Geographic position of Nelson
Nelson is located in the Southern Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere. Its coordinates are 41.2708° S, 173.2840° E.
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Distance from the Equator:
about 4,594 km (2,855 mi)
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Distance from the North Pole:
about 14,613 km (9,080 mi)
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Distance from the South Pole:
about 5,425 km (3,371 mi)
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Distance from the Prime Meridian:
about 14,498 km (9,009 mi) east
Nelson lies in the temperate latitude zone. This latitude affects daylight length, seasonal variation and how local solar time compares with standard clock time.
Population Ranking of Nelson
With a population of 54,400, Nelson ranks as the 18th most populous city in New Zealand, out of 58 cities tracked on this site.
Airport in Nelson
Nelson Airport (NSN / NZNS) is a regional airport serving Nelson directly.
Current local time at the airport is 05:20:04.
Daylight saving time changes in Nelson
Nelson uses the IANA time zone identifier Pacific/Auckland. The current local offset is UTC+12 / NZST.
2026
Previous change: Standard time started
- The offset changed from UTC+13 / NZDT to UTC+12 / NZST.
- The clock was moved back from 03:00 to 02:00 local time.
2026
Next change: Daylight saving time starts
- The offset will change from UTC+12 / NZST to UTC+13 / NZDT.
- The clock will be moved forward from 02:00 to 03:00 local time.
Best Time to Call Nelson
Business hours in Nelson (9 AM-5 PM local time) fall at these local times elsewhere:
- New York: 5:00 PM (previous day) - 1:00 AM ( Partial overlap)
- Los Angeles: 2:00 PM (previous day) - 10:00 PM (previous day) ( Partial overlap)
- London: 10:00 PM (previous day) - 6:00 AM ( Outside normal hours)
- Dubai: 1:00 AM - 9:00 AM ( Outside normal hours)
- Mumbai: 2:30 AM - 10:30 AM ( Outside normal hours)
- Tokyo: 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM ( Partial overlap)
- Sydney: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM ( Partial overlap)
Times shown reflect current UTC offsets and may shift by up to an hour around daylight saving transitions.
Time Difference from Nelson
Compare time in Nelson with major cities worldwide.
Time now in other cities in New Zealand
Frequently Asked Questions
What time zone is Nelson in?
Nelson follows the Pacific/Auckland time zone, the official IANA identifier used by computers and databases worldwide to track local time accurately. Right now, this puts Nelson at UTC+12.
What time is it in Nelson right now?
The current local time in Nelson is 05:20:04 on Wednesday, 02 September 2026. This page updates automatically, so refreshing it will always show the live time.
Does Nelson observe daylight saving time?
No. Nelson is not currently observing daylight saving time, so the clock reflects standard time for this time zone.
How far ahead or behind UTC is Nelson?
Nelson is currently UTC+12, meaning local time is +12 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
What is the nearest airport to Nelson?
Nelson Airport (NSN) is the airport serving Nelson. The current local time at the airport is 05:20:04.
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