2024.
Current time in every country in South America
15 countries and territories. The time shown is in each capital; for countries with several zones, open the country for the rest.
| Country | Capital | Time zone | Clocks change? | Time in capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | UTC−3 | No | — |
| Bolivia | Sucre | UTC−4 | No | — |
| Brazil | Brasília | UTC−5 to UTC−2 (4 zones) | No | — |
| Chile | Santiago | UTC−6 to UTC−3 (2 zones) | Yes | — |
| Colombia | Bogotá | UTC−5 | No | — |
| Ecuador | Quito | UTC−6 to UTC−5 (2 zones) | No | — |
| Falkland Islands | Stanley | UTC−3 | No | — |
| French Guiana | Cayenne | UTC−3 | No | — |
| Guyana | Georgetown | UTC−4 | No | — |
| Paraguay | Asunción | UTC−3 | No | — |
| Peru | Lima | UTC−5 | No | — |
| South Georgia | King Edward Point | UTC−2 | No | — |
| Suriname | Paramaribo | UTC−3 | No | — |
| Uruguay | Montevideo | UTC−3 | No | — |
| Venezuela | Caracas | UTC−4 | No | — |
Other continents: Africa · Asia · Europe · North America · Oceania · Antarctica
Questions people ask
How many time zones are in South America?
The countries and territories in South America use 5 different UTC offsets in winter (UTC−6 to UTC−2), counting every zone in large countries.
Which countries in South America change their clocks?
Chile. The rest keep the same time all year.