Time Difference Between London and Toronto
Toronto is 5h 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 Toronto. Rows highlighted green fall within standard working hours (9:00-18:00) in both cities.
| London | Toronto | Both working hours? |
|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 4 AM | No |
| 10 AM | 5 AM | No |
| 11 AM | 6 AM | No |
| 12 PM | 7 AM | No |
| 1 PM | 8 AM | No |
| 2 PM | 9 AM | Yes |
| 3 PM | 10 AM | Yes |
| 4 PM | 11 AM | Yes |
| 5 PM | 12 PM | Yes |
| 6 PM | 1 PM | No |
Best Time to Meet
- 2 PM-6 PM in London (9 AM-1 PM in Toronto) 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 Toronto stands relative to London through 2026:
| Period | Toronto vs London |
|---|---|
| Jan 1 – Mar 7 | 5h behind |
| Mar 8 – Mar 28 | 4h behind |
| Mar 29 – Oct 24 | 5h behind |
| Oct 25 – Oct 31 | 4h behind |
| Nov 1 – Dec 31 | 5h behind |
London changes its clocks on Mar 29 (clocks forward) and Oct 25 (clocks back); Toronto 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.
Working Across London and Toronto
Toronto sits 5h behind London for most of the year, which makes the meeting band the familiar transatlantic one. London's 2 to 5 in the afternoon is Toronto's 9 AM to noon, and outside those hours the day comes apart. Toronto's own afternoon finds London empty. Markets get a tighter version of the same problem. The London Stock Exchange closes at 4:30 PM UK time, which is 11:30 in the Toronto morning, and the two exchanges therefore trade alongside each other for about two hours a day. If you are in Toronto and need an answer from London today, ask before lunch.
Both cities change their clocks, three weeks apart in spring, and the gap narrows to 4h in between. Toronto goes forward on Mar 8 while London waits until Mar 29, so Mar 8 through Mar 28 runs at 4h. Autumn gives a shorter version, with London falling back on Oct 25 and Toronto not until Nov 1, which makes Oct 25 to Oct 31 the second mismatch. During those four weeks a meeting pinned to 2 PM London shows up at 10 AM in Toronto instead of 9, and one pinned to 9 AM Toronto shows up at 1 PM in London instead of 2. Whichever calendar created the event wins.
Toronto to Heathrow is about seven hours eastbound and closer to eight on the way back, which makes the overnight east a genuinely short night. You board after dinner, they feed you anyway, and you land at breakfast on maybe four hours of sleep. People underestimate this flight because seven hours sounds civilized. Five hours of difference is still five hours, and the first London morning is unpleasant. Westbound is the kind direction, since you get the hours back and can usually hold out until a normal bedtime. Plenty of people run this as a two-night trip and simply absorb the damage, which holds up once a quarter and stops holding up once a month. Keep the first day home light.
London
London uses the Europe/London IANA time zone, currently at UTC+1. This zone observes daylight saving time.
Toronto
Toronto uses the America/Toronto IANA time zone, currently at UTC-4. This zone observes daylight saving time.