Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
The Marquesas Islands use Marquesas Time, UTC−9:30 throughout the year. They do not observe daylight saving time. Taiohae, Atuona, Hakahau, and other settlements share this distinctive half-hour offset, while sunrise varies among the islands.
Atuona, French Polynesia
Thursday, 3 September 2026
UTC−9:30 · Pacific/Marquesas
Time and sun data for Atuona — the largest city of Marquesas Islands
The sun in Atuona
Sunrise 05:49 Solar noon 11:47 Sunset 17:45 Daylight 11 h 56 min Night 12 h 04 min Civil twilight 05:28 – 18:06
French Polynesia · 21 cities
Largest cities
All cities
- Anahi
- Atuona
- Eiaone
- Fatu-Hiva
- Hakahau
- Hakahetau
- Hakamaii
- Hanaiapa
- Hanamenu
- Hanapaaoa
- Hanatekuua
- Hanaupe
- Hiva-Oa
- Iles Marquises
- Nuku-Hiva
- Puamau
- Tahauku
- Tahuata
- Taiohae
- Ua Huka
- Ua-Pou
Current time in Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
The appropriate zone identifier is Pacific/Marquesas. Its offset places the archipelago nine hours and thirty minutes behind UTC. The thirty-minute component is important: the Marquesas are half an hour ahead of Tahiti, not a complete hour ahead.
No seasonal clock change applies. A local appointment retains the same relationship to UTC in every month, though its relationship to countries using daylight saving time may shift when those countries adjust their clocks.
French Polynesia contains three UTC offsets, and the Marquesas occupy the middle one. Tahiti and the Society Islands use UTC−10, while the Gambier Islands use UTC−9. Transport schedules should therefore be read in the local time of the departure and arrival archipelagos.
Settlements across the Marquesas
Taiohae is the principal settlement on Nuku Hiva. Atuona serves as a major centre on Hiva Oa, and Hakahau is the principal village on Ua Pou. Other inhabited islands include Ua Huka, Tahuata, and Fatu Hiva, each with smaller coastal communities.
Keep the thirty-minute offset visible in written schedules. Use Taiohae for plans specifically based on Nuku Hiva. Select Atuona rather than a territorial average for Hiva Oa sunrise. Confirm both the island and local date for international calls.
All these settlements agree on civil time. They do not share an identical solar timetable, because the archipelago covers multiple islands and latitudes. A regional current time is useful; a regional sunrise is necessarily less exact.
Sunrise among steep volcanic islands
The Marquesas are high volcanic islands with rugged terrain. Published sunrise normally refers to an ideal horizon, while local ridges can postpone the first sight of the Sun. Coastal orientation also matters: an open view toward the sunrise direction differs from a valley enclosed by steep slopes.
Dawn begins before the astronomical sunrise and may provide useful light even when the solar disc remains hidden. After sunset, twilight likewise continues before full darkness. These distinctions matter for hiking, boating, photography, and travel between villages.
The Marquesas keep time to the half-hour; the mountains are less interested in precision. The annual solar pattern changes without any intervention from the clock. Because there is no daylight saving time, a sudden one-hour shift in a comparison with another country originates abroad. For local daylight, select the island, settlement, and date rather than borrowing a Papeete result.
Questions and answers
- What is the time-zone offset in the Marquesas Islands?
- The Marquesas use UTC−9:30 throughout the year.
- How far ahead are the Marquesas from Tahiti?
- They are thirty minutes ahead, because Tahiti uses UTC−10.
- Do the Marquesas observe daylight saving time?
- No. Their half-hour offset remains unchanged in every season.