Time Zone History

São Paulo time zone history

Daylight saving time was used in 35 years since 1970, last in 2019; under the current rules the clocks no longer change. Clocks have been changed 68 times since 1970, tied for the most among the 16 zones in Brazil.

UTC−3

Standard time is UTC−3 all year under the current rules.

Covers: Goiás, Federal District, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul · tz database name America/Sao_Paulo

Convert a time from São Paulo

Summer time in 35 of 57 years since 1970

UTC−3:06:28: 6 minutes behind today’s standard timeUTC−3: today’s standard timeUTC−2: 1 hour ahead of today’s standard timeUTC−3:06:28: 6 minutes behindtoday’s standard timeUTC−3: today’s standard timeUTC−2: 1 hour ahead of today’sstandard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

19101920193019401950196019701910192019301940195019601970
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
January 1, 1914Local mean time (UTC−3:06:28) replacedUTC−3numeric only

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1931October 3not that year1 hour
1932October 3April 11 hour
1933not that yearApril 11 hour
1949December 1not that year1 hour
1950December 1April 161 hour
1951–19521 December, 00:001 April, 00:001 hour
1953not that yearMarch 11 hour
1963October 23not that year1 hour
1964not that yearMarch 11 hour
1965January 31, December 1April 11 hour
1966–19671 November, 00:001 March, 01:001 hour
1968not that yearMarch 11 hour
Since 1970
1985November 2not that year1 hour
1986October 25March 151 hour
1987October 25February 141 hour
1988October 16February 71 hour
1989October 15January 291 hour
1990October 21February 111 hour
1991October 20February 171 hour
1992October 25February 91 hour
1993October 17January 311 hour
1994–1995third Sunday in October, 00:00third Sunday in February, 00:001 hour
1996October 6February 111 hour
1997October 6February 161 hour
1998October 11March 11 hour
1999October 3February 211 hour
2000October 8February 271 hour
2001October 14February 181 hour
2002November 3February 171 hour
2003October 19February 161 hour
2004November 2February 151 hour
2005October 16February 201 hour
2006November 5February 191 hour
2007October 14February 251 hour
2008–2011third Sunday in October, 00:00third Sunday in February, 00:001 hour
2012October 21February 261 hour
2013–2014third Sunday in October, 00:00third Sunday in February, 00:001 hour
2015October 18February 221 hour
2016–2017third Sunday in October, 00:00third Sunday in February, 00:001 hour
2018November 4February 181 hour
2019not that yearFebruary 171 hour

Also on UTC−3

Paraguay, Bahia (Brazil), Uruguay, Buenos Aires (Argentina), Araguaína (Brazil), Jujuy (Argentina), Tucumán (Argentina), Salta (Argentina), Maceió (Brazil) and Cordoba (Argentina) (nearest first; 19 more on the list of offsets).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Campo Grande (893 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 3 days in 1985–2019.
  • Paraguay (1,135 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 5,523 days in 1972–2026; same time today.
  • Cuiabá (1,328 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 122 days in 1985–2019.
  • Bahia (1,451 km): same time except 1,810 days in 2003–2019.
  • Uruguay (1,569 km): same time except 3,852 days in 1970, 1972, 1974–1980 and 1985–2019.

How it compares

Standard time has stayed at UTC−3 since 1914.

On standard time, clocks in São Paulo run 6 minutes ahead of local mean solar time.