SST — Samoa Standard Time
See what SST means, where it is used, and how UTC-11 compares with other time zones year-round.
Countries: American Samoa
How to Convert SST to Other Time Zones
Open the SST converter page: Go to https://www.xconvert.com/time-converter/sst-time-zone to load a visual comparison grid with Samoa Standard Time (SST) preloaded for American Samoa, typically represented by places such as Pago Pago and Tāfuna. This page is useful when you need to line up business calls, government coordination, shipping schedules, or family travel plans involving one of the westernmost U.S.-linked territories in the South Pacific.
Add comparison cities with the + Add City button: Click “+ Add City” and add specific places you actually work with, such as Honolulu for Pacific aviation and tourism links, Los Angeles for U.S. mainland business coordination, or Auckland for trans-Pacific logistics and regional operations. This is especially practical because American Samoa sits at UTC−11:00, so comparing it with major hubs quickly shows whether a same-day or next-day meeting is realistic.
Drag across the grid to select a time range: Use Select mode, then drag across the SST row to highlight a block such as 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM SST; the purple selection will immediately show the corresponding local times in the other rows. For example, 9:00 AM in SST is 8:00 AM in Honolulu, 3:00 PM in Los Angeles during Pacific Daylight Time, and 6:00 AM the next day in Auckland during New Zealand Standard Time, which helps confirm whether a morning meeting in Pago Pago works for mainland U.S. teams or Asia-Pacific partners.
Export the selected meeting window: After selecting the range, use the export options shown on the page: ICS download, Google Calendar, Gmail, Copy to clipboard, and Share link. That makes it easy to send a confirmed call slot to a distributed team, attach the ICS file to a project handoff, or share a link so everyone sees the same SST-based meeting window in their own local time automatically.
About Samoa Standard Time (SST)
Samoa Standard Time (SST) is the standard time zone used in American Samoa, an unincorporated U.S. territory in the South Pacific. Its exact offset is UTC−11:00, meaning local time in SST is 11 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time; when it is 12:00 UTC, it is 1:00 AM SST on the same calendar date.
SST is used in American Samoa, including principal populated places such as Pago Pago, Tāfuna, Taʻū, and Taulaga. Pago Pago is the territory’s best-known harbor and administrative center, while Tāfuna is one of the most populous communities; together they anchor most of the territory’s government, port, retail, and service activity.
Because SST is UTC−