Geographic position of Chennai
Chennai is located in the Northern Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere. Its coordinates are 13.0878° N, 80.2785° E.
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Distance from the Equator:
about 1,457 km (905 mi)
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Distance from the North Pole:
about 8,562 km (5,320 mi)
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Distance from the South Pole:
about 11,476 km (7,131 mi)
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Distance from the Prime Meridian:
about 8,704 km (5,408 mi) east
Chennai lies in the tropical latitude zone. This latitude affects daylight length, seasonal variation and how local solar time compares with standard clock time.
Population Ranking of Chennai
With a population of 4,681,087, Chennai ranks as the 6th most populous city in India, out of 3,776 cities tracked on this site.
Nearest Airport to Chennai
Chennai International Airport (MAA / VOMM) is a major international airport located about 16 km (10 mi) from Chennai.
Current local time at the airport is 18:54:28.
Daylight saving time in Chennai
Chennai uses the IANA time zone identifier Asia/Kolkata. The current local offset is UTC+5:30 / IST.
Chennai does not observe daylight saving time in 2026. The UTC offset remains stable throughout the year.
Best Time to Call Chennai
Business hours in Chennai (9 AM-5 PM local time) fall at these local times elsewhere:
- New York: 11:30 PM (previous day) - 7:30 AM ( Outside normal hours)
- Los Angeles: 8:30 PM (previous day) - 4:30 AM ( Partial overlap)
- London: 4:30 AM - 12:30 PM ( Outside normal hours)
- Dubai: 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM ( Partial overlap)
- Tokyo: 12:30 PM - 8:30 PM ( Partial overlap)
- Sydney: 1:30 PM - 9:30 PM ( Partial overlap)
Times shown reflect current UTC offsets and may shift by up to an hour around daylight saving transitions.
Time Difference from Chennai
Compare time in Chennai with major cities worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time zone is Chennai in?
Chennai follows the Asia/Kolkata time zone, the official IANA identifier used by computers and databases worldwide to track local time accurately. Right now, this puts Chennai at UTC+5:30.
What time is it in Chennai right now?
The current local time in Chennai is 18:54:28 on Saturday, 08 August 2026. This page updates automatically, so refreshing it will always show the live time.
Does Chennai observe daylight saving time?
No. Chennai is not currently observing daylight saving time, so the clock reflects standard time for this time zone.
How far ahead or behind UTC is Chennai?
Chennai is currently UTC+5:30, meaning local time is +5:30 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
What is the nearest airport to Chennai?
Chennai International Airport (MAA) is the nearest airport to Chennai, located about 16 km away. The current local time at the airport is 18:54:28.
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