Current time in London, United Kingdom
The current local time in London is shown below. London observes GMT in winter and BST during daylight saving time.
Daylight saving time
Sunrise & sunset today
Timezone facts
London in context
London sits along both banks of the River Thames in south-eastern England, a tidal stretch of water that runs roughly forty kilometres inland from the North Sea. The Greater London authority counts around 9 million residents, with the wider commuter belt reaching into Surrey, Essex, Kent, and Hertfordshire and pushing the metropolitan total above 14 million. The historical City occupies barely a square mile in the east; Westminster anchors national government, and a further 31 boroughs fill out the conurbation.
Timezone history of London
The site of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, in the south-east of the city, has been the geographical reference for Coordinated Universal Time since the International Meridian Conference of 1884. British Summer Time was introduced as a wartime fuel-saving measure in 1916 and has been observed in some form ever since, with the seasonal shifts now applying from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October. London therefore swings between zero and one hour ahead of UTC across the year.
Working hours in London
London working hours vary widely by sector. The financial Square Mile starts early, with desks staffed from 07:00 onwards to overlap with continental markets; advertising and the creative industries lean later, often running well past 18:00. Lunch breaks are short by continental standards, frequently eaten at the desk, though post-work drinks in a pub remain a stable institution. Public holidays follow the England and Wales calendar, with significant additions in late August and at Christmas closing much of the city.