Current local time in Cotonou, Benin
The live clock above shows the time in Cotonou. Cotonou is in the Africa/Porto-Novo time zone, UTC+1 right now (WAT).
| Country | Benin |
|---|---|
| Region | Ouémé |
| Population | about 726,000 |
| Coordinates | 6.40° N, 2.52° E |
| Time zone | Africa/Porto-Novo |
| Abbreviation | WAT |
| UTC offset | UTC+1 |
| Daylight saving time | No |
Daylight saving time
Cotonou doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC+1 (WAT) all year.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 6:54 AM | 7:00 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| June solstice | 6:36 AM | 7:06 PM | 12 h 29 min |
| September equinox | 6:39 AM | 6:46 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| December solstice | 6:55 AM | 6:40 PM | 11 h 45 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Cotonou at about 12:58 PM in mid-January. On standard time, local clocks run about 50 minutes ahead of the sun, because Cotonou sits at 2.5° E, while its time zone is centred on 15.0° E.
Cotonou time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Cotonou |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 6 hours behind in Jan, 5 hours behind in Jul | |
| Los Angeles | 9 hours behind in Jan, 8 hours behind in Jul | |
| London | 1 hour behind in Jan, same time in Jul | |
| Paris | same time in Jan, 1 hour ahead in Jul | |
| Dubai | 3 hours ahead | |
| Mumbai | 4.5 hours ahead | |
| Shanghai | 7 hours ahead | |
| Tokyo | 8 hours ahead | |
| Sydney | 10 hours ahead in Jan, 9 hours ahead in Jul |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Cotonou |
|---|---|---|
| Porto-Novo | 14 km (9 mi) | same time |
| Lagos, Nigeria | 96 km (60 mi) | same time |
| Abeokuta, Nigeria | 125 km (77 mi) | same time |
| Lome, Togo | 146 km (91 mi) | 1 hour behind |
| Ijebu Ode, Nigeria | 162 km (100 mi) | same time |
| Ibadan, Nigeria | 190 km (118 mi) | same time |
| Oyo, Nigeria | 224 km (139 mi) | same time |
| Iwo, Nigeria | 229 km (142 mi) | same time |
Other cities in Benin
Questions people ask
What time zone is Cotonou in?
Cotonou is in the Africa/Porto-Novo time zone, UTC+1, all year.
Does Cotonou have daylight saving time?
Cotonou doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC+1 (WAT) all year.
Why isn't noon in Cotonou when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Cotonou's clocks follow a zone centred on 15.0° E, so on standard time they run about 50 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).