Current local time in Kingston, Jamaica
The live clock above shows the time in Kingston. Kingston is in the America/Jamaica time zone, UTC−5 right now (EST).
| Country | Jamaica |
|---|---|
| Region | Kingston |
| Population | about 801,000 |
| Coordinates | 17.98° N, 76.77° W |
| Time zone | America/Jamaica |
| Abbreviation | EST |
| UTC offset | UTC−5 |
| Daylight saving time | No |
Daylight saving time
Kingston doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC−5 (EST) all year.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 6:11 AM | 6:17 PM | 12 h 6 min |
| June solstice | 5:32 AM | 6:45 PM | 13 h 12 min |
| September equinox | 5:55 AM | 6:03 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| December solstice | 6:33 AM | 5:36 PM | 11 h 3 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over Kingston at about 12:16 PM in mid-January. On standard time, local clocks run about 7 minutes ahead of the sun, because Kingston sits at 76.8° W, while its time zone is centred on 75.0° W.
Kingston time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| New York | same time in Jan, 1 hour ahead in Jul | |
| Los Angeles | 3 hours behind in Jan, 2 hours behind in Jul | |
| London | 5 hours ahead in Jan, 6 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Paris | 6 hours ahead in Jan, 7 hours ahead in Jul | |
| Dubai | 9 hours ahead | |
| Mumbai | 10.5 hours ahead | |
| Shanghai | 13 hours ahead | |
| Tokyo | 14 hours ahead | |
| Sydney | 16 hours ahead in Jan, 15 hours ahead in Jul |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish Town | 19 km (12 mi) | same time |
| Montego Bay | 133 km (83 mi) | same time |
| Santiago de Cuba, Cuba | 248 km (154 mi) | 1 hour ahead |
| Manzanillo, Cuba | 266 km (165 mi) | 1 hour ahead |
| Bayamo, Cuba | 267 km (166 mi) | 1 hour ahead |
| Guantanamo, Cuba | 292 km (181 mi) | 1 hour ahead |
| Les Cayes, Haiti | 320 km (199 mi) | 1 hour ahead |
| Holguin, Cuba | 328 km (204 mi) | 1 hour ahead |
Other cities in Jamaica
Questions people ask
What time zone is Kingston in?
Kingston is in the America/Jamaica time zone, UTC−5, all year.
Does Kingston have daylight saving time?
Kingston doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC−5 (EST) all year.
Why isn't noon in Kingston when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. Kingston's clocks follow a zone centred on 75.0° W, so on standard time they run about 7 minutes ahead of the sun. Daylight saving time adds another hour.
Convert a time to or from Kingston · add Kingston to your world clock · search any city
Time zone data: IANA tz database 2026e. Population: Natural Earth (approximate).