Calculate time between time zones

This article demonstrates how to build a time zone chart and calculate times different than your time zone.

The worksheet below lets you enter cities and their time difference. Excel calculates the corresponding local times in E5:E8. Press F9 to refresh the time and date in cell E3.

1. How to calculate time zone differences

This worksheet lets you enter cities and their time difference. Excel calculates the corresponding local times in E5:E8. Press F9 to refresh the time and date in cell E3.

Formula in cell E3:

Formula in cell E5: =$E$3+C5/24 Copy this cell and paste to E6:E8. There are both absolute and relative cell references in this formula.

Did you know that Excel stores date and time as a number? 16 June 2015 is stored as 42171. 16 June 2015 12:00 is 42171.5. Time is the decimal part of the number (0.5) and the date is 42171.

You can verify that this is true, type a date in a cell. Select the cell and press CTRL + 1. Change the formatting to General.

To add 7 hours to a datetime value you need to divide the hours by 24. 7/24 + 42171 = 42171.02916667. That explains the formula in cell E5: =$E$3+C5/24

Another example, 24 hours (1 day) is equal to 1. 42171 + 24 hours is 42171 + 24/24 = 42172.

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2. Find the time difference

How do you know the time difference between where you live and another city/country? You don't, some countries use daylight saving time (summertime) or have changed their time zone. It can be really confusing.

Go to https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ and search for a city, it is the only way.

Type the time difference in column C, Excel calculates the time for you in column E.

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3. How to create a time zone chart

This chart shows you the world divided into 24 time zones, in a perfect world this could be useful. Unfortunately, it is pretty much useless.

Don't use this chart to find the time difference between the two cities. It is not accurate, some countries have changed their time zone and use daylight saving time.

I have included this chart in this post only to show you how I built it.

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3.1 How I built the chart

3.1.1 Values and formulas

1. Go to sheet2
2. Type these values in columns B and C, see pic below.
3. Type this formula in cell D2: =IF(B2=Sheet1!$D$12, 1, 0)
4. Copy cell D2 and paste to D3:D26

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3.1.2 Insert a Drop-down List

1. Go to sheet1, select cell D12
2. Go to tab "Data"
3. Click the "Data Validation" button
4. Select List
5. Enter these numbers: -12, -11, -10, -9, -8, -7, -6, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6, +7, +8, +9, +10, +11, +12, +13, +14
   
6. Click OK.

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3.1.3 Insert a column Chart

1. Go to sheet2.
2. Select cell range B2:C26.
3. Go to tab "Insert" on the ribbon.
4. Click the "Column chart" button.
   
5. Right-click on the chart and click "Select Data...".
6. Click the "Edit" button below Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels.
7. Select cell range B2:B26.
8. Click OK.
9. Select "Series1".
10. Click the "Edit" button.
11. Select cell range C2:C26 as series values.
    
12. Click OK.
13. Select Series2.
14. Click "Remove" button.
15. Click OK.

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3.1.4 Adjust and remove vertical axis

1. Right click on the vertical axis.
2. Click "Format Axis...".
3. Change "Maximum Value" to "Fixed" and type 1.
4. Click "Close" button.
5. Select "Vertical Axis" and press Delete.

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3.1.5 Remove legend and major horizontal gridlines

1. Select "Legend".
2. Delete "Legend".
3. Select major horizontal gridlines.
4. Delete.

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3.1.6 Add vertical grid lines

1. Select chart.
2. Go to tab "Layout" on the ribbon.
3. Click "Gridlines" button.
4. Click "Primary Vertical Gridlines".
5. Click "Major Gridlines".

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3.1.7 Add map to chart background

I found a world map at wikimedia commons. Copy picture (Ctrl + C)

1. Right click on plot area.
2. Click "Format Plot Area...".
3. Click "Picture or texture fill".
   
4. Click "Clipboard" button.
5. Click Close button.

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3.1.8 Adjust column gap width and transparency

1. Right-click on the column.
2. Click "Format Data Series...".
3. Change gap width to 0%.
   
4. Go to the "Fill" category.
5. Click "Solid fill".
6. Change transparency to 50%.
   
7. Click the Close button.

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