Best time to meet across time zones
How to find the best time
- Add each person's city. Your own time zone is already there.
- Set the date: overlaps move when clocks change.
- Look for hours with a line under them: everyone is inside their working day. Green means working hours, amber early or late, dark night.
- Tap an hour to see it in every city, then share it or use Add to calendar.
Typical overlaps (9am–5pm)
| Places | Shared working hours |
|---|---|
| London and New York | New York 5 hours behind: 2pm–5pm London = 9am–12pm New York New York 4 hours behind: 1pm–5pm London = 9am–1pm New York |
| London and Los Angeles | Los Angeles 8 hours behind: none, someone starts early or stays late Los Angeles 7 hours behind: 4pm–5pm London = 9am–10am Los Angeles |
| New York and India | None all year: someone starts early or stays late |
| Paris and New York | New York 6 hours behind: 3pm–5pm Paris = 9am–11am New York New York 5 hours behind: 2pm–5pm Paris = 9am–12pm New York |
| London and Sydney | None all year: someone starts early or stays late |
| Los Angeles and Tokyo | Tokyo 16 hours ahead: none, someone starts early or stays late Tokyo 17 hours ahead: 4pm–5pm Los Angeles = 9am–10am Tokyo |
The overlap moves when one place changes its clocks and the other doesn't, or does so on a different date. The planner shows the exact hours for your date.
Tips
- Always write the time zone, or better, every local time. "3pm" means nothing to a team in three countries.
- Rotate the awkward slot so the same person isn't always on at 7am or 9pm.
- Use the overlap for conversation and do the rest in writing.
Handy for
- Weekly calls for teams spread over two or three continents
- Interviews and client calls with people abroad
- Family video calls across time zones
- Picking a webinar slot that suits most of your audience
Questions
What is the best time for a meeting across time zones?
The hours when everyone is inside their working day. The planner marks those hours with a line; if there are none, pick an early or late hour and rotate who takes it.
Does the planner handle daylight saving?
Yes. Every hour is worked out for the date you pick, using each place's own clock change rules, so the weeks when Europe and North America are out of step are shown correctly.
Are my cities saved?
Your own list is saved in this browser once you change it. The example team on this page is not saved over your list.
More time zone pages
Or open the full Time Zones meeting planner and world clock.