Current Time in Preston, England
The live time in Preston (Lancashire), with the GMT or BST status, the next clock change and sunrise and sunset through the year.
About time in Preston
Preston gained city status in 2002 and is known for the Preston Guild, a festival held only once every 20 years, with the next due in 2032. That makes it one of the few places where a calendar date is a civic tradition. It lies about 2.7 degrees west of Greenwich, so solar noon is around 11 minutes late.
- The Preston Guild is held once every 20 years.
- Became a city in 2002.
- Solar noon is about 11 minutes after clock noon.
About 143,000 people live in Preston. At 53.76 degrees north and 2.70 degrees west of Greenwich, true solar noon here falls about 11 minutes after clock noon. The clock itself always matches the rest of the UK.
Sunrise and sunset in Preston through the year
Times for the 15th of each month in UK local time (GMT or BST). Calculated from the city's latitude and longitude.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:20 | 16:20 | 8h 00m |
| February | 07:31 | 17:20 | 9h 49m |
| March | 06:26 | 18:14 | 11h 48m |
| April | 06:11 | 20:11 | 14h 00m |
| May | 05:09 | 21:05 | 15h 56m |
| June | 04:39 | 21:43 | 17h 04m |
| July | 04:58 | 21:33 | 16h 35m |
| August | 05:48 | 20:40 | 14h 52m |
| September | 06:43 | 19:27 | 12h 44m |
| October | 07:37 | 18:14 | 10h 37m |
| November | 07:36 | 16:13 | 8h 36m |
| December | 08:21 | 15:49 | 7h 28m |
Preston time compared with the world
| City | Time now | Gap to the UK |
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| New York | --:-- | |
| Los Angeles | --:-- | |
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| India (Mumbai) | --:-- | |
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Time in nearby cities
Clock change guides
- What Is Daylight Saving Time (DST)? A Plain-English GuideWhat daylight saving time is, how it works in the UK, Europe and the US, why it exists, its history, who uses it and the argument over scrapping it.
- Why Do the Clocks Go Back in October? The Real ReasonThe clocks go back in autumn to return the UK to GMT, so winter mornings are lighter. The history, the rule, what time it happens and what changes for you.
- When Do the Clocks Go Forward Again After Going Back?When the UK clocks go forward again after the autumn change, how long the UK stays on GMT, when evenings get lighter and how to remember to reset your clocks.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Preston in?
Preston is in the UK time zone. It uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+0) in winter and British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) in summer, the same as the rest of the UK.
When do the clocks change in Preston?
The clocks go forward at 01:00 on the last Sunday of March and back at 02:00 on the last Sunday of October. In 2026 that is Sunday, 29 March 2026 and Sunday, 25 October 2026.
How much daylight does Preston get in summer and winter?
Around 17h 06m at the June solstice and 7h 25m at the December solstice, based on its latitude of 53.8 degrees north.
Is Preston on the same time as London?
Yes. All UK clocks show the same time. Because Preston is 2.7 degrees west of Greenwich, solar noon here is about 11 minutes after clock noon (GMT), but the clocks do not differ.