Time Difference Between London and San Francisco
San Francisco is 8h behind London.
This is the standard-time difference as of 2026. If either city observes daylight saving time, the actual difference can shift by up to an hour for part of the year — the live clocks below always show the current real-time difference.
Working Hours Overlap
For each hour of London's working day (9:00-18:00), here is the corresponding local time in San Francisco. Rows highlighted green fall within standard working hours (9:00-18:00) in both cities.
| London | San Francisco | Both working hours? |
|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 1 AM | No |
| 10 AM | 2 AM | No |
| 11 AM | 3 AM | No |
| 12 PM | 4 AM | No |
| 1 PM | 5 AM | No |
| 2 PM | 6 AM | No |
| 3 PM | 7 AM | No |
| 4 PM | 8 AM | No |
| 5 PM | 9 AM | Yes |
| 6 PM | 10 AM | No |
Best Time to Meet
- 5 PM-6 PM in London (9 AM-10 AM in San Francisco) works for both sides — it falls within standard 9 AM-6 PM working hours in both time zones.
How the Difference Changes in 2026
Because the two cities change their clocks on different dates, the gap is not one number. Here is how San Francisco stands relative to London through 2026:
| Period | San Francisco vs London |
|---|---|
| Jan 1 – Mar 7 | 8h behind |
| Mar 8 – Mar 28 | 7h behind |
| Mar 29 – Oct 24 | 8h behind |
| Oct 25 – Oct 31 | 7h behind |
| Nov 1 – Dec 31 | 8h behind |
London changes its clocks on Mar 29 (clocks forward) and Oct 25 (clocks back); San Francisco changes its clocks on Mar 8 (clocks forward) and Nov 1 (clocks back). Dates use the UTC calendar; the switch takes effect early that morning local time.
London
London uses the Europe/London IANA time zone, currently at UTC+1. This zone observes daylight saving time.
San Francisco
San Francisco uses the America/Los_Angeles IANA time zone, currently at UTC-7. This zone observes daylight saving time.