What time zone does the South Pole use?
The Amundsen-Scott South Pole base uses New Zealand Standard Time (NZST, UTC+12) during winter and New Zealand Daylight Time (NZDT, UTC+13) during summer. The reasoning is practical: almost all flights and cargo go through Christchurch, and the base's communication and supply schedules run on New Zealand time.
The geographic South Pole sits where all time zones converge. Walk a tight circle around the pole and you cross all 24 in seconds. The base itself keeps one clock.
Why does McMurdo follow New Zealand clocks?
McMurdo (United States) and Scott Base (New Zealand) sit about 3 kilometres apart on Ross Island. Both use New Zealand time.
McMurdo is the largest settlement on the continent, with over 1,000 people in summer. Its power plant, runway, and sea ice road all coordinate with Christchurch. Scott Base follows the same clock because it shares the same supply chain.
When it's noon in New York, it's 5am the next day at McMurdo and Scott Base during New Zealand standard time, and 6am during daylight time.
What time zone does Palmer Station use?
Palmer, on Anvers Island near the Antarctic Peninsula, uses Chile time. The base is supplied by ship from Punta Arenas, Chile, and its personnel fly through Punta Arenas.
During summer, Palmer follows Chile Summer Time (CLST, UTC-3). During winter, it shifts to Chile Standard Time (CLT, UTC-4). When it's noon in New York during US daylight time, it's 1pm at Palmer in summer and noon in winter.
How do research bases choose their time zone?
Research bases typically use the time zone of the country that supplies them or the nearest inhabited territory they have regular contact with. A base run by Chile uses Chile time. A base run by Australia uses Australian time. A base run by the United States uses New Zealand time, because Christchurch is the main logistics hub for US Antarctic operations.
The result is a patchwork. Bases within sight of each other can be on different days.
The continent has no civil government, no postal service, no schools, and no shops that open and close. Each base picks whatever zone makes its daily life easiest.
What are the IANA time zones for Antarctica?
The IANA time zone database includes several zones specifically for the continent. These are the ones most software and online tools use:
| IANA Zone | Used by | Offset (standard/daylight) |
|---|---|---|
| Antarctica/McMurdo | McMurdo, Scott Base, South Pole | UTC+12 / UTC+13 |
| Antarctica/Palmer | Palmer | UTC-4 / UTC-3 |
| Antarctica/Troll | Troll (Norway) | UTC+0 / UTC+2 |
| Antarctica/Rothera | Rothera (UK) | UTC-3 year-round |
| Antarctica/Mawson | Mawson (Australia) | UTC+5 year-round |
| Antarctica/Davis | Davis (Australia) | UTC+7 year-round |
| Antarctica/Casey | Casey (Australia) | UTC+11 year-round |
Troll is unusual: it switches between UTC+0 in winter and UTC+2 in summer, following Norway's daylight saving schedule. Rothera stays on UTC-3 all year because the British Antarctic Survey found no benefit in changing clocks.
What time is it at the South Pole right now?
The South Pole base runs on New Zealand time. Check the time in New Zealand and add nothing, they are the same.
For any other base, find the UTC offset from the table above and apply it to the current UTC time. If you need a full list of possible offsets, see the UTC offsets reference.
When scheduling a call with an Antarctic base, ask the people there what time zone they use. Guessing will put your call at the wrong hour.