# Convert between time zones

Shape / columns

A variant of [Parse a date or time](https://meridian.online/operations/parse-a-date-or-time).

Attach, change or convert the time zone of a timestamp.

Page: <https://meridian.online/operations/parse-a-date-or-time/convert-between-time-zones>

## Status

Runs as a SQL step.

arcform carries it as a `sql:` step today.

## The DuckDB step

attach a time zone and convert between zones

```sql
CREATE TEMP TABLE result AS
SELECT TIMESTAMPTZ '2026-02-10 00:00:00+00' AT TIME ZONE 'Australia/Sydney' AS sydney_clock,
       TIMESTAMP '2026-02-10 09:00:00' AT TIME ZONE 'Australia/Sydney' AS sydney_instant,
       TIMESTAMPTZ '2026-07-01 12:00:00+00' AT TIME ZONE 'Europe/London' AS london_clock;
-- an instant is printed as epoch seconds, so the recorded output does not depend on the machine's time zone
SELECT sydney_clock, epoch(sydney_instant) AS sydney_instant_epoch, london_clock FROM result;
SELECT CASE WHEN ((SELECT sydney_clock = TIMESTAMP '2026-02-10 11:00:00' AND epoch(sydney_instant) = epoch(TIMESTAMPTZ '2026-02-09 22:00:00+00') AND london_clock = TIMESTAMP '2026-07-01 13:00:00' FROM result)) THEN 'as expected' ELSE error('Sydney was not 11 hours ahead of UTC in February or London one hour ahead in July') END AS verdict;
```

The statement builds its own data.

It needs nothing installed beyond DuckDB itself.

## What other tools call it

Meridian's classification; an independent blind rating agreed on 95.7% of 324 rows (variant, version 3).

- DuckDB: [`Timestamp with Time Zone Functions (family)`](https://duckdb.org/docs/current/sql/functions/timestamptz) (read 2026-09-27)
- Duckle: [`Timezone Convert`](https://github.com/slothflowlabs/duckle/blob/f85f8960edfb6efbf4cb89d58a7b32e16df0e867/website/docs/components.html) (read 2026-09-25)
- KNIME Analytics Platform: [`Time Zone Modifier`](https://api.hub.knime.com/nodes/*TjEOSAwWOTvwy15U?details=full) (read 2026-09-27)
- Power Query M: [`DateTimeZone functions`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powerquery-m/datetimezone-functions) (read 2026-09-27)