Current local time in Besancon, France
The live clock above shows the time in Besancon. Besancon is in the Europe/Paris time zone, UTC+2 right now (CEST).
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Franche-Comté |
| Population | about 124,000 |
| Coordinates | 47.23° N, 6.03° E |
| Time zone | Europe/Paris |
| Abbreviation | CET / CEST |
| UTC offset | UTC+1 (winter) / UTC+2 (summer) |
| Daylight saving time | Yes |
Daylight saving time
Besancon uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC+1 (CET) and UTC+2 (CEST). The next change is on Sunday, October 25, 2026, when clocks go back one hour.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 6:39 AM | 6:47 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| June solstice | 5:39 AM | 9:35 PM | 15 h 55 min |
| September equinox | 7:22 AM | 7:35 PM | 12 h 13 min |
| December solstice | 8:19 AM | 4:48 PM | 8 h 28 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Besancon at about 12:44 PM in mid-January, and about 1:41 PM in mid-July. On standard time, local clocks run about 36 minutes ahead of the sun, because Besancon sits at 6.0° E, while its time zone is centred on 15.0° E.
Besancon time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Besancon |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 6 hours behind | |
| Los Angeles | 9 hours behind | |
| London | 1 hour behind | |
| Dubai | 3 hours ahead in Jan, 2 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Mumbai | 4.5 hours ahead in Jan, 3.5 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Shanghai | 7 hours ahead in Jan, 6 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Tokyo | 8 hours ahead in Jan, 7 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Sydney | 10 hours ahead in Jan, 8 hours ahead in Jul |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Besancon |
|---|---|---|
| Dijon | 76 km (47 mi) | same time |
| Lausanne, Switzerland | 91 km (57 mi) | same time |
| Geneva, Switzerland | 114 km (71 mi) | same time |
| Bern, Switzerland | 114 km (71 mi) | same time |
| Mulhouse | 115 km (71 mi) | same time |
| Basel, Switzerland | 124 km (77 mi) | same time |
| Nancy | 162 km (101 mi) | same time |
| Freiburg, Germany | 162 km (101 mi) | same time |
Other cities in France
- Paris
- Marseille
- Lyon
- Toulouse
- Lille
- Nice
- Bordeaux
- Nantes
- Strasbourg
- Rouen
- Montpellier
- Grenoble
- Metz
- Toulon
- Saint-Etienne
- Le Havre
- Rennes
- Tours
Questions people ask
What time zone is Besancon in?
Besancon is in the Europe/Paris time zone, UTC+1, or UTC+2 during daylight saving time.
Does Besancon have daylight saving time?
Besancon uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC+1 (CET) and UTC+2 (CEST). The next change is on Sunday, October 25, 2026, when clocks go back one hour.
Why isn't noon in Besancon when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Besancon's clocks follow a zone centred on 15.0° E, so on standard time they run about 36 minutes ahead of the sun. Daylight saving time adds another hour.
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Time zone data: IANA tz database 2026e. Population: Natural Earth (approximate).