Time in Christchurch, New Zealand 🇳🇿
The current local time in Christchurch, New Zealand is shown below — the city is in the Pacific/Auckland time zone (UTC +13:00 · NZDT).
Christchurch local time
Friday, 23 October 2026 NZDT
Christchurch at a glance
- Time zone
Pacific/Auckland· New Zealand Standard Time- UTC offset now
- +13:00 NZDT
- Daylight saving
- Yes · UTC +12:00 / +13:00
- Coordinates
- 43.53° S, 172.64° E
- Population
- 380,600
- Country
- New Zealand · ISO NZ
- Dialing code
- +64
- Currency
- New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
- Work week
- Monday to Friday
- Drives on the
- Left
Christchurch right now
Time difference
Christchurch is shown here relative to your device's time zone.
Planning a call? Compare hours side by side in the time zone converter.
Upcoming public holidays
- Labour Day Mon, Oct 26, 2026
- Christmas Day Fri, Dec 25, 2026
- Boxing Day Sat, Dec 26, 2026
- Boxing Day (substitute day) Mon, Dec 28, 2026
Sun today
Sunrise 06:26 · Sunset 20:03
Day length 13h 36m · twilight and monthly table →
Christchurch time vs. UTC
A 09:00–17:00 working day in Christchurch doesn't overlap with 09:00–17:00 UTC. Open this page in your browser and the second row switches to your own time zone.
| Christchurch | 00:00 | 01:00 | 02:00 | 03:00 | 04:00 | 05:00 | 06:00 | 07:00 | 08:00 | 09:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | 12:00 | 13:00 | 14:00 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 20:00 | 21:00 | 22:00 | 23:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | 11:00 | 12:00 | 13:00 | 14:00 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 | 20:00 | 21:00 | 22:00 | 23:00 | 00:00 | 01:00 | 02:00 | 03:00 | 04:00 | 05:00 | 06:00 | 07:00 | 08:00 | 09:00 | 10:00 |
- Office hours 09–17
- Awake, off work
- Night 22–07
Christchurch vs. major cities
How far Christchurch is from the world's main business centres right now, what time it is there when the working day starts in Christchurch, and which hours of a 09:00–17:00 day the two places share. Daylight saving changes are applied automatically.
| City | Difference | At 09:00 in Christchurch | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York · United States | −17 h | 16:00 (prev. day) | 09:00–10:00 |
| Los Angeles · United States | −20 h | 13:00 (prev. day) | 09:00–13:00 |
| São Paulo · Brazil | −16 h | 17:00 (prev. day) | None |
| London · United Kingdom | −12 h | 21:00 (prev. day) | None |
| Paris · France | −11 h | 22:00 (prev. day) | None |
| Johannesburg · South Africa | −11 h | 22:00 (prev. day) | None |
| Dubai · United Arab Emirates | −9 h | 00:00 | None |
| Delhi · India | −7:30 h | 01:30 | 16:30–17:00 |
| Singapore · Singapore | −5 h | 04:00 | 14:00–17:00 |
| Beijing · China | −5 h | 04:00 | 14:00–17:00 |
Shared office hours are shown in Christchurch time. Compare any set of cities hour by hour in the time zone converter, or pick a slot that suits everyone with the event planner.
Cities near Christchurch
The closest places to Christchurch among the cities we track, measured in a straight line from the city centre. Some of them keep a different clock, so check the time difference before crossing a border or booking a call.
| City | Distance | Time difference |
|---|---|---|
| Wellington | 310 km (190 mi) northeast | Same time |
| Auckland | 760 km (480 mi) north | Same time |
| Sydney · Australia | 2,140 km (1,330 mi) northwest | −2 h |
| Canberra · Australia | 2,210 km (1,370 mi) west | −2 h |
| Melbourne · Australia | 2,410 km (1,500 mi) west | −2 h |
| Brisbane · Australia | 2,510 km (1,560 mi) northwest | −3 h / −2 h |
| Adelaide · Australia | 3,060 km (1,900 mi) west | −2:30 h |
| Perth · Australia | 5,050 km (3,140 mi) west | −5 h / −4 h |
Distances are great-circle distances. A plus sign means the other city is ahead of Christchurch.
Clock time vs. sun time in Christchurch
Christchurch's standard offset, UTC +12:00, is based on the 180° E meridian; the city itself lies at 172.64° E, 7.4° west of it. In standard time its clocks run about 29 min ahead of the sun, and 1 h 29 min ahead during daylight saving time. Solar noon — when the sun is highest — falls between 12:23 (around 24 September) and 13:45 (around 12 February) on the clock. Mornings stay dark later and evenings stay light longer than the clock suggests.
How dates and times are written in Christchurch
- Short date
- 22/10/2026 · DD/MM/YYYY
- Long date
- 22 October 2026
- Time
- 3:30 pm · 12-hour clock
- Week starts on
- Monday
Examples show 22 October 2026 at 15:30 using the Unicode CLDR conventions for en-NZ, New Zealand's most common locale. Businesses and English-language sources may use other formats.
Clock changes in Christchurch
Since 1970, Christchurch has gone through 3 distinct time-keeping periods, observing daylight saving time in 52 of 57 years. The current pattern, in place since 1975, is UTC +12:00 with UTC +13:00 in daylight saving time. Clocks currently go forward on the last Sunday in September and back on the first Sunday in April, a rule in place since 2008.
| Date | Change | Local clock | New offset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 5 April 2026 | Back 1 hour | 03:00 → 02:00 | UTC +12:00 |
| Sunday, 27 September 2026 | Forward 1 hour | 02:00 → 03:00 | UTC +13:00 |
| Sunday, 4 April 2027 | Back 1 hour | 03:00 → 02:00 | UTC +12:00 |
| Sunday, 26 September 2027 | Forward 1 hour | 02:00 → 03:00 | UTC +13:00 |
When clocks go forward, sunrise and sunset both happen an hour later by the clock — darker mornings, lighter evenings — and the night of the change is an hour shorter. When they go back, the reverse applies.
Time zone history since 1970 (3 periods)
| Years | Offset | Daylight saving |
|---|---|---|
| 1970–1973 | UTC +12:00 all year | No daylight saving time |
| 1974 | UTC +13:00 all year | No daylight saving time |
| 1975–2026 | UTC +12:00, DST UTC +13:00 | Forward on the last Sunday in September, back on the first Sunday in April (since 2008) |
Source: IANA tz database, as shipped with the Unicode ICU library.
Daylight in Christchurch through the year
The longest day in Christchurch is 22 December with 15h 26m of daylight; the shortest is 22 June with 8h 56m. Day length swings by 6 h 29 min over the year, with the long days falling in the southern summer (December–January). The earliest sunrise is at 05:43 on 6 December and the latest sunset at 21:14 on 1 January — not on the solstice itself, because solar noon drifts through the year.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Christchurch in?
Christchurch uses the Pacific/Auckland time zone (NZST / NZDT): UTC +12:00 in standard time and UTC +13:00 during daylight saving time.
Does Christchurch observe daylight saving time?
Yes. In 2026 clocks in Christchurch go back on Sunday, 5 April 2026 at 03:00 and forward on Sunday, 27 September 2026 at 02:00.
When is the longest day of the year in Christchurch?
Around 22 December, with 15h 26m of daylight. The shortest day is around 22 June, with 8h 56m.
What is the dialing code for Christchurch?
To call Christchurch from abroad, dial your international access code, then New Zealand's country code +64, then the local number without its leading trunk prefix.
What are normal working days in Christchurch?
The standard work week in New Zealand runs Monday to Friday, with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Keep this in mind when scheduling calls from countries with a different weekend.
Why is sunset so late in Christchurch?
Christchurch lies at 172.64° E, 7.4° west of the 180° E meridian its UTC +12:00 offset is based on, so its clocks run about 29 min ahead of the sun in standard time and 1 h 29 min ahead in daylight saving time. Solar noon falls between 12:23 and 13:45 through the year instead of around 12:00, and the latest sunset is at 21:14 on 1 January.
What is the nearest city to Christchurch on a different time?
Of the 189 cities we track, the closest one keeping a different clock is Sydney, Australia, about 2,140 km (1,330 mi) to the northwest. It is 2 h behind Christchurch.
How are dates and times written in Christchurch?
Following the en-NZ conventions in the Unicode CLDR, a short date is written DD/MM/YYYY (22/10/2026) and times usually use the 12-hour clock (3:30 pm). Calendars start the week on Monday.
Explore more for Christchurch
Everything else we track for Christchurch: daylight, weather, the country overview, and the exact time-zone references.