San Diego uses Pacific Time (PT) — UTC−8 in winter (PST) and UTC−7 in summer (PDT). It is the second-largest city in California, known for its stunning beaches, perfect climate, and as a hub for biotech, defense, and tourism.
Everything you need to know about San Diego's time zone, UTC offset, and Daylight Saving Time schedule.
From the first Sunday of November to the second Sunday of March, San Diego observes PST (UTC−8). This is the standard winter time used across the entire US West Coast.
From the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, San Diego advances to PDT (UTC−7) — clocks move forward 1 hour, giving longer summer evenings.
The official IANA time zone name for San Diego is America/Los_Angeles. This identifier is used in programming, operating systems, and all modern calendar applications worldwide.
Spring forward: 9 March 2025 at 02:00 → 03:00
Fall back: 2 November 2025 at 02:00 → 01:00
Spring forward: 8 March 2026 at 02:00 → 03:00
Fall back: 1 November 2026 at 02:00 → 01:00
San Diego shares its time zone with the entire US West Coast — including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, and the Canadian city of Vancouver. California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada all use PT.
San Diego is home to the US Navy's Pacific Fleet and a world-leading biotechnology cluster. Major employers like Illumina, Qualcomm, and UC San Diego operate on Pacific Time.
San Diego is a coastal city in Southern California, located approximately 120 miles south of Los Angeles and just 20 miles north of the Mexican border. With a population of over 1.4 million (over 3.3 million in the metropolitan area), it is the second-largest city in California and the eighth-largest in the United States.
Known worldwide for its ideal Mediterranean climate, San Diego enjoys an average of 266 sunny days per year with mild temperatures year-round. The city's 70 miles of coastline include famous beaches such as La Jolla Shores, Coronado Beach, Pacific Beach, and Mission Beach, making it a premier destination for surfing, sailing, and beach culture.
San Diego is a powerhouse in the biotechnology and healthcare industries, often called "Biotech Beach." The region is home to over 1,500 life science companies, including Illumina, Neurocrine, and ResMed, as well as the renowned Scripps Research Institute and UC San Diego. The city also hosts the headquarters of telecommunications giant Qualcomm and is a major center for defense and naval operations, with the US Navy's largest concentration of ships and personnel.
Tourism is a key economic driver, with attractions such as the San Diego Zoo (one of the most famous zoos in the world), Balboa Park (home to 17 museums and cultural institutions), SeaWorld San Diego, and the historic Gaslamp Quarter. The city also boasts a vibrant craft beer scene with over 150 breweries, earning it the nickname "America's Craft Beer Capital."
San Diego International Airport (SAN), also known as Lindbergh Field, is the busiest single-runway commercial airport in the United States, offering non-stop flights to major cities across North America, Europe (London, Frankfurt), and Asia (Tokyo via seasonal routes).
1.4 million city / ~3.3 million metro area. The 2nd most populous city in California.
Global hub for life sciences, genomics, and naval operations. Home to Qualcomm, Illumina, and the US Navy Pacific Fleet.
~11h from London, ~10h from Paris, ~12h from Tokyo, ~6h from New York, ~3h from Mexico City.
Mediterranean climate. Warm, dry summers (avg. 25°C / 77°F in August), mild winters (avg. 14°C / 57°F in January). Around 266 sunny days per year.
English and Spanish widely spoken. Also Tagalog, Vietnamese, Chinese, and many others due to diverse immigrant communities.
+1 (US country code). Area codes: 619, 858, 760 (North County). Currency: US Dollar (USD, $).
Current time in major cities compared to San Diego. Times update live every second.
Note on DST transitions: The offsets shown above reflect the current live offset, which changes twice a year due to Daylight Saving Time. The US, EU, and other regions change their clocks on different dates, which means the difference between San Diego and a European city can vary by 1 hour for a short period in spring and autumn. Always verify the exact time difference around DST transition dates for critical scheduling.
Ask any question about time, zones or conversions in natural language. The AI assistant will understand your query and provide a precise answer.
Ask: "What time is it in Madrid?" — The built-in assistant instantly provides the current time and offset without needing an API key.
AI knows over 600 IANA time zones and can answer questions about these zones.
Connect your own API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Mistral, DeepSeek) — full control.
Without an API key the module uses built-in zone logic — fast and delay-free.
San Diego's Pacific Time zone influences everything from biotech research schedules to live television broadcasts and global naval operations. The Pacific Time Zone is home to over 50 million people across the US and Canada West Coast.
TimeZoria AI uses your browser's built-in Intl API and the IANA tz database to always display the correct San Diego time — including DST changes — without any network requests.
Check the current time in other major cities — all on TimeZoria AI.
Common questions about San Diego's time zone, UTC offset, and Daylight Saving Time.