Best Meeting Times Across Time Zones: Shared Office Hours Between 15 Business Hubs
When you work with people in other countries, the question isn’t just the time difference. It’s how many hours you are both at work. We compared the standard 9 AM to 5 PM working day in 15 major business cities. New York and London share 3 office hours a day. New York and Mumbai share none. And a few overlaps change with the seasons, because countries change their clocks on different dates, or not at all.
Key facts
- New York and London overlap from 9 AM to noon in New York (2 PM to 5 PM in London), all year round.
- No North American city shares any 9-to-5 hours with India, China or Singapore.
- Dubai is the best-connected hub: it overlaps with London, Frankfurt, Mumbai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
- New in winter 2026: Vancouver now shares an hour with London, because BC no longer turns its clocks back.
Overlap between popular city pairs
| City pair | Shared hours, January | Shared hours, July | Best meeting time |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York and London | 3 | 3 | 9 AM to noon New York, 2 PM to 5 PM London |
| Toronto and London | 3 | 3 | 9 AM to noon Toronto, 2 PM to 5 PM London |
| Chicago and London | 2 | 2 | 9 AM to 11 AM Chicago, 3 PM to 5 PM London |
| New York and Frankfurt | 2 | 2 | 9 AM to 11 AM New York, 3 PM to 5 PM Frankfurt |
| Vancouver and London | 1 | 0 | 9 AM to 10 AM Vancouver, 4 PM to 5 PM London (winter only) |
| Los Angeles and London | 0 | 0 | Early morning in LA, late afternoon in London |
| London and Mumbai | 2.5 | 3.5 | 9 AM to 11:30 AM London, 2:30 PM to 5 PM Mumbai (winter) |
| London and Dubai | 4 | 5 | 9 AM to 1 PM London, 1 PM to 5 PM Dubai (winter) |
| London and Singapore | 0 | 1 | 9 AM to 10 AM London, 4 PM to 5 PM Singapore (summer only) |
| Los Angeles and Sydney | 3 | 1 | 2 PM to 5 PM LA, 9 AM to noon Sydney the next day (January) |
| Los Angeles and Tokyo | 1 | 0 | 4 PM to 5 PM LA, 9 AM to 10 AM Tokyo the next day (winter only) |
| New York and São Paulo | 6 | 7 | Most of the working day |
| Singapore and Sydney | 5 | 6 | Most of the working day |
| Dubai and Mumbai | 6.5 | 6.5 | Most of the working day |
| New York and Mumbai | 0 | 0 | No overlap: see below |
Why the overlap changes with the seasons
Different countries change their clocks on different dates, and many don’t change them at all.
- London and Dubai share 4 hours in winter but 5 in summer, because the UK moves its clocks forward and Dubai doesn’t.
- Los Angeles and Sydney share 3 hours in January but just 1 in July. In January, Sydney is on summer time and LA isn’t. In July, it’s the other way round.
- Vancouver and London now share an hour in winter. Since 2026, BC stays on UTC−7 all year, so in winter Vancouver is 7 hours behind London instead of 8.
There are also a few weeks every year when the gap between North America and Europe is an hour smaller than usual, because the US and Canada change their clocks a couple of weeks before Europe in March, and a week after in the fall. In 2026, that’s between October 25 and November 1. Read more in our clock change calendar.
What if there’s no overlap?
For city pairs like New York and Mumbai, or London and Sydney, someone has to work outside normal hours. A few common solutions:
- Take turns: rotate early-morning and evening calls so the same team isn’t always inconvenienced.
- Use the edges of the day: 8 AM in New York is 6:30 PM in Mumbai in winter. A short call at the end of the day in India and the start of the day in New York works for many teams. See the best times to call India from North America.
- Go asynchronous: record updates and share written notes, so live meetings are only for decisions.
Find the best time for your own cities
Our time zone converter shows the working hours of every city you add, highlights the hours when everyone is awake, and suggests the best time to call. Add as many cities as you like.
How we calculated this
For each pair of cities, we compared 9 AM to 5 PM local time on a Wednesday in January 2027 and a Wednesday in July 2027, including the next or previous day where the working days overlap across midnight. Time zone rules come from the official IANA time zone database (version 2026e). Real office hours vary, of course: if your team starts at 8 AM or works until 6 PM, you will have more overlap.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time for a call between New York and London?
Between 9 AM and noon in New York, which is 2 PM to 5 PM in London. That works all year, because both cities change their clocks, although for a few weeks in March and October-November the difference is 4 hours instead of 5.
Is there any overlap between the US West Coast and Europe?
Very little. Los Angeles and London have no 9-to-5 overlap. Vancouver and London share one hour in winter since BC stopped changing its clocks.
What is the time difference between London and Sydney?
11 hours in January (Sydney ahead) and 9 hours in July. Their working days don’t overlap.
Which city is easiest to work with from both Europe and Asia?
Dubai. Its working day overlaps with London, Frankfurt, Mumbai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
