Toronto is in the Eastern Time zone. In winter it uses Eastern Standard Time (EST), which is UTC-5. In 2026, daylight saving time began on March 8, putting the city on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), UTC-4, and clocks go back to EST on November 1. The National Research Council Canada (NRC) keeps the country’s official time.
EST and EDT in Toronto
The same zone carries two names depending on the season. EST is standard time, UTC-5, used from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March. EDT is UTC-4, used between those dates. Ontario’s rule is set by provincial law, and the NRC page on Canadian time zones states the practice: clocks move forward one hour on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November, at 2:00 a.m. local time.
Applied to 2026, the second Sunday in March was March 8 and the first Sunday in November is November 1. In the spring change 2:00 a.m. becomes 3:00 a.m., and in the autumn change 2:00 a.m. becomes 1:00 a.m.
The NRC notes that its page is under review and that some information will no longer be accurate after November 1, 2026. Ontario has passed a law allowing a move to permanent daylight time, but it has not been brought into force, and news reports describe a plan limited to parts of northwestern Ontario. Readers planning around the autumn change should confirm the current rule with the Government of Ontario.
Time differences with major cities
The gaps below are computed by subtracting Toronto’s UTC offset from the other city’s offset. Toronto is UTC-5 in winter and UTC-4 in summer, so London in winter (UTC+0) is 0 minus -5, or five hours ahead. A positive number means the other city’s clock reads later than Toronto’s.
| City | Offset from UTC | Ahead of Toronto in winter (EST) | Ahead of Toronto in summer (EDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (UK) | UTC+0 (GMT), UTC+1 (BST) | 5 hours | 5 hours* |
| Los Angeles | UTC-8 (PST), UTC-7 (PDT) | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Dubai | UTC+4, no daylight time | 9 hours | 8 hours |
| Mumbai | UTC+5:30, no daylight time | 10 hours 30 minutes | 9 hours 30 minutes |
| Tokyo | UTC+9, no daylight time | 14 hours | 13 hours |
| Sydney | UTC+11 (AEDT), UTC+10 (AEST) | 16 hours (AEDT) | 14 hours (AEST) |
The asterisk marks a catch: North American and European clocks do not change on the same dates. In 2026 the UK moved to summer time on March 29 and moves back on October 25, so London is only four hours ahead of Toronto from March 8 to March 28 and again from October 25 to October 31. The offsets are standard values; confirm them with a world-clock service before scheduling a call, because Sydney, for example, follows southern-hemisphere dates.
How to check the official time
The NRC web clock shows Canada’s official time, which comes from the council’s atomic clocks. The page estimates the delay between the NRC server and the visitor’s device and shows how far the device’s own clock is ahead or behind. A large offset suggests the date, time zone, or daylight saving setting on the device is wrong. Setting the device to update automatically through Network Time Protocol (NTP) usually fixes it.
Third-party sites may also display local times, but the official reference for Canada remains the NRC web clock.
Common questions
What time zone is Toronto in?
Eastern Time: UTC-5 as EST in winter and UTC-4 as EDT in summer.
When do the clocks change in Toronto in 2026?
They moved forward on March 8, 2026, and move back one hour at 2:00 a.m. on November 1, 2026.
Does all of Ontario share Toronto’s time?
No. According to the NRC, areas of Ontario west of 90 degrees West longitude are in the Central Time zone.
Is Toronto time the same as New York time?
Yes, both are in the Eastern zone and change clocks on the same dates under the NRC rule and the corresponding United States schedule.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- National Research Council Canada, Time zones and daylight saving time
- National Research Council Canada, Web clock (Canada’s official time)
- Offsets for other cities: standard UTC offsets, computed here by subtraction from Toronto’s offset
Related reading
- Toronto facts: location, population, geography and weather
- Where Toronto is: location, province, boundaries and what counts as Toronto
- Toronto rainfall and storms: climate records and normals
- An overview of Toronto’s history
- Toronto timeline
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 27). Toronto Time Zone: EST, EDT and the 2026 Clock Changes. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/what-time-is-it-in-toronto-exploring-time-zone-differences-and-local-time-in-canadas-largest-city
MLA: “Toronto Time Zone: EST, EDT and the 2026 Clock Changes.” History of Toronto, 27 Oct. 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/what-time-is-it-in-toronto-exploring-time-zone-differences-and-local-time-in-canadas-largest-city. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “Toronto Time Zone: EST, EDT and the 2026 Clock Changes.” Last modified October 27, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/what-time-is-it-in-toronto-exploring-time-zone-differences-and-local-time-in-canadas-largest-city.
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