Colombo, Sri Lanka · UTC+5:30

W22 No DST
Your time
Colombo

Convert time from Colombo

in Colombo is Convert

MEETING PLANNER

hover a column · click to lock

Colombo is in the Sri Lanka Standard Time timezone (Asia/Colombo, UTC+5:30). The current half-hour offset aligns with India and has been in place since 2006, when Sri Lanka returned to UTC+5:30 after a decade-long experiment with different offsets.

Sri Lanka Standard Time sits at UTC+5:30, the same offset as Delhi and India. This isn’t coincidence. Under British colonial rule, Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was then known) used Indian Standard Time. After independence, the country kept the offset.

The 30-minute experiment and its reversal

In May 1996, Sri Lanka moved its clocks forward by one hour to UTC+6:30, citing energy savings during a severe power shortage. By October 1996, this was adjusted down to UTC+6. The change was reversed on 15 April 2006, moving back to UTC+5:30 to realign with India.[4] The IANA identifier Asia/Colombo records both shifts. Sri Lanka tried a unique clock and decided the coordination costs with India outweighed the theoretical benefits.

Colombo sits at 6 degrees north latitude, close enough to the equator that sunrise and sunset are almost constant year-round. Daylight saving would accomplish essentially nothing here. The city’s colonial-era streets and Dutch-built fortifications are lit by a sun that keeps a reliable schedule regardless of what the government has declared.

Convert 9am Colombo time to London

Read more about time in Sri Lanka →

Sources

  1. IANA Time Zone Database
  2. Department of Meteorology, Sri Lanka
  3. De Silva, K.M. A History of Sri Lanka. University of California Press, 1981.
  4. Wikipedia: Sri Lanka Standard Time
  5. Wikipedia: Ceylon Independence Act 1947
IANA timezone Asia/Colombo
Current offset UTC+5:30
Daylight saving No DST observed

Same time as Colombo

Compare Colombo with

Questions about time in Colombo

What timezone is Colombo in?
Colombo uses the IANA timezone Asia/Colombo. The UTC offset is always UTC+5:30 - this timezone does not observe daylight saving time.
Does Colombo observe daylight saving time?
No. Colombo does not observe daylight saving time. The UTC offset remains UTC+5:30 all year round.
What is the current UTC offset for Colombo?
Colombo is currently at UTC+5:30.
What is the time difference between Colombo and New York?
Colombo is currently 9 hours 30 minutes ahead of New York.
What is the time difference between Colombo and London?
Colombo is currently 4 hours 30 minutes ahead of London.
What is the time difference between Colombo and Los Angeles?
Colombo is currently 12 hours 30 minutes ahead of Los Angeles.
What is the time difference between Colombo and Tokyo?
Colombo is currently 3 hours 30 minutes behind Tokyo.
What is the IANA timezone name for Colombo?
The IANA timezone database identifier for Colombo is Asia/Colombo. Use this string in programming languages and APIs: JavaScript (`new Intl.DateTimeFormat('en-US', { timeZone: 'Asia/Colombo' })`), Python (`pytz.timezone('Asia/Colombo')`), or any IANA-compatible library.

Frequently Asked Questions

What timezone is Colombo in?

Colombo uses the IANA timezone Asia/Colombo. The UTC offset is always UTC+5:30 - this timezone does not observe daylight saving time.

Does Colombo observe daylight saving time?

No. Colombo does not observe daylight saving time. The UTC offset remains UTC+5:30 all year round.

What is the current UTC offset for Colombo?

Colombo is currently at UTC+5:30.

What is the time difference between Colombo and New York?

Colombo is currently 9 hours 30 minutes ahead of New York.

What is the time difference between Colombo and London?

Colombo is currently 4 hours 30 minutes ahead of London.