Current local time in Cairns, Australia
The live clock above shows the time in Cairns. Cairns is in the Australia/Brisbane time zone, UTC+10 right now (AEST).
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Region | Queensland |
| Population | about 132,000 |
| Coordinates | 16.89° S, 145.76° E |
| Time zone | Australia/Brisbane |
| Abbreviation | AEST |
| UTC offset | UTC+10 |
| Daylight saving time | No |
Daylight saving time
Cairns doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC+10 (AEST) all year.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 6:20 AM | 6:28 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| June solstice | 6:44 AM | 5:52 PM | 11 h 7 min |
| September equinox | 6:07 AM | 6:12 PM | 12 h 5 min |
| December solstice | 5:40 AM | 6:48 PM | 13 h 8 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Cairns at about 12:25 PM in mid-January. On standard time, local clocks run about 17 minutes ahead of the sun, because Cairns sits at 145.8° E, while its time zone is centred on 150.0° E.
Cairns time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Cairns |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 15 hours behind in Jan, 14 hours behind in Jul | |
| Los Angeles | 18 hours behind in Jan, 17 hours behind in Jul | |
| London | 10 hours behind in Jan, 9 hours behind in Jul | |
| Paris | 9 hours behind in Jan, 8 hours behind in Jul | |
| Dubai | 6 hours behind | |
| Mumbai | 4.5 hours behind | |
| Shanghai | 2 hours behind | |
| Tokyo | 1 hour behind | |
| Sydney | 1 hour ahead in Jan, same time in Jul |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Cairns |
|---|---|---|
| Townsville | 283 km (176 mi) | same time |
| Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea | 840 km (522 mi) | same time |
| Lae, Papua New Guinea | 1,137 km (707 mi) | same time |
| Brisbane | 1,392 km (865 mi) | same time |
| Gold Coast | 1,473 km (915 mi) | same time |
| Jayapura, Indonesia | 1,689 km (1,050 mi) | 1 hour behind |
| Newcastle | 1,875 km (1,165 mi) | 1 hour ahead |
| Sydney | 1,970 km (1,224 mi) | 1 hour ahead |
Other cities in Australia
- Sydney
- Melbourne
- Brisbane
- Perth
- Adelaide
- Newcastle
- Gold Coast
- Canberra
- Cranbourne
- Wollongong
- Geelong
- Townsville
Questions people ask
What time zone is Cairns in?
Cairns is in the Australia/Brisbane time zone, UTC+10, all year.
Does Cairns have daylight saving time?
Cairns doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC+10 (AEST) all year.
Why isn't noon in Cairns when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Cairns's clocks follow a zone centred on 150.0° E, so on standard time they run about 17 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).