Current local time in Christchurch, New Zealand
The live clock above shows the time in Christchurch. Christchurch is in the Pacific/Auckland time zone, UTC+13 right now (NZDT).
| Country | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Region | Canterbury |
| Population | about 295,000 |
| Coordinates | 43.53° S, 172.63° E |
| Time zone | Pacific/Auckland |
| Abbreviation | NZST / NZDT |
| UTC offset | UTC+12 (winter) / UTC+13 (summer) |
| Daylight saving time | Yes |
Daylight saving time
Christchurch uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC+12 (NZST) and UTC+13 (NZDT). The next change is on Sunday, April 4, 2027, when clocks go back one hour.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 7:31 AM | 7:43 PM | 12 h 12 min |
| June solstice | 8:02 AM | 4:59 PM | 8 h 56 min |
| September equinox | 6:20 AM | 6:24 PM | 12 h 4 min |
| December solstice | 5:44 AM | 9:10 PM | 15 h 25 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Christchurch at about 1:38 PM in mid-January, and about 12:35 PM in mid-July. On standard time, local clocks run about 29 minutes ahead of the sun, because Christchurch sits at 172.6° E, while its time zone is centred on 180.0° E.
Christchurch time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Christchurch |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 18 hours behind in Jan, 16 hours behind in Jul | |
| Los Angeles | 21 hours behind in Jan, 19 hours behind in Jul | |
| London | 13 hours behind in Jan, 11 hours behind in Jul | |
| Paris | 12 hours behind in Jan, 10 hours behind in Jul | |
| Dubai | 9 hours behind in Jan, 8 hours behind in Jul | |
| Mumbai | 7.5 hours behind in Jan, 6.5 hours behind in Jul | |
| Shanghai | 5 hours behind in Jan, 4 hours behind in Jul | |
| Tokyo | 4 hours behind in Jan, 3 hours behind in Jul | |
| Sydney | 2 hours behind |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Christchurch |
|---|---|---|
| Wellington | 305 km (189 mi) | same time |
| Hamilton | 679 km (422 mi) | same time |
| Manukau | 751 km (467 mi) | same time |
| Auckland | 765 km (475 mi) | same time |
| Takapuna | 772 km (479 mi) | same time |
| Wollongong, Australia | 2,126 km (1,321 mi) | 2 hours behind |
| Sydney, Australia | 2,136 km (1,327 mi) | 2 hours behind |
| Newcastle, Australia | 2,163 km (1,344 mi) | 2 hours behind |
Other cities in New Zealand
Questions people ask
What time zone is Christchurch in?
Christchurch is in the Pacific/Auckland time zone, UTC+12, or UTC+13 during daylight saving time.
Does Christchurch have daylight saving time?
Christchurch uses daylight saving time: clocks switch between UTC+12 (NZST) and UTC+13 (NZDT). The next change is on Sunday, April 4, 2027, when clocks go back one hour.
Why isn't noon in Christchurch when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Christchurch's clocks follow a zone centred on 180.0° E, so on standard time they run about 29 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).