Current Time in Shanghai, China 🇨🇳
The current local time in Shanghai, China is 05:38:11 (CST) on Tuesday, 21 July 2026. Shanghai is not currently observing daylight saving time. The city has a population of about 22,315,474. The sun rises at about 05:04 and sets at 18:57 today (13h 53m of daylight).
- Sunrise 05:04
- Sunset 18:57
- 13h 53m daylight
Time zone & daylight saving in Shanghai
Shanghai, China keeps CST (UTC+08:00). Shanghai does not change its clocks for daylight saving, so its offset from UTC stays the same all year.
Today the sun rises at about 05:04 and sets at about 18:57 local time, giving Shanghai 13h 53m of daylight.
Right now it is 05:38 on Tuesday in Shanghai (UTC+08:00). When it is 05:38 here, it is 17:38 in New York (12h behind), so a quick look at the world clock beats doing the math in your head before a call.
Need a reminder on Shanghai time rather than your own clock? A browser alarm handles that as long as the tab stays open and the device is awake - here is how an online alarm clock works.
Quick scheduling notes for Shanghai
- Use the Asia/Shanghai IANA zone when you need the exact rule set for software, calendars, or travel planning.
- Daylight saving is not active now, but it can still affect future dates in some places.
- For a future call, use the time zone converter and then set a matching online alarm.
Time difference from Shanghai to major cities
| City | Current time | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 17:38 Mon | 12h behind |
| Los Angeles | 14:38 Mon | 15h behind |
| London | 22:38 Mon | 7h behind |
| Paris | 23:38 Mon | 6h behind |
| Dubai | 01:38 Tue | 4h behind |
| Mumbai | 03:08 Tue | 2.5h behind |
| Singapore | 05:38 Tue | same time |
| Tokyo | 06:38 Tue | 1h ahead |
| Sydney | 07:38 Tue | 2h ahead |
Best next checks from Shanghai
Compare Shanghai with nearby business hubs, then follow the city links above for live local clocks. You can also browse more time pages for China.
Business-hours overlap from Shanghai
For a normal business-hours call, 16:00-17:00 in Shanghai overlaps with 09:00-10:00 in London.
| Compare with | Shanghai time | Other city time | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | - | - | No standard 09:00-17:00 overlap |
| Los Angeles | - | - | No standard 09:00-17:00 overlap |
| London | 16:00-17:00 | 09:00-10:00 | 1 hour |
| Paris | 15:00-17:00 | 09:00-11:00 | 2 hours |
| Dubai | 13:00-17:00 | 09:00-13:00 | 4 hours |
| Mumbai | 11:30-17:00 | 09:00-14:30 | 5.5 hours |
Simple meeting rule
Pick a slot that lands inside both workdays, then confirm the date again if the meeting is near a daylight saving change.
Shanghai time - Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Shanghai in?
Shanghai uses CST (UTC+08:00). It stays on the same UTC offset all year, with no daylight saving changes.
Does Shanghai observe daylight saving time?
No - Shanghai keeps the same time offset throughout the year.
What time are sunrise and sunset in Shanghai today?
Today the sun rises around 05:04 and sets around 18:57 in Shanghai, about 13h 53m of daylight.
What is the time difference between Shanghai and other cities?
When it is 05:38 in Shanghai, it is 17:38 in New York (12h behind). See the table above for Shanghai's difference from other major cities.
How Alarm.now calculates time in Shanghai
Live clock source
The clock uses the current time with the Asia/Shanghai IANA time zone, then updates in your browser every second. Country context comes from the China time page.
Local entity signals for Shanghai
These facts help separate this city page from a generic clock page: the place, country, coordinates, time-zone rule set, and daylight context are all tied to Shanghai.
| Country | China |
|---|---|
| IANA zone | Asia/Shanghai (UTC+08:00) |
| Coordinates | 31.22, 121.46 |
| Population signal | About 22,315,474 people |
| Today's daylight | Sunrise 05:04, sunset 18:57, 13h 53m total daylight |
Best internal links from this city
Start with this live city clock, then move to the exact Asia/Shanghai time-zone page for rules, the China country page for nearby cities, and the time zone converter for future dates.
Future-date checks
For future meetings, compare the city time with the time zone converter because daylight saving changes can shift the offset on a later date.
Lat/Long: 31.22° N, 121.46° E
Population: 22,315,474
Country: 🇨🇳 China
Timezone: CST
Daylight Saving Time: No ❌
Standard Timezone Abbreviations used in China: CST