How the meeting planner works
Scheduling across time zones means converting a time correctly – including daylight saving time – and finding a window when everyone is working. OverlapHour reads the current offset of each city from your browser's time zone database, converts the meeting time, and checks it against the working hours you set. It then scans the whole day in 30-minute steps to list every slot where all locations are inside working hours.
Daylight saving time
Time differences are not constant. The United States moves its clocks on the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November; most of Europe on the last Sundays of March and October; and southern-hemisphere countries such as Australia and New Zealand change in the opposite seasons. Many countries – including India, China, Japan and most of Africa – don't observe daylight saving at all. For a few weeks each spring and autumn, the gap between New York and London shrinks from five hours to four.
Typical overlap windows
| Teams | Difference | Usual overlap (9 – 6 local) |
|---|
| New York – London | 5 h | 9 AM – 1 PM New York |
| San Francisco – London | 8 h | 9 – 10 AM San Francisco |
| London – Mumbai | 4.5 – 5.5 h | 9 AM – 12:30 PM London |
| New York – Singapore | 12 – 13 h | Little or none – early/late calls |
| Sydney – Los Angeles | 17 – 19 h | Late afternoon LA / morning Sydney |
Tips for distributed teams
- Rotate inconvenient times so the same team isn't always joining at 7 AM or 9 PM.
- Use a shared calendar – invitations automatically show each attendee their local time.
- Write times with the zone ("3 PM CET / 9 AM ET") or in UTC in written communication.
- Keep meetings short when the overlap is small, and move status updates to asynchronous tools.
- Mind weekends: in parts of the Middle East the workweek runs Sunday to Thursday or Monday to Friday depending on the country.
World clocks for the office
Teams that work across regions often hang a set of wall clocks showing headquarters and partner cities, or use desk clocks and watches with a second time zone (GMT or world-time complications). A dual-time watch is a popular gift for frequent travelers: one hand shows home time while the main hands are set to local time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time for a meeting between the US and Europe?
Usually 8 – 11 AM US Eastern Time, which is early to mid-afternoon in most of Europe.
Does this planner handle daylight saving time?
Yes. It uses your browser's time zone database with today's rules for each city.
Is there a good time for a call between New York and Asia?
The overlap is small: early morning in Asia is evening in New York. Many teams alternate between early and late calls.
What is UTC?
Coordinated Universal Time, the reference time standard. Time zones are written as offsets from UTC, such as UTC−5 or UTC+5:30.
Why do some cities have half-hour time zones?
Countries choose their own offset. India uses UTC+5:30 and parts of Australia UTC+9:30, for example.
About OverlapHour
OverlapHour is an independent, free time zone converter and meeting planner for remote teams and international business. Time zone rules come from your browser's built-in time zone database. We are not affiliated with any calendar or video conferencing provider.
Every formula on this page runs entirely in your web browser. The numbers you type are never uploaded, stored or shared. Our goal is simple: give you an honest starting point so you can compare product specifications with confidence and avoid paying for capacity you do not need – or buying something too small to do the job.
The methodology combines widely published engineering rules of thumb, manufacturer data sheets and the electrical code practices that installers use every day. We review the assumptions regularly and update the calculator when typical product specifications change.
Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 28, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how OverlapHour ("we", "us") handles information when you visit this website. By using the site you agree to this policy.
Information we collect
We do not require registration and we do not ask for your name, address or payment details. Values entered into the calculator are processed locally in your browser and are not transmitted to our servers. Like most websites, our hosting provider may automatically record standard server log data such as IP address, browser type, referring page and time of visit for security and performance purposes.
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We use Google AdSense to show advertisements that keep this tool free. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this website or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to users based on their visit to this site and/or other sites on the Internet. You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings, or opt out of some third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalized advertising at www.aboutads.info. To learn more, see How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.
Visitors from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland are shown a consent message powered by a Google-certified consent management platform, where you can accept, reject or manage cookie choices. You can change your choices at any time from the privacy link displayed by that message. Some visitors may also be offered the option to view a short ad or complete another offer in exchange for access to the content; this choice is provided by Google and is entirely optional where alternatives are offered.
Analytics
We may use privacy-friendly, aggregated statistics to understand which features are used. These statistics do not identify you personally.
Your rights
Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR or the CCPA/CPRA), you may have the right to access, correct or delete personal data and to object to certain processing. Because we do not keep personal data from the calculator, most requests can be handled by clearing cookies in your browser. For any other request, contact us at the address above.
Children
This site is intended for a general adult audience and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this section shows when it was last revised.
Terms of Use & Disclaimer
The calculator and articles on this website are provided free of charge for general information and educational purposes only. Results are estimates based on typical values and simplifying assumptions; real-world performance depends on the specific product, installation, climate, wiring and how you use your equipment.
Nothing on this site is professional engineering, electrical or financial advice. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and local electrical codes, and have permanent installations, transfer switches and grid-connected systems designed and installed by a licensed electrician or qualified installer. Never operate fuel-burning generators indoors or in enclosed spaces – carbon monoxide can kill within minutes.
The site is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, OverlapHour is not liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information or results provided. Product and brand names mentioned belong to their respective owners and are used for identification only. You may use the calculator for personal and commercial purposes, but you may not copy or republish the site content without permission.
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