Spain time zone history
Spain has 3 zones of its own in the tz database. Standard times run from UTC+0 (the Canary Islands) to UTC+1 (Madrid), a spread of 1 hour. All 3 zones change clocks for summer time under the current rules.
The 3 zones of Spain since 1970
Zones at a glance
| Zone | Area covered | Standard time | Clock changes today | New standard times since 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceuta | Ceuta and Melilla | UTC+1 | yes | 1 |
| Madrid | Mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands | UTC+1 | yes | 0 |
| Canary Islands | Canary Islands | UTC+0 | yes | 0 |
What sets each zone apart
- Ceuta: On standard time, clocks at Ceuta run 1 hour 21 minutes ahead of local mean solar time, the largest gap of the 13 zones in Africa whose clocks run ahead of the sun.
- Madrid: On standard time, clocks at Madrid run 1 hour 15 minutes ahead of local mean solar time, the third-largest gap of the 31 zones in Europe whose clocks run ahead of the sun.
- Canary Islands: On standard time, clocks at the Canary Islands run 1 hour 2 minutes ahead of local mean solar time, the second-largest gap of the 8 zones on Atlantic islands. The Canary Islands kept local mean time (UTC−1:01:36) until 1922, the latest switch of the 8 zones on Atlantic islands.
How the zones compare with Madrid since 1970
- Ceuta: same time as Madrid except 5,556 days in 1970–1985.
- Canary Islands: usually 1 hour behind Madrid; different on 1,071 days in 1974–1980.
Every change of standard time since 1970
1 change across the 3 zones, oldest first.
- March 16, 1984 Ceuta: UTC+0 to UTC+1
Clock changes in 2026, 2027 and 2028
March 29, 2026 (forward 1 hour); October 25, 2026 (back 1 hour); March 28, 2027 (forward 1 hour); October 31, 2027 (back 1 hour); March 26, 2028 (forward 1 hour); October 29, 2028 (back 1 hour)
March 29, 2026 (forward 1 hour); October 25, 2026 (back 1 hour); March 28, 2027 (forward 1 hour); October 31, 2027 (back 1 hour); March 26, 2028 (forward 1 hour); October 29, 2028 (back 1 hour)