Current Time in IANA America/Porto_Acre Timezone
IANA Name: America/Porto_Acre
Standard Offset: UTC −05:00
Daylight Saving: No
Currently Observing DST: No ❌
America/Porto_Acre: The Time Zone of Brazil's Far West
America/Porto_Acre is the IANA time zone identifier for the westernmost part of Brazil, covering the state of Acre and a small portion of Amazonas. It operates year-round at a fixed UTC-05:00 offset, with no daylight saving time adjustments. This zone is unique in Brazil as the only one that does not observe DST, and it shares its offset with several other zones across the Americas.
Geographic Scope and Usage
The America/Porto_Acre zone applies to the entire state of Acre (capital: Rio Branco) and the far-western municipalities of Amazonas state, including Atalaia do Norte, Benjamin Constant, Eirunepé, Envira, Guajará, Ipixuna, Itamarati, Jutaí, Lábrea, Pauini, São Paulo de Olivença, and Tabatinga. These areas are located in the Amazon rainforest, near the borders with Peru and Bolivia. The zone is used by approximately 900,000 people.
Standard Offset and Abbreviation
The standard offset is UTC-05:00, meaning that when it is noon in Coordinated Universal Time, it is 07:00 in Porto Acre. The time zone abbreviation commonly used is ACT (Acre Time), though some sources may use -05. Unlike many time zones, there is no alternative abbreviation for a daylight saving period.
No Daylight Saving Time
Brazil previously observed daylight saving time in parts of the country, but Acre and the western Amazonas region never participated. Since 2019, Brazil has abolished DST nationwide, so the entire country now stays on standard time year-round. For America/Porto_Acre, this means the offset remains constant at UTC-05:00 throughout the year, with no biannual clock changes. This simplifies scheduling and avoids the confusion of shifting offsets.
Major Cities and Local Context
The largest city in the zone is Rio Branco, the capital of Acre, with a population of about 400,000. Other notable cities include Cruzeiro do Sul, Sena Madureira, and Tarauacá. In Amazonas, the most significant town is Tabatinga, located on the border with Colombia and Peru. These cities are deeply tied to the Amazon ecosystem and have economies based on agriculture, rubber, and timber.
Business Hours and Call Scheduling
Understanding the offset is crucial for international communication. When it is 09:00 in Porto Acre, it is 14:00 in London (UTC+01:00 during British Summer Time) or 13:00 in New York (UTC-04:00 during Eastern Daylight Time). During standard time in the Northern Hemisphere winter, New York is UTC-05:00, making it the same time as Porto Acre. For calls to São Paulo (UTC-03:00), there is a 2-hour difference: when it is 10:00 in Porto Acre, it is 12:00 in São Paulo. To avoid early or late calls, the best overlap for business with North America is typically 10:00-16:00 Porto Acre time, which corresponds to 09:00-15:00 in Denver (UTC-07:00) or 11:00-17:00 in New York (UTC-05:00).
Comparison with Other Zones at UTC-05:00
Other IANA zones at the same standard offset include America/Atikokan (Ontario, Canada), America/Bogota (Colombia), America/Cancun (Quintana Roo, Mexico), America/Cayman (Cayman Islands), America/Detroit (Michigan, USA), America/Eirunepe (also in Amazonas, Brazil), America/Grand_Turk (Turks and Caicos Islands), America/Guayaquil (Ecuador), America/Havana (Cuba), America/Indiana/Indianapolis, America/Indiana/Marengo, and America/Indiana/Petersburg (all in Indiana, USA). However, many of these zones observe daylight saving time, causing them to shift to UTC-04:00 during summer. Only America/Porto_Acre, America/Eirunepe, America/Bogota, America/Cayman, America/Guayaquil, and America/Indiana/Indianapolis (which also does not observe DST) remain at UTC-05:00 year-round. This makes Porto Acre a stable reference for the offset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does America/Porto_Acre observe daylight saving time?
No, America/Porto_Acre does not observe daylight saving time. The offset is fixed at UTC-05:00 all year. Brazil abolished DST in 2019, and this zone never participated even before that.
What is the time difference between America/Porto_Acre and New York?
During New York's standard time (winter), both are at UTC-05:00, so there is no difference. During New York's daylight saving time (summer), New York is at UTC-04:00, making it one hour ahead of Porto Acre.
Which Brazilian states use America/Porto_Acre?
It covers the entire state of Acre and the far-western municipalities of Amazonas state, including Tabatinga and Eirunepé.
What is the abbreviation for this time zone?
The common abbreviation is ACT (Acre Time). It is also referred to as -05.
Is America/Porto_Acre the same as America/Eirunepe?
Both share the same UTC-05:00 offset and are in Brazil, but they are distinct IANA zones. America/Eirunepe covers a different set of municipalities in Amazonas. In practice, they observe the same time.
What is the best time to call someone in Porto Acre from London?
London is typically UTC+01:00 (BST) in summer and UTC+00:00 (GMT) in winter. In summer, when it is 09:00 in Porto Acre, it is 14:00 in London. A good window is 14:00-20:00 London time (09:00-15:00 Porto Acre time). In winter, the difference is 5 hours: 09:00 Porto Acre = 14:00 London.