Timezone Overlap Calculator
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Find the working-hours overlap between two team locations — enter UTC offsets and work windows, get the shared meeting band (or the bad news that there isn’t one).
Quick answer: Overlap = the intersection of both teams’ local 9-6 windows after UTC alignment. New York-London: ~4 hours (9am-1pm ET); San Francisco-Bengaluru: zero natural overlap — one side must flex. The calculator shows yours precisely.
The Classic Pairings
| Pair | Gap | Natural overlap (9-18 local) |
|---|---|---|
| NY-London | 5 hrs | 4 hrs (9-13 NY / 14-18 London) |
| London-India | 5.5 hrs | 3.5 hrs (9-12:30 UK / 14:30-18 IST) |
| NY-India | 10.5 hrs | 0 natural — flex required (IST evenings standard) |
| SF-India | 13.5 hrs | 0 — the hardest common pairing; handoff model territory |
| SF-Sydney | ~18 hrs (i.e., −6) | ~3 hrs via the date line (SF afternoon = SYD morning) |
| Dubai-India | 1.5 hrs | 7.5 hrs — effectively same-zone working |
Working the Gap
4+ hours of overlap: schedule normally inside the band. 1-3 hours: guard the band for synchronous work ONLY — standups, decisions, pairing; everything else async. Zero: handoff model — written context, recorded decisions, rotating meeting pain fairly (never always the same side at 10 PM; alternate weeks). The async-first toolkit (docs before meetings, decisions in writing) stops being culture and starts being physics past 8 hours of gap.
Fairness Math
Teams default the burden onto the junior/offshore side — IST evenings for US calls, permanently. Sustainable versions rotate: alternate early/late weeks, comp the flexed side with schedule freedom elsewhere, and price recurring out-of-band meetings honestly with the meeting cost lens (an 8-person call at 9 PM has a fatigue multiplier no calendar shows). DST note: offsets shift twice a year on one side only — recheck bands each March/October/November.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find timezone overlap for meetings?
Convert both teams’ work windows to UTC and intersect — the calculator does it from offsets; NY-London yields ~4 hours, NY-India zero without flexing.
What overlap do distributed teams need?
2-4 shared hours covers standups and decisions; below that, async-first practices and handoff documentation stop being optional.
How do teams handle zero overlap?
Handoff models: written context at day-end, recorded decisions, and rotating any live meetings so the 10 PM pain alternates sides.
Why did my overlap change in November?
Daylight saving — US/EU shifts move offsets by an hour on different dates (and India/Gulf/most of Asia never shift); recompute bands each transition.
What is the India-US working pattern?
IST evening overlap (7-11 PM IST = US morning) is the industry default — fair versions compensate with flexible IST mornings and rotate truly-late calls.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026