Most people assume Russia, the largest country in the world by area, has the most time zones. It doesn’t. Here are the actual countries with the most time zones.
Countries with the Most Time Zones
- France — spans 12 time zones, the most of any country in the world, thanks entirely to its scattered overseas territories from French Polynesia to French Guiana to Réunion
- United States — spans 11 time zones once its territories (including Guam and American Samoa) are counted alongside the 50 states
- Russia — spans 11 time zones across its mainland territory, more than any country using only contiguous domestic land
- United Kingdom — spans 9 time zones counting its overseas territories, from the Pitcairn Islands to the British Indian Ocean Territory
- Australia and Antarctica claims — Australia’s external territories add several additional time zones to its mainland three
See area figures for these countries on our Rankings page.
Why France, Not Russia, Tops This List
Russia’s 11 time zones all fall within one contiguous landmass. France’s 12 time zones are the result of its overseas departments and territories scattered across the globe — from the Caribbean to the South Pacific to the Indian Ocean — a legacy of its colonial history that persists today because these territories remain full or semi-autonomous parts of the French Republic rather than independent countries.
The Practical Reality
Despite technically spanning 11 time zones, mainland Russia has pushed toward simplifying its internal time zone map in recent years, and both Russia and China (which spans five geographic time zones but uses a single official time nationwide) illustrate that the number of time zones a country spans and the number it actually observes for practical purposes aren’t always the same thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What country has the most time zones?
France has the most time zones of any country, spanning 12 due to its overseas territories.
Does Russia or the US have more time zones?
The United States has slightly more time zones than mainland Russia once its Pacific territories are included, though Russia has more time zones within contiguous mainland territory.
Why does China only use one time zone?
Despite geographically spanning about five time zones, China has used a single official time zone nationwide since 1949 for administrative simplicity and national unity.
Compare area and geography for any of these countries using our Compare tool.
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