The difference between local time and standard time primarily revolves around the concept of time zones.
- Local Time:
- Local time refers to the time in a specific geographic area, adjusted to reflect the time zone of that area. Local time may account for daylight saving time (DST) in some regions, so it can vary depending on the time of year.
- Local time is influenced by the position of the Earth relative to the Sun, and each time zone has its own local time, which is offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
- For example, if you are in New York, the local time will follow Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the winter or Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) in the summer.
- Standard Time:
- Standard time is the time that is established for a particular time zone and is not adjusted for daylight saving time. It is a fixed reference used to avoid confusion during periods of daylight saving time (DST) when the time is adjusted forward or backward.
- Standard time for a region is usually defined as the time offset from UTC (e.g., UTC+5, UTC-3).
- For example, Eastern Standard Time (EST) refers to UTC-5, whereas during daylight saving time, it becomes Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), which is UTC-4.
So, the key difference is that local time may include adjustments for daylight saving time (DST) or other local factors, while standard time refers to a fixed time zone offset without any adjustments for DST.