Which country has the most time zones?
Quick answer
France has the most time zones of any country: 12, or 13 if you include its claim in Antarctica. That’s because of its overseas territories, spread from the Caribbean to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Mainland France itself uses just one time zone.
Countries with the most time zones
| Country | Time zones | Why |
|---|---|---|
| France | 12 (13 with Antarctica) | Overseas territories worldwide |
| United States | 11 | Including territories such as Guam and American Samoa |
| Russia | 11 | All on one continuous landmass |
| United Kingdom | 9 | Overseas territories, from Gibraltar to the Falklands |
| Australia | 9 | Including external territories |
Russia has the most time zones on one landmass, stretching from Kaliningrad near Poland to Kamchatka near Alaska.
Where France’s time zones are
French territories include French Polynesia (Tahiti), New Caledonia, Réunion, French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Mayotte, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and Wallis and Futuna. Read about one of them: what language is spoken in New Caledonia.
China: one big country, one time zone
China spans about five geographic time zones, but since 1949 the whole country has officially used Beijing time (UTC+8). In far-western Xinjiang, that means the sun can rise as late as 10 a.m. in winter, and many locals unofficially use their own “Xinjiang time,” two hours behind.
How many time zones are there?
Earth is divided into 24 one-hour zones in theory, but because some places use 30- or 45-minute offsets, like India (UTC+5:30) and Nepal (UTC+5:45), there are actually about 38 local times in use.
Want to check the time somewhere right now? Try what time it is in India or what time zone you’re in.
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