Pacific Time (PT)
Vancouver operates on Pacific Time (PT). Vancouver observes Daylight Saving Time, springing forward one hour in March and falling back in November. During DST, the abbreviation changes to reflect the shift.
Time Zone: Pacific Time (PT) — Standard Offset: UTC-8 (PST) — DST Offset: UTC-7 (PDT)
Country: Canada
This city observes Daylight Saving Time, so the UTC offset changes twice per year. Always verify the current offset when scheduling across time zones.
Vancouver operates on Pacific Time, the same as Seattle (just 2 hours south) and San Francisco. As Canada's western gateway to Asia-Pacific, Vancouver's time zone positions it as a bridge between North American and Asian business. The Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest port by far, handling over $300 billion in trade annually — much of it trans-Pacific cargo from China, Japan, and South Korea.
Vancouver is often called 'Hollywood North' — the city is the third-largest film production center in North America after LA and New York. Production schedules run on PT, often coordinated with LA studios in the same time zone. Vancouver's tech sector has also boomed, with Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and EA operating major offices here. Pacific Time alignment with West Coast US tech hubs is a major advantage.
British Columbia follows the same DST schedule as the US Pacific time zone. The BC legislature passed a bill in 2019 to adopt permanent DST, conditional on Washington and Oregon doing the same. All three jurisdictions are waiting on US Congressional approval, creating a cascading dependency. For now, Vancouver changes clocks with Seattle and San Francisco.
Vancouver's strong cultural and economic ties to Asia — particularly China and India — make its time zone relationship with Asia practically important. Vancouver to Hong Kong is a 16-hour gap (15 during PDT), to Tokyo 17 hours (16 during PDT). The city's large Asian diaspora population means many Vancouver residents routinely communicate across these time zones for both business and personal reasons.