At 14:00 in London on 15 January 2026, it is 06:00 in Los Angeles. London leads by 8 hours. Fast forward to 15 July 2026, same London hour, and Los Angeles still reads 06:00. The number looks steady. It is not. The gap between the two cities swings between 7 and 8 hours, shaped by two different daylight saving calendars.
How far apart London and Los Angeles really are
Los Angeles runs on Pacific Time. Winter means Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC-8). Summer means Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC-7).
London runs on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+0) in winter and British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) in summer.
When both cities sit on standard time (London on GMT, LA on PST), the difference is 8 hours. When both have advanced their clocks (London on BST, LA on PDT), the difference shrinks to 7 hours. During the mismatched weeks when one has changed and the other has not, the gap can be 7 or 8 hours depending on the direction of the mismatch.
GMT vs PST and BST vs PDT: how the offset moves
| Season | London offset | Los Angeles offset | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter (both standard) | GMT (UTC+0) | PST (UTC-8) | 8 hours |
| Summer (both daylight) | BST (UTC+1) | PDT (UTC-7) | 7 hours |
| UK spring, US still standard | BST (UTC+1) | PST (UTC-8) | 8 hours |
| UK autumn, US still daylight | GMT (UTC+0) | PDT (UTC-7) | 7 hours |
The 7-hour gap only holds during the weeks when both cities observe daylight saving time. That window opens on the second Sunday of March, when the US springs forward, and closes on the last Sunday of October, when the UK falls back.
The tight overlap for calls and meetings
London office hours run 09:00 to 17:00. Los Angeles office hours run 09:00 to 17:00. With an 8-hour gap, 09:00 in LA is 17:00 in London: the London workday is ending as the LA one begins. With a 7-hour gap, 09:00 in LA is 16:00 in London. Slightly better, but still tight.
The usable overlap sits in late morning Los Angeles time. 10:00 to 12:00 in LA catches 18:00 to 20:00 in London. That window is most comfortable during the 7-hour difference period. During the 8-hour period, 10:00 LA is 18:00 London: workable, but at the edge of the business day.
For a full breakdown of specific times and strategies, see the best time to call London from Los Angeles.
When the DST calendars collide
The UK and the US do not change clocks on the same dates.
- US spring-forward: Second Sunday of March
- UK spring-forward: Last Sunday of March
- UK fall-back: Last Sunday of October
- US fall-back: First Sunday of November
This creates two periods each year when the offset is not what the season alone would predict.
2026 in practice: - US springs forward on 8 March 2026. The UK stays on GMT until 29 March 2026. - 8 March to 29 March: London on GMT (UTC+0), Los Angeles on PDT (UTC-7). Difference: 7 hours. - From 29 March onward: both on daylight time. Difference: 7 hours. - UK falls back on 25 October 2026. The US stays on PDT until 1 November 2026. - 25 October to 1 November: London on GMT (UTC+0), Los Angeles on PDT (UTC-7). Difference: 7 hours. - After 1 November: both on standard time. Difference: 8 hours.
The London Daylight Saving Time page lists the exact 2026 and 2027 dates for the UK.
Using the London, Los Angeles time converter
The interactive tool shows the current time in both cities and the live offset. Check it for the exact difference today. A few things to keep in mind:
- During the three-week mismatches in March and the one-week mismatch in October, November, the difference reads 7 hours even though the calendar month suggests otherwise.
- The difference is never 8 hours during the summer months (late March to late October) when both cities are on daylight time.
- Los Angeles spends more days in daylight saving time than London does. The US DST period is longer.
For a comparison with the East Coast, see the London vs New York Time guide. General questions about GMT, BST, and the UK time zone system are answered in the London Time FAQ.