Time Zone History

Auckland time zone history

Auckland left local mean time (UTC+11:39:04) in 1868, tied seventh-earliest switch among the 298 zones with local mean time in the record. On standard time, clocks in Auckland run 21 minutes ahead of local mean solar time.

UTC+12

Standard time is UTC+12 (NZDT/NZST); clocks go forward to UTC+13 on the last Sunday in September and back on the first Sunday in April.

Covers: New Zealand (most areas) · tz database name Pacific/Auckland

Convert a time from Auckland

Summer time in 53 of 57 years since 1970

UTC+11:30, UTC+11:39:04: behind today’s standard timeUTC+12: today’s standard timeUTC+12:30: 30 minutes ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+13: 1 hour ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+11:30, UTC+11:39:04: behindtoday’s standard timeUTC+12: today’s standard timeUTC+12:30: 30 minutes ahead oftoday’s standard timeUTC+13: 1 hour ahead of today’sstandard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

186018801900192019401960186019001940
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
November 2, 1868Local mean time (UTC+11:39:04) replacedUTC+11:30NZMT
January 1, 1946Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not moveUTC+12NZST

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1927November 6not that year1 hour, NZMT to NZST
1928October 14March 41 hour, NZMT to NZST
1929–1933second Sunday in October, 02:00third Sunday in March, 02:0030 minutes, NZMT to NZST
1934–1940last Sunday in September, 02:00last Sunday in April, 02:0030 minutes, NZMT to NZST
Since 1970
1974November 3not that year1 hour, NZST to NZDT
1975October 26February 231 hour, NZST to NZDT
1976–1988last Sunday in October, 02:00first Sunday in March, 03:001 hour, NZST to NZDT
1989October 8March 51 hour, NZST to NZDT
1990–2006first Sunday in October, 02:00third Sunday in March, 03:001 hour, NZST to NZDT
2007September 30March 181 hour, NZST to NZDT
2008–2037last Sunday in September, 02:00first Sunday in April, 03:001 hour, NZST to NZDT

Clock changes in 2026, 2027 and 2028

The clocks go forward 1 hour (NZST to NZDT) on September 27, 2026, September 26, 2027 and September 24, 2028 at 02:00 and back 1 hour (NZDT to NZST) on April 5, 2026, April 4, 2027 and April 2, 2028 at 03:00, local time.

Also on UTC+12

Fiji, Nauru, Tarawa (Kiribati), Marshall Islands, Kamchatka (Russia) and Anadyr (Russia).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Norfolk Island (1,075 km): usually 30 minutes behind; different on 10,400 days in 1974–2026; 1 hour behind today.
  • Chatham Islands (1,076 km): always 45 minutes ahead.
  • Lord Howe Island (Australia) (1,556 km): usually 2 hours behind; different on 11,090 days in 1974–2026; 1 hour 30 minutes behind today.
  • New Caledonia (1,810 km): usually 1 hour behind; different on 8,304 days in 1974–2026.
  • Tonga (2,000 km): usually 1 hour ahead; different on 8,164 days in 1974–2026.

How it compares

Under the current rules, summer time lasts 190 days in 2027, tied second-longest among the 11 zones in Oceania with summer time.

Clocks have been changed 105 times since 1970, the most of the 7 zones on UTC+12 standard time.

Standard time has stayed at UTC+12 since 1946.