CET to AKST Converter
Convert time between Central European Time (CET) and Alaska Standard Time (AKST)
Central European Time (CET)
Alaska Standard Time (AKST)
Time Difference
Alaska Standard Time (AKST) is 0 hours ahead of Central European Time (CET)
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Select Time
Quick Reference
| CET | AKST |
|---|---|
| 03:00 | 17:00 |
| 05:00 | 19:00 |
| 07:00 | 21:00 |
| 09:00 | 23:00 |
| 11:00 | 01:00 |
| 13:00 | 03:00 |
| 15:00 | 05:00 |
| 17:00 | 07:00 |
| 19:00 | 09:00 |
| 21:00 | 11:00 |
| 23:00 | 13:00 |
| 01:00 | 15:00 |
Top 10 Most Common Time Zones
| Abbreviation | Full Name | UTC Offset | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | Coordinated Universal Time | UTC ±0 | Global reference standard (servers, logs, APIs) |
| EST / EDT | Eastern (US) Time | UTC −5 / −4 | New York, Toronto — North American business hub |
| CST / CDT | Central (US) Time | UTC −6 / −5 | Chicago, Dallas — US central business region |
| PST / PDT | Pacific (US) Time | UTC −8 / −7 | San Francisco, Los Angeles — tech industry standard |
| GMT / BST | Greenwich Mean / British Summer Time | UTC 0 / +1 | UK, used globally as a reference with UTC |
| CET / CEST | Central European (Summer) Time | UTC +1 / +2 | Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam — EU business core |
| IST | India Standard Time | UTC +5:30 | India — major IT & outsourcing region |
| CST | China Standard Time | UTC +8 | Beijing, Shanghai — East Asia business hub |
| JST | Japan Standard Time | UTC +9 | Tokyo — finance & tech hub |
| AEST / AEDT | Australian Eastern (Daylight) Time | UTC +10 / +11 | Sydney, Melbourne — APAC regional business |
Why Time Zone Abbreviations Are Ambiguous
Unlike standardized identifiers (like America/New_York or Europe/London from the IANA tz database), abbreviations such as "CST" or "IST" are not globally unique. They can refer to different time zones depending on context — country, region, or even time of year (due to daylight saving time).
Common Ambiguous Time Zone Abbreviations
| Abbrev. | Common Meaning(s) | UTC Offset | Region(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CST | Central Standard Time / China Standard Time / Cuba Standard Time | UTC−6 / UTC+8 / UTC−5 | North America, China, Cuba |
| IST | Indian Standard Time / Irish Standard Time / Israel Standard Time | UTC+5:30 / UTC+1 / UTC+2 | India, Ireland, Israel |
| AST | Atlantic Standard Time / Arabia Standard Time | UTC−4 / UTC+3 | Caribbean, Canada, Middle East |
| PST | Pacific Standard Time / Philippine Standard Time | UTC−8 / UTC+8 | North America, Philippines |
| EST | Eastern Standard Time (North America / Australia) | UTC−5 / UTC+10 | North America, Australia |
✅ Best Practice
To avoid ambiguity, always:
- Use IANA tz identifiers — e.g.,
America/New_Yorkinstead of "EST" - Specify UTC offset explicitly — e.g.,
UTC−5when abbreviations must be used - Include the full timezone name — e.g., "Eastern Standard Time (EST)" with UTC offset
Related Time Zone Conversions
About CET to AKST Time Conversion
Converting time between Central European Time (CET) and Alaska Standard Time (AKST) is essential for coordination between Europe and Alaska. CET is UTC+1, while AKST is UTC-9, making AKST 10 hours behind CET.
This conversion is crucial for international business operations spanning Europe and Alaska, including Anchorage and other major Alaskan cities. Both regions observe daylight saving time, with CET transitioning to CEST (UTC+2) from March to October, and AKDT (Alaska Daylight Time, UTC-8) being active from March to November. This means the actual difference can vary between 9 and 10 hours depending on the time of year.
