Time Difference: Los Angeles and London
London is usually 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles. During short DST transition windows, the gap can briefly narrow to 7 hours.
Daylight saving note: Usually 8 hours. Can briefly be 7 hours when Los Angeles is on PDT and London is on GMT during DST transition weeks.
Hollywood and the City, 8 Hours Apart
London (GMT, UTC+0) is 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles (PST, UTC-8). When London starts work at 9:00 AM GMT, it is 1:00 AM in Los Angeles — the middle of the night. By the time LA wakes up and starts work at 9:00 AM PST, London is already at 5:00 PM — their working day is ending.
Both the US and UK observe daylight saving, but on slightly different schedules. When both regions are on daylight time (PDT/BST), the usual 8-hour gap remains. During short transition windows when Los Angeles is on PDT and London is on GMT, the gap narrows to 7 hours.
The LA-London creative industries relationship is significant: US studios commission UK productions, and UK talent agencies have direct relationships with Hollywood. The 8-hour gap means nearly all UK-LA collaboration is async, with live calls concentrated in a narrow 2-hour morning-LA / end-of-day-London window.
Data point: UK-US trade in creative industries — including film, TV, music, and digital content — exceeds £5 billion annually, with Los Angeles serving as the primary US counterpart to the UK's creative economy. UK DCMS Creative Industries Statistics 2023
Los Angeles to London Conversion Table
This reference table uses the baseline offset (+8h). Use the live clocks above for the current offset, especially when daylight saving changes either city.
| 🇺🇸 Los Angeles (PT) | 🇬🇧 London (GMT) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 08:00 | |
| 03:00 | 11:00 | |
| 06:00 | 14:00 | |
| 09:00 | 17:00 | |
| 12:00 | 20:00 | |
| 15:00 | 23:00 | |
| 18:00 | 02:00 | next day |
| 21:00 | 05:00 | next day |
* "next day" / "prev day" = the converted time falls on a different calendar date.
The 8–10 AM LA Window
The only viable overlap is 8:00–10:00 AM Los Angeles (PST) / 4:00–6:00 PM London (GMT). London is near the end of its day; LA is starting its morning. A 9:00 AM LA call is 5:00 PM London — workable but leaves UK colleagues no room to extend. UK producers and executives working with LA contacts typically block 4:00–6:00 PM GMT as their "LA call" window each day.
Avoiding Los Angeles-London Time Mistakes
The safest way to use this page is to treat the live clocks and the conversion table as two different tools. The live clocks show what is true right now. The table gives you a quick reference based on the page's stated offset, which is useful for planning but still needs the daylight saving note when the two places change clocks on different dates.
Always check the calendar date when the converted time lands near midnight. A late evening time in Los Angeles can become the next day in London, and an early morning time can still be the previous day on the other side. That date shift is the part people miss most often when they copy only the clock time into an email or spreadsheet.
For recurring meetings, verify the same slot twice: once in January and once in July. If the answer changes, daylight saving time is involved. Put both local times in the calendar invite, include the timezone abbreviation, and update the invite before the next clock-change week. That is much safer than writing "9 AM your time" and assuming everyone's calendar will interpret it the same way.
If this is a one-off event, use the live clocks above before sending the final time. If you need a custom hour that is not shown in the table, open the related converter or meeting scheduler and enter the exact date and time. That keeps the result tied to the correct timezone rules instead of a memorized offset.
Abbreviations can be slippery, too. ET can mean EST or EDT depending on the season; London can mean GMT or BST; Sydney can mean AEST or AEDT. When accuracy matters, the city name and IANA timezone are safer than the abbreviation alone. This page uses the city timezone for the live clocks, then explains the seasonal abbreviation changes in the note so you can see why the displayed offset may differ from a simple winter table.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between Los Angeles and London?
London is 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles for most of the year. During short DST transition windows when Los Angeles is on PDT and London is on GMT, the gap can briefly be 7 hours.
What time is 9 AM Los Angeles in London?
9:00 AM Los Angeles (PST) is 5:00 PM London (GMT). During US PDT, 9:00 AM PDT is 4:00 PM London. LA's morning corresponds to London's end-of-day.
Is London further ahead of LA than of New York?
Yes. London (GMT) is 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles (PST) versus 5 hours ahead of New York (EST). The 3-hour difference reflects the fact that LA is 3 time zones west of New York within the US.
What is the best time for a LA-London video call?
The overlap window is 8:00–10:00 AM Los Angeles (PST) / 4:00–6:00 PM London (GMT). This is when both sides are within normal working hours. A 9:00 AM LA call is 5:00 PM London — London is near close of business. Schedule early in LA to give London a usable end-of-day slot.