Continental Chile is situated geographically in UTC−05.

Currently, Chile uses 2 different UTC offsets at any given point in the calendar year. Since it practices daylight saving time, in total 4 time zones are used. Current rules are in effect since 1970.

• During winter, after the second Saturday of March and up to the second Saturday of October
  • For the mainland, it uses UTC-4 (CLT, Chile Standard Time)
  • For Easter Island, it uses UTC-6 (EAST, Easter Island Standard Time)

• During summer, after the second Saturday of October and up to the second Saturday of March daylight saving time is in effect
  • For the mainland, it uses UTC-3 (CLDT, Chile Daylight Time)
  • For Easter Island, it uses UTC-5

In mainland Chile Time is changed at 24:00 on a Saturday, i.e. at 0:00 on the following Sunday. In Easter Island time is changed at 20:00 on a Saturday.

History

On March 1st, 1894, the first official time signal operates in Valparaiso at -4 hours, 46 minutes and 34 seconds with respect to GMT (UTC disn't exist).

In 1903 another official time was operating in Coquimbo. It was synchronized at -4 hours, 45 minutes 20,7 seconds with respect to GMT.

In January 10, 1910, Chile adopted GMT-5 as its official time.

On July 1st, 1919 time was set as 4 hours 42 minutes 46.3 seconds before Greenwich.

Exceptions

Several exceptions have been decreed to the current rule that began in 1970.

In 1987 the daylight saving time change was delayed until Saturday 11 April to accommodate a visit by Pope John Paul II

In 1988 the daylight saving time began a week earlier, in order to have more light for the Chilean national plebiscite of 5 October

In 1990 the daylight saving time end was delayed up to 17 March, because Patricio Aylwin began his presidential period on 11 March

In 1990 the daylight saving time beginning was at the end of 15 September, in order to save electricity due to unfavorable hydrological conditions

In 1997 the standard time beginning was at the end of 29 March, in order to cope with the unfavorable hydrological conditions

In 1999 the daylight saving time end was delayed to the first Saturday of April, due to a severe drought

In 2008 the daylight saving time end was delayed 3 weeks, due to a severe drought

Due to the 2010 Chile earthquake daylight saving time ended at 0:00 of 4 April on Continental Chile (20:00 Saturday 3rd on Easter Island)

In 2011 the government decided to make the change in the first Saturday of April. Later the change was postposed to the first Saturday of May.

tz database

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} History of the Official Time of Chile Hora Oficial de Chile
2. ^ ^{a b c} Preguntas Frecuentes, Hora Oficial de Chile, page 5, (Spanish)
3. ^ Preguntas Frecuentes, Hora Oficial de Chile, page 6, (Spanish)
4. ^ Chile Extends Daylight Saving Due to Earthquake Time and Date, 10 March 2010
5. ^ EMOL, March 28, 2011, Gobierno pospone cambio de hora hasta el primer sábado de mayo (Spanish)

La Hora Oficial de Chile, Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada

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