Common Use Cases for CET to AKST Conversion
Business & Work
- Scheduling meetings between European and Alaska-based businesses and operations
- Coordinating operations between European and Alaska regional offices
- Managing international teams across Europe and Alaska
- Planning conference calls with distributed global teams in Alaska time zone
- Coordinating with oil, gas, fishing, and tourism industries in Alaska
Personal & Travel
- Coordinating with family and friends in Europe from Alaska
- Planning travel between Europe and Alaska
- Scheduling virtual events and online meetings across extreme time zones
- Coordinating online classes, training, or collaboration sessions
- Tracking European events and live broadcasts from Alaska
Time Zone Information
Central European Time (CET)
- UTC Offset: UTC+1 (UTC+2 during CEST)
- IANA Timezone: Europe/Paris
- Daylight Saving: Last Sunday in March to Last Sunday in October
- Major Cities: Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Vienna, Prague, Milan, Madrid
- Coverage: Central Europe including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, and more
Alaska Standard Time (AKST)
- UTC Offset: UTC-9 (UTC-8 during AKDT)
- IANA Timezone: America/Anchorage
- Daylight Saving: Second Sunday in March to First Sunday in November (AKDT)
- Major Cities: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan
- Coverage: Alaska, including the vast majority of the state's population and major cities
Quick Reference: CET to AKST
Note: AKST is always 10 hours behind CET (November-March when AKST is active), or 9 hours behind when AKDT (UTC-8) is active (March-November). Alaska is almost a full day behind Central Europe!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between CET and AKST?
Central European Time (CET) is UTC+1, while Alaska Standard Time (AKST) is UTC-9. This means CET is 10 hours ahead of AKST. When you have 12:00 PM noon in Paris (CET), it's 2:00 AM the same day in Anchorage (AKST). During summer when AKDT (UTC-8) is active, the difference becomes 9 hours.
How does the CET to AKST offset compare to other North American time zones?
AKST is the furthest west major North American timezone. It's 2 hours behind PST/PDT. Since CET is 10 hours ahead of AKST, it's 9 hours ahead of PST/PDT and 8 hours ahead of PDT during daylight saving. Alaska is almost a full day behind Europe!
Does Europe observe daylight saving time like AKST does?
Yes, Europe observes daylight saving time. CET transitions to CEST (Central European Summer Time, UTC+2) from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. AKST transitions to AKDT (Alaska Daylight Time, UTC-8) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. These transitions happen on different dates, creating periods where the offset is either 9 or 10 hours.
When do the daylight saving time transitions occur?
Europe transitions to summer time on the last Sunday in March and back to standard time on the last Sunday in October. Alaska transitions to daylight time on the second Sunday in March and back to standard time on the first Sunday in November. This means there are 1-2 week periods where the offset differs by one hour when only one region is in daylight saving time.
What are the best times to schedule calls between Europe and Alaska?
Due to the massive 10-hour difference, overlapping business hours are extremely limited. Early morning in Europe (7-9 AM CET) overlaps with early evening the previous day in Alaska (9-11 PM AKST). Evening in Europe (5-7 PM CET) overlaps with early morning in Alaska (7-9 AM AKST). The 5-7 PM CET window (7-9 AM AKST) offers the best overlap.
Why would businesses coordinate between Europe and Alaska?
Alaska hosts significant oil and gas operations, fishing industries, mining, and tourism ventures. Many European companies have partnerships with Alaskan businesses. The extreme time difference requires careful scheduling and often benefits from asynchronous communication, delegation, and follow-the-sun workflows where work is coordinated across the massive time gap.
Pro Tips
- • Europe transitions on the last Sunday of March and October, while Alaska transitions on the second Sunday of March and first Sunday of November. Mark your calendar for these dates as they create temporary offset changes.
- • The 10-hour gap is extreme - a 5 PM CET call is 7 AM AKST. The best real-time meeting window is 5-7 PM CET (7-9 AM AKST) when both sides can be alert.
- • European morning standups (9 AM CET) overlap with Alaska midnight (11 PM AKST previous day). This is not ideal. Schedule important discussions at 5-6 PM CET (7-8 AM AKST) instead.
- • Leverage asynchronous communication heavily. The time difference is so extreme that email, recorded updates, and shared documents work better than real-time meetings.
- • Use "follow-the-sun" workflows: Europeans work during their day, hand off to Alaska in their morning, and continue the cycle. This maximizes productivity across the 10-hour gap.
- • The 5-7 PM CET window (7-9 AM AKST) is your only practical synchronous meeting window. Guard this time carefully for important discussions that require real-time interaction.
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