Days in Sandakan are currently getting shorter, about 2 minutes shorter than a week ago.*
* Calculated from sunrise and sunset times; actual visible daylight can vary slightly with weather, elevation and atmospheric conditions.
Geographic position of Sandakan
Sandakan is located in the Northern Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere. Its coordinates are 5.8402° N, 118.1179° E.
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Distance from the Equator:
about 650 km (404 mi)
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Distance from the North Pole:
about 9,369 km (5,822 mi)
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Distance from the South Pole:
about 10,669 km (6,629 mi)
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Distance from the Prime Meridian:
about 13,081 km (8,128 mi) east
Sandakan lies in the tropical latitude zone. This latitude affects daylight length, seasonal variation and how local solar time compares with standard clock time.
Antipode of Sandakan
The point on Earth exactly opposite Sandakan is near Manaus - when it's noon in Sandakan, it's close to midnight there.
Golden Hour & Blue Hour in Sandakan
Approximate times based on sunrise/sunset. Actual golden hour quality varies with weather and season.
Current Season in Sandakan
Sandakan is currently in Autumn. Winter begins around December 21, which is 68 days from now.
Because Sandakan is in the Northern Hemisphere, its seasons run opposite to cities in the other hemisphere. When it is autumn here, places on the other side of the equator are experiencing the opposite season at the same time.
Longest & Shortest Day in Sandakan
In Sandakan, the longest day of the year falls around June 21 and lasts about 12h 27m. The shortest day falls around December 21 and lasts about 11h 47m, a difference of roughly 0h 40m between the two.
This seasonal swing depends on Sandakan's latitude: cities closer to the equator see little variation in daylight throughout the year, while cities farther from it, like Sandakan at 5.84° N, experience a much wider gap between summer and winter daylight.
Population Ranking of Sandakan
With a population of 439,050, Sandakan ranks as the 22nd most populous city in Malaysia, out of 355 cities tracked on this site.
Airport in Sandakan
Sandakan Airport (SDK / WBKS) is a regional airport serving Sandakan directly.
Current local time at the airport is 11:43:42.
Daylight saving time in Sandakan
Sandakan uses the IANA time zone identifier Asia/Kuching. The current local offset is UTC+8 / +08.
Sandakan does not observe daylight saving time in 2026. The UTC offset remains stable throughout the year.
Best Time to Call Sandakan
Business hours in Sandakan (9 AM-5 PM local time) fall at these local times elsewhere:
- New York: 9:00 PM (previous day) - 5:00 AM ( Partial overlap)
- Los Angeles: 6:00 PM (previous day) - 2:00 AM ( Partial overlap)
- London: 2:00 AM - 10:00 AM ( Outside normal hours)
- Dubai: 5:00 AM - 1:00 PM ( Outside normal hours)
- Mumbai: 6:30 AM - 2:30 PM ( Partial overlap)
- Tokyo: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM ( Convenient)
- Sydney: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM ( Partial overlap)
Times shown reflect current UTC offsets and may shift by up to an hour around daylight saving transitions.
Time Difference from Sandakan
Compare time in Sandakan with major cities worldwide.
Time now in other cities in Malaysia
Public Holidays Affecting Sandakan
Official national holiday observed in Malaysia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time zone is Sandakan in?
Sandakan follows the Asia/Kuching time zone, the official IANA identifier used by computers and databases worldwide to track local time accurately. Right now, this puts Sandakan at UTC+8.
What time is it in Sandakan right now?
The current local time in Sandakan is 11:43:42 on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. This page updates automatically, so refreshing it will always show the live time.
Does Sandakan observe daylight saving time?
No. Sandakan is not currently observing daylight saving time, so the clock reflects standard time for this time zone.
How far ahead or behind UTC is Sandakan?
Sandakan is currently UTC+8, meaning local time is +8 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
What is the nearest airport to Sandakan?
Sandakan Airport (SDK) is the airport serving Sandakan. The current local time at the airport is 11:43:42.
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