ubuntu set timezone

Ubuntu lets you set the timezone during the installation. If you need to change it at a later point, you can easily do so from system settings or using CLI utilities.

Date & Time Settings

To set the timezone via the GUI,

  1. Search and open ‘Date & Time’ from the Activities overview.
    ubuntu date and time settings
  2. Toggle off Automatic Time Zone if required, then click on the Time Zone field.
    ubuntu time zone setting
  3. Use the map or the search bar to select the timezone. Close the window when you’re done.
    time zones ubuntu

Timedatectl

The timedatectl tool is used to manage the system clock and related settings. You can use the set-timezone option to change the timezone in the following format.

timedatectl set-timezone <Zone/SubZone>

Of course, you’ll need to know the required timezone value for this first. You can use ls /usr/share/zoneinfo and explore your timezone from there.

Or, you can use the list-timezones option like so

timedatectl list-timezones

After you find the timezone, set it as demonstrated below.

sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/Los_Angeles

You can verify the change by checking the system time or by using timedatectl.

Anup Thapa

Senior Writer

Anup Thapa is a Linux enthusiast with an extensive background in computer hardware and networking. His goal is to effectively communicate technical concepts in a simplified form understandable by new Linux users. To this end, he mainly writes beginner-friendly tutorials and troubleshooting guides. Outside of work, he enjoys reading up on a range of topics, traveling, working out, and MOBAs.