Introduction

Laravel uses UTC as its default timezone for storing timestamps. However, in real-world applications, we often need to display the time in the user’s local timezone. In this article, we’ll walk through how to convert UTC time to a local timezone using Laravel’s built-in tools and Carbon.

1. Set Timezone in Laravel

You can set your application's default timezone in config/app.php:

'timezone' => 'Asia/Kolkata', // or 'America/New_York', etc.

2. Convert UTC Time to Local Using Carbon

If you have a UTC timestamp (from database or external API), convert it like this:

use Carbon\Carbon;

$utcTime = '2025-06-09 12:00:00'; // UTC timestamp
$localTime = Carbon::createFromFormat('Y-m-d H:i:s', $utcTime, 'UTC')
->setTimezone(config('app.timezone'));

echo $localTime->format('Y-m-d h:i A'); // Output in local time

3. Convert Eloquent Timestamps Automatically

If your Eloquent models use timestamps, Laravel already converts them to the app’s timezone when accessed:

$user = User::find(1);
echo $user->created_at->format('Y-m-d h:i A');

This works if your app’s timezone is set properly in config/app.php.

4. Convert to User's Timezone (Optional)

If users have their own timezone setting:

$utcTime = $user->created_at;
$userTimezone = $user->timezone; // e.g. 'Europe/London'

echo $utcTime->setTimezone($userTimezone)->format('Y-m-d h:i A');

5. Storing vs Displaying

• Always store timestamps in UTC in your database.

• Always convert them to the user’s timezone when displaying.

Conclusion

Handling timezones correctly is critical in any application with global users. Laravel makes it easy with its Carbon integration and timezone configuration. By storing UTC and displaying local times, your app will stay accurate and user-friendly worldwide.