Current Time in Lima
The clock shows Lima time to the second. Peru uses Peru Time (PET), UTC−5, all year, which puts it level with New York in winter and one hour behind in summer.
Current time in Lima
- IANA zone
- Current time in Lima
What is the time zone in Lima?
Lima keeps Peru Time, UTC−5, all year. Colombia and Ecuador share the same clock.
- Offset
- UTC−5
- Summer time
- Not observed
- IANA zone
- America/Lima
Peru Time
- IANA zone
- America/Lima
- Standard time
- PET · UTC−5
- Daylight saving time
- Not observed
Peru sits close to the equator and has little reason to shift its clocks: in Lima the sun rises around 6:00 AM and sets between 6:00 and 6:45 PM all year. The country used summer time in a few years in the 1980s and last in early 1994, according to the IANA time zone database.
Peru's single zone also covers the Amazon city of Iquitos and the highland city of Cusco, so domestic flights and buses never change the clock. Travelers moving between the coast, the Andes and the jungle never need to reset a watch.
Lima and North America
Because the US changes its clocks and Peru does not, Lima's gap to US cities moves twice a year. In the northern winter, Lima is level with New York and Miami; in summer it matches Chicago and Houston instead, one hour behind the East Coast.
Lima against US time zones
- November to March: Lima = New York, one hour ahead of Chicago.
- March to November: Lima = Chicago, one hour behind New York.
- Los Angeles: three hours behind Lima in winter, two in summer.
Lima compared with world cities
| City | In January | In July |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | −5 | −5 |
| Anchorage | −4 | −3 |
| Seattle | −3 | −2 |
| Denver | −2 | −1 |
| Vancouver | −2 | −2 |
| Houston | −1 | 0 |
| Toronto | 0 | +1 |
| Washington, D.C. | 0 | +1 |
| Buenos Aires | +2 | +2 |
| São Paulo | +2 | +2 |
| London | +5 | +6 |
| Amsterdam | +6 | +7 |
| Berlin | +6 | +7 |
| Madrid | +6 | +7 |
| Paris | +6 | +7 |
| Zurich | +6 | +7 |
| Athens | +7 | +8 |
| Cairo | +7 | +8 |
| Johannesburg | +7 | +7 |
| Doha | +8 | +8 |
| Nairobi | +8 | +8 |
| Riyadh | +8 | +8 |
| Dubai | +9 | +9 |
| Delhi | +10:30 | +10:30 |
| Dhaka | +11 | +11 |
| Ho Chi Minh City | +12 | +12 |
| Kuala Lumpur | +13 | +13 |
| Manila | +13 | +13 |
| Perth | +13 | +13 |
| Shanghai | +13 | +13 |
| Taipei | +13 | +13 |
| Seoul | +14 | +14 |
| Brisbane | +15 | +15 |
| Melbourne | +16 | +15 |
| Sydney | +16 | +15 |
Hours to add to the time in Lima; a minus sign means the other city is behind
South America's other capitals are mostly ahead of Lima: Santiago, Buenos Aires and São Paulo by two hours for much of the year. The Buenos Aires clock and São Paulo clock show the UTC−3 side of the continent.
For Europe, Madrid is six hours ahead of Lima in winter and seven in summer.
The Instituto Nacional de Calidad (INACAL) keeps Peru's official time. In everyday life, businesses in Lima often start at 9:00 AM, which is 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM in New York depending on the season.
Lima time questions
What time zone is Lima in?
Peru Time, UTC−5, for the whole country. There is no daylight saving time.
Is Lima on the same time as New York?
From November to March, yes. While the US is on daylight time, Lima is one hour behind New York.
When did Peru last change its clocks?
In 1994, during a short summer-time period from January to April.
How many hours is Lima behind Madrid?
Six hours in the European winter and seven in summer.
Do Lima and Bogotá keep the same hour?
Yes. Colombia and Ecuador also keep UTC−5 all year.