Initially, there were 24 time zones, but now, you can't count them on your fingers. This is because some countries like Iran use 30-minute and 45-minute offsets instead of the original one hour. Meaning, there will only be 24  time zones if the one-hour offset is strictly followed. But as countries use 30-45 minutes offsets, more time zones were created. There are too many of them, that’s why some time zones are not known worldwide. If you are curious about the most popular time zone, we're here to help you.

 

Standard Time Zones and Their Abbreviations

Time zones can sometimes be confusing because they are challenging to remember. If you live in a country with a single time zone, then remembering what time zone you are in is a piece of cake. But if you are in France, Russia, or America, dealing with time could be confusing. These three countries have the most time zones globally, though it doesn't mean they have the most popular time zone.

Before we reveal the most popular time zone, here are some common time zones across the world and their abbreviations.

AEST

Australia Eastern Standard Time (AEST) has an offset of UTC +10:00, used in the eastern portion of Australia. Brisbane and Sydney are some of the Australian cities that follow AEST.

ACST 

Australia Central Standard Time (ACST) has an offset of UTC +09:30. ACST is followed in the central portion of Australia, including Adelaide and Darwin.

AFT 

Afghanistan Time (AFT) has an offset of UTC +04:30, which is used in Afghanistan.

AKST

Alaska Standard Time (AKST) has an offset of UTC -09:00, which is used in Alaska. This time zone is changed to Alaska Daylight Time (ADKT) during Daylight Saving Time.

AST

Atlantic Standard Time (AST) has an offset of UTC -04:00. It is changed to Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT) during DST. Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, US Virgin Islands are some of the areas that follow the AST.

CAT

Central Africa Time (CAT) has an offset of UTC +02:00. Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, and Sudan follow CAT.

CET

Central European Time (CET) has an offset of UTC +01:00. This time zone is changed to Central European Summer Time or Central European during Daylight Saving Time. Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, and Denmark are some of the countries that follow CET.

CST

Central Standard Time (CST) has an offset of UTC -06:00. It is changed to Central Daylight Time during Daylight Saving Time. Houston, Mexico City, and Winnipeg follow CST.

EAT

East Africa Time (EAT) has an offset of UTC +03:00, used in Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, and Somalia.

EET

Eastern European Time (EET) has an offset of UTC +02:00. It is changed to Eastern European Daylight Time during clock changes. Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, and Lithuania are some of the countries that follow EET.

EST

Eastern Standard Time (EST) has an offset of UTC -05:00. This time zone is changed to Eastern Daylight Time during DST. New York, Toronto, and Atlanta are some of the places that follow EST.

MSK

Moscow Standard Time (MSK) has an offset of UTC +03:00. It becomes Moscow Summer Time during summer. Belarus and some parts of Russia and Ukraine follow this time.

MST

Mountain Standard Time (MST) has an offset of UTC -07:00. This time zone is changed to Mountain Daylight Time during Daylight Saving Time. Denver, Phoenix, and Calgary follow this time MST.

PST

Pacific Standard Time (PST) has an offset of UTC -08:00. It becomes Pacific Daylight Time during DST. Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas are some of the places that follow PST.

WAT

West Africa Time (WAT) has an offset of UTC +01:00, observed in Angola, Chad, Morocco, and Nigeria.

WET

Western European Time (WET) has an offset of UTC 00:00. United Kingdom, Ireland, and Portugal follow WET.

The Most Popular Time Zone

If we have to choose which is the most popular time zone, it would be the Coordinated Universal Time or UTC because it is the world's standard for regulating clocks. It is also used when referring to other time zones. The coordinated Universal Time Zone is also called Greenwich Mean Time, representing the 0° in longitude or the Prime Meridian.

Aside from the list above, there are other time zones in the world. If you wish to know them, you may check our website to see them at the latest updates regarding time zones. Besides knowing the most popular time zone, you can determine time differences using our tools, so check them out today.