Current local time in Chennai, India
The live clock above shows the time in Chennai. Chennai is in the Asia/Kolkata time zone, UTC+5:30 right now (IST).
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| Region | Tamil Nadu |
| Population | about 5.7 million |
| Coordinates | 13.09° N, 80.28° E |
| Time zone | Asia/Kolkata |
| Abbreviation | IST |
| UTC offset | UTC+5:30 |
| Daylight saving time | No |
Daylight saving time
Chennai doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC+5:30 (IST) all year.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 6:13 AM | 6:19 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| June solstice | 5:43 AM | 6:37 PM | 12 h 53 min |
| September equinox | 5:57 AM | 6:05 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| December solstice | 6:26 AM | 5:47 PM | 11 h 21 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Chennai at about 12:17 PM in mid-January. On standard time, local clocks run about 9 minutes ahead of the sun, because Chennai sits at 80.3° E, while its time zone is centred on 82.5° E.
Chennai time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Chennai |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 10.5 hours behind in Jan, 9.5 hours behind in Jul | |
| Los Angeles | 13.5 hours behind in Jan, 12.5 hours behind in Jul | |
| London | 5.5 hours behind in Jan, 4.5 hours behind in Jul | |
| Paris | 4.5 hours behind in Jan, 3.5 hours behind in Jul | |
| Dubai | 1.5 hours behind | |
| Shanghai | 2.5 hours ahead | |
| Tokyo | 3.5 hours ahead | |
| Sydney | 5.5 hours ahead in Jan, 4.5 hours ahead in Jul |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Chennai |
|---|---|---|
| Kanchipuram | 67 km (42 mi) | same time |
| Tirupati | 112 km (70 mi) | same time |
| Vellore | 124 km (77 mi) | same time |
| Pondicherry | 137 km (85 mi) | same time |
| Nellore | 153 km (95 mi) | same time |
| Tiruvannamalai | 158 km (98 mi) | same time |
| Cuddalore | 162 km (101 mi) | same time |
| Kolar | 233 km (144 mi) | same time |
Other cities in India
- Mumbai
- Delhi
- Kolkata
- Bangalore
- Hyderabad
- Ahmedabad
- Pune
- Surat
- Kanpur
- Haora
- Jaipur
- Lucknow
- Nagpur
- Indore
- Patna
- Bhopal
- Ludhiana
- Vadodara
Questions people ask
What time zone is Chennai in?
Chennai is in the Asia/Kolkata time zone, UTC+5:30, all year.
Does Chennai have daylight saving time?
Chennai doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC+5:30 (IST) all year.
Why isn't noon in Chennai when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Chennai's clocks follow a zone centred on 82.5° E, so on standard time they run about 9 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).