Time in Nova Scotia, Canada 🇨🇦
The current local time in Nova Scotia, Canada is anchored on Halifax. The province uses the America/Halifax time zone (UTC -03:00).
Nova Scotia local time
Thursday, 22 October 2026 ADT
Province information
Nova Scotia
Province of Canada
Population: 969,383
Time zone
IANA: America/Halifax
UTC offset: -03:00
Daylight saving: Yes — forward 8 March, back 1 November
Country: Canada
Time difference across Canada
How the clock in Nova Scotia compares with other Canada regions on this site. Where the January and July figures differ, only one side observes daylight saving time.
| Region | Time zone | January | July |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | America/Vancouver | −4 h | −4 h |
| Alberta | America/Edmonton | −3 h | −3 h |
| Manitoba | America/Winnipeg | −2 h | −2 h |
| Ontario | America/Toronto | −1 h | −1 h |
| Québec | America/Toronto | −1 h | −1 h |
Public holidays in Nova Scotia in 2026
12 public holidays apply in Nova Scotia, 1 of them regional (marked below) and not observed across all of Canada.
| Date | Holiday | |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan | New Year's Day | |
| Mon 16 Feb | Heritage Day | Regional |
| Fri 3 Apr | Good Friday | |
| Sun 5 Apr | Easter Sunday | |
| Mon 18 May | Victoria Day | |
| Wed 1 Jul | Canada Day | |
| Mon 3 Aug | Natal Day | |
| Mon 7 Sept | Labour Day | |
| Mon 12 Oct | Thanksgiving | |
| Wed 11 Nov | Remembrance Day | |
| Fri 25 Dec | Christmas Day | |
| Sat 26 Dec | Boxing Day |
Nova Scotia vs. major cities
How far Nova Scotia is from the world's main business centres right now, what time it is there when the working day starts in Nova Scotia, 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 Nova Scotia | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York · United States | −1 h | 08:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Los Angeles · United States | −4 h | 05:00 | 13:00–17:00 |
| São Paulo · Brazil | Same time | 09:00 | 09:00–17:00 |
| London · United Kingdom | +4 h | 13:00 | 09:00–13:00 |
| Paris · France | +5 h | 14:00 | 09:00–12:00 |
| Johannesburg · South Africa | +5 h | 14:00 | 09:00–12:00 |
| Dubai · United Arab Emirates | +7 h | 16:00 | 09:00–10:00 |
| Delhi · India | +8:30 h | 17:30 | None |
| Singapore · Singapore | +11 h | 20:00 | None |
| Beijing · China | +11 h | 20:00 | None |
Shared office hours are shown in Nova Scotia 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.
Clock changes in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has alternated between UTC -04:00 in standard time and UTC -03:00 in daylight saving time since at least 1970. Clocks currently go forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November, a rule in place since 2007.
| Date | Change | Local clock | New offset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 8 March 2026 | Forward 1 hour | 02:00 → 03:00 | UTC -03:00 |
| Sunday, 1 November 2026 | Back 1 hour | 02:00 → 01:00 | UTC -04:00 |
| Sunday, 14 March 2027 | Forward 1 hour | 02:00 → 03:00 | UTC -03:00 |
| Sunday, 7 November 2027 | Back 1 hour | 02:00 → 01:00 | UTC -04:00 |
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.
Source: IANA tz database, as shipped with the Unicode ICU library.
Nova Scotia time questions
- What time zone is Nova Scotia in?
- Nova Scotia uses the America/Halifax time zone: UTC -04:00, -03:00 during DST.
- Does Nova Scotia observe daylight saving time?
- Yes. In 2026 clocks go forward on Sunday, 8 March 2026 at 02:00 and go back on Sunday, 1 November 2026 at 02:00.
- How many public holidays does Nova Scotia have in 2026?
- 12 public holidays apply in Nova Scotia in 2026, including 1 that are not on the national list: Heritage Day (Monday 16 February).
Explore Nova Scotia
More on Nova Scotia: the country overview, the exact IANA zone, and tools for Halifax.