Time Zone History

France time zone history

On standard time, clocks in Paris run 51 minutes ahead of local mean solar time. Local mean time, UTC+0:09:21, ended in 1891.

UTC+1

Standard time is UTC+1 (CEST/CET); clocks go forward to UTC+2 on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.

tz database name Europe/Paris

Convert a time from France

Summer time in 51 of 57 years since 1970

UTC+0, UTC+0:09:21: behind today’s standard timeUTC+1: today’s standard timeUTC+2: 1 hour ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+0, UTC+0:09:21: behind today’sstandard timeUTC+1: today’s standard timeUTC+2: 1 hour ahead of today’sstandard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

18801900192019401960188019201960
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
March 16, 1891Local mean time (UTC+0:09:21) replacedUTC+0:09:21PMT
March 11, 1911Standard time back 9 minutesUTC+0WET
June 14, 1940Standard time forward 1 hourUTC+1CET
August 25, 1944Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not moveUTC+0WEMT
September 16, 1945Standard time forward 1 hourUTC+1CET

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1916June 14October 21 hour, WET to WEST
1917March 24October 81 hour, WET to WEST
1918March 9October 71 hour, WET to WEST
1919March 1October 61 hour, WET to WEST
1920February 14October 241 hour, WET to WEST
1921March 14October 261 hour, WET to WEST
1922March 25October 81 hour, WET to WEST
1923May 26October 71 hour, WET to WEST
1924March 29October 51 hour, WET to WEST
1925April 4October 41 hour, WET to WEST
1926April 17October 31 hour, WET to WEST
1927–1928second Saturday in April, 23:00first Sunday in October, 00:001 hour, WET to WEST
1929April 20October 61 hour, WET to WEST
1930April 12October 51 hour, WET to WEST
1931April 18October 41 hour, WET to WEST
1932April 2October 21 hour, WET to WEST
1933March 25October 81 hour, WET to WEST
1934April 7October 71 hour, WET to WEST
1935March 30October 61 hour, WET to WEST
1936April 18October 41 hour, WET to WEST
1937April 3October 31 hour, WET to WEST
1938March 26October 21 hour, WET to WEST
1939April 15November 191 hour, WET to WEST
1940February 25not that year1 hour, WET to WEST
1942not that yearNovember 21 hour
1943March 29October 41 hour, CET to CEST
1944April 3October 81 hour, CET to CEST
1945April 2not that year1 hour, WEST to WEMT
Since 1970
1976March 28September 261 hour, CET to CEST
1977April 3September 251 hour, CET to CEST
1978April 2October 11 hour, CET to CEST
1979–1980first Sunday in April, 02:00last Sunday in September, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST
1981–1995last Sunday in March, 02:00last Sunday in September, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST
1996–2037last Sunday in March, 02:00last Sunday in October, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST

Clock changes in 2026, 2027 and 2028

The clocks go forward 1 hour (CET to CEST) on March 29, 2026, March 28, 2027 and March 26, 2028 at 02:00 and back 1 hour (CEST to CET) on October 25, 2026, October 31, 2027 and October 29, 2028 at 03:00, local time.

Also on UTC+1

Belgium, Switzerland, Andorra, Ireland, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Madrid (Spain), Italy and Hungary (nearest first; 10 more on the list of offsets).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Belgium (261 km): same time except 182 days in 1976.
  • United Kingdom (342 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 2,201 days in 1970–1995.
  • Switzerland (489 km): same time except 896 days in 1976–1980.
  • Andorra (711 km): same time except 1,631 days in 1976–1984.
  • Ireland (777 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 2,201 days in 1970–1995; same time today.

How it compares

Standard time has stayed at UTC+1 since 1945.