Time Zone Abbreviations: Complete Reference Table
Full list of time zone abbreviations with UTC offsets, IANA names, and regions. Quick lookup for EST, PST, CET, IST, and more.
Understanding Time Zone Abbreviations
Time zone abbreviations like EST, PST, and CET are shorthand labels for the full time zone name. They are widely used in emails, calendar invitations, and conversation, but they come with a significant caveat: many abbreviations are ambiguous. "CST" can mean Central Standard Time (US, UTC-6), China Standard Time (UTC+8), or Cuba Standard Time (UTC-5). "IST" can refer to India, Ireland, or Israel.
For unambiguous communication -- especially in code and automated systems -- use the full IANA name (e.g., America/New_York instead of "EST"). For background on IANA names and how offsets work, see Time Zone Basics.
The tables below list all 29 time zones tracked by ZoneCross, grouped by region. Zones that observe DST list both of their UTC offsets.
Americas
| Abbreviation | Full Name | IANA Name | Major City | UTC Offset | Observes DST? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ET | Eastern Time (ET) | America/New_York | New York | UTC-5 / UTC-4 | Yes |
| CT | Central Time (CT) | America/Chicago | Chicago | UTC-6 / UTC-5 | Yes |
| MT | Mountain Time (MT) | America/Denver | Denver | UTC-7 / UTC-6 | Yes |
| PT | Pacific Time (PT) | America/Los_Angeles | Los Angeles | UTC-8 / UTC-7 | Yes |
| BRT | Brasilia Time (BRT) | America/Sao_Paulo | São Paulo | UTC-3 | No |
| ART | Argentina Time (ART) | America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires | Buenos Aires | UTC-3 | No |
Europe
| Abbreviation | Full Name | IANA Name | Major City | UTC Offset | Observes DST? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMT/BST | UK time (GMT/BST) | Europe/London | London | UTC±0 / UTC+1 | Yes |
| CET | Central European Time (CET) | Europe/Berlin | Berlin | UTC+1 / UTC+2 | Yes |
| EET | Eastern European Time (EET) | Europe/Helsinki | Helsinki | UTC+2 / UTC+3 | Yes |
| MSK | Moscow Time (MSK) | Europe/Moscow | Moscow | UTC+3 | No |
| TRT | Turkey Time (TRT) | Europe/Istanbul | Istanbul | UTC+3 | No |
Asia
| Abbreviation | Full Name | IANA Name | Major City | UTC Offset | Observes DST? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GST | Gulf Standard Time (GST) | Asia/Dubai | Dubai | UTC+4 | No |
| PKT | Pakistan Standard Time (PKT) | Asia/Karachi | Karachi | UTC+5 | No |
| IST | India Standard Time (IST) | Asia/Kolkata | Mumbai | UTC+5:30 | No |
| BST | Bangladesh Standard Time (BST) | Asia/Dhaka | Dhaka | UTC+6 | No |
| ICT | Indochina Time (ICT) | Asia/Bangkok | Bangkok | UTC+7 | No |
| SGT | Singapore Time (SGT) | Asia/Singapore | Singapore | UTC+8 | No |
| HKT | Hong Kong Time (HKT) | Asia/Hong_Kong | Hong Kong | UTC+8 | No |
| CST | China Standard Time (CST) | Asia/Shanghai | Shanghai | UTC+8 | No |
| KST | Korea Standard Time (KST) | Asia/Seoul | Seoul | UTC+9 | No |
| JST | Japan Standard Time (JST) | Asia/Tokyo | Tokyo | UTC+9 | No |
Oceania
Africa
| Abbreviation | Full Name | IANA Name | Major City | UTC Offset | Observes DST? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAT | West Africa Time (WAT) | Africa/Lagos | Lagos | UTC+1 | No |
| EAT | East Africa Time (EAT) | Africa/Nairobi | Nairobi | UTC+3 | No |
| SAST | South Africa Standard Time (SAST) | Africa/Johannesburg | Johannesburg | UTC+2 | No |
Reference
| Abbreviation | Full Name | IANA Name | Major City | UTC Offset | Observes DST? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMT | Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) | Etc/GMT | GMT | UTC±0 | No |
| UTC | Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) | UTC | UTC | UTC±0 | No |
A Note on Ambiguity
Several commonly used abbreviations map to entirely different time zones depending on context. Here are the most frequently confused ones.
CST -- Three Different Meanings
- Central Standard Time (US) -- UTC-6, IANA:
America/Chicago - China Standard Time -- UTC+8, IANA:
Asia/Shanghai - Cuba Standard Time -- UTC-5, IANA:
America/Havana
IST -- Three Different Meanings
- India Standard Time -- UTC+5:30, IANA:
Asia/Kolkata - Irish Standard Time -- UTC+1 (summer), IANA:
Europe/Dublin - Israel Standard Time -- UTC+2, IANA:
Asia/Jerusalem
BST -- Two Different Meanings
- British Summer Time -- UTC+1, IANA:
Europe/London(during DST) - Bangladesh Standard Time -- UTC+6, IANA:
Asia/Dhaka
The lesson is simple: when scheduling across teams, always specify the full time zone name or the IANA identifier. "Let's meet at 3 PM IST" is ambiguous. "Let's meet at 3 PM India Standard Time (Asia/Kolkata)" leaves no room for misunderstanding.