Geographic position of Shanghai
Shanghai is located in the Northern Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere. Its coordinates are 31.2222° N, 121.4581° E.
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Distance from the Equator:
about 3,476 km (2,160 mi)
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Distance from the North Pole:
about 6,543 km (4,066 mi)
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Distance from the South Pole:
about 13,494 km (8,385 mi)
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Distance from the Prime Meridian:
about 11,562 km (7,184 mi) east
Shanghai lies in the subtropical latitude zone. This latitude affects daylight length, seasonal variation and how local solar time compares with standard clock time.
Population Ranking of Shanghai
With a population of 24,874,500, Shanghai ranks as the 1st most populous city in China, out of 2,061 cities tracked on this site.
Airport in Shanghai
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA / ZSSS) is a major international airport serving Shanghai directly.
Current local time at the airport is 01:14:29.
Daylight saving time in Shanghai
Shanghai uses the IANA time zone identifier Asia/Shanghai. The current local offset is UTC+8 / CST.
Shanghai does not observe daylight saving time in 2026. The UTC offset remains stable throughout the year.
Best Time to Call Shanghai
Business hours in Shanghai (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: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM ( Convenient)
Times shown reflect current UTC offsets and may shift by up to an hour around daylight saving transitions.
Time Difference from Shanghai
Compare time in Shanghai with major cities worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time zone is Shanghai in?
Shanghai follows the Asia/Shanghai time zone, the official IANA identifier used by computers and databases worldwide to track local time accurately. Right now, this puts Shanghai at UTC+8.
What time is it in Shanghai right now?
The current local time in Shanghai is 01:14:29 on Wednesday, 02 September 2026. This page updates automatically, so refreshing it will always show the live time.
Does Shanghai observe daylight saving time?
No. Shanghai is not currently observing daylight saving time, so the clock reflects standard time for this time zone.
How far ahead or behind UTC is Shanghai?
Shanghai is currently UTC+8, meaning local time is +8 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
What is the nearest airport to Shanghai?
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) is the airport serving Shanghai. The current local time at the airport is 01:14:29.
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