Current Time in Adelaide, Australia
Live local time in Adelaide with its UTC offset, daylight saving status and the time difference from your location.
Adelaide Australia/Adelaide
About time in Adelaide
Adelaide uses Australian Central Standard Time (ACST, UTC+9:30) as its standard time. During daylight saving time it switches to Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT, UTC+10:30). Daylight saving time starts on the first Sunday in October and ends on the first Sunday in April.
South Australia uses a half-hour offset: UTC+9:30 in standard time and UTC+10:30 during daylight saving time.
Adelaide uses Australian Central Time, a half-hour offset: UTC+9:30 (ACST) in winter and UTC+10:30 (ACDT) from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April. It is always half an hour behind Melbourne and Sydney. Darwin, also on Central Time, does not change its clocks, so in summer Adelaide is an hour ahead of Darwin.
South Australia did not start on the half hour. Until 1899 the colony kept UTC+9, and that year it moved half an hour ahead to the offset it still uses. Broken Hill, in far-western New South Wales, also keeps Adelaide's time: when standard time came in, its only railway ran to South Australia, not to Sydney, and the town has stayed on Central Time since.
London is 8 hours 30 minutes behind Adelaide in the British summer and 10 hours 30 minutes behind in the southern summer, with a few weeks of 9 hours 30 minutes in April and October. A 6 p.m. call in Adelaide in January is 7:30 a.m. in London.
When do the clocks change in Adelaide?
Daylight saving dates for 2026 and 2027, taken from the IANA time zone database. Times are local time in Adelaide.
| Date | Clock change | New offset |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, April 5, 2026 | 03:00 → 02:00 · back 1 hour | ACST, UTC+9:30 |
| Sunday, October 4, 2026 | 02:00 → 03:00 · forward 1 hour | ACDT, UTC+10:30 |
| Sunday, April 4, 2027 | 03:00 → 02:00 · back 1 hour | ACST, UTC+9:30 |
| Sunday, October 3, 2027 | 02:00 → 03:00 · forward 1 hour | ACDT, UTC+10:30 |
Other countries change on other dates, so the gap to Adelaide can move for a week or more. See when the clocks change around the world and what happens to recurring meetings.
Time difference between Adelaide and other cities
The table below is calculated live from your browser's time zone data, so it already includes today's daylight saving rules.
| City | Time there now | Compared with Adelaide |
|---|
Need a specific date? Use Time Compare to convert a future time with the right daylight saving offset.
Sunrise and sunset in Adelaide
Local times in Adelaide, calculated for its coordinates (34.93° S, 138.6° E). They can differ by a minute or two from official tables.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | |||
| March equinox (Mar 20, 2026) | 07:18 | 19:28 | 12h 10m |
| June solstice (Jun 21, 2026) | 07:23 | 17:11 | 9h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22, 2026) | 06:06 | 18:11 | 12h 05m |
| December solstice (Dec 21, 2026) | 05:58 | 20:28 | 14h 30m |
Working hours in Adelaide converted to UTC
| Local time in Adelaide | UTC (standard time) | UTC (daylight saving) |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 23:30 (previous day) | 22:30 (previous day) |
| 12:00 | 02:30 | 01:30 |
| 17:00 | 07:30 | 06:30 |
Frequently asked questions about time in Adelaide
When do the clocks change in Adelaide in 2026?
In 2026, clocks in Adelaide go back 1 hour on Sunday, April 5 at 03:00, and go forward 1 hour on Sunday, October 4 at 02:00 (local time).
What time zone is Adelaide in?
Adelaide is in the Australian Central Standard Time zone (Australia/Adelaide). Its standard UTC offset is UTC+9:30, and it is UTC+10:30 during daylight saving time (Australian Central Daylight Time).
Does Adelaide observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Daylight saving time starts on the first Sunday in October and ends on the first Sunday in April. During that period clocks in Adelaide are set to UTC+10:30.
When is the longest day of the year in Adelaide?
Around Dec 21, at the December solstice. The sun rises at 05:58 and sets at 20:28 local time, about 14h 30m of daylight. The shortest day is around Jun 21, with about 9h 48m.
What does a 09:00–17:00 working day in Adelaide look like in UTC?
A 09:00–17:00 working day in Adelaide is 23:30 (previous day)–07:30 UTC in standard time and 22:30 (previous day)–06:30 UTC during daylight saving time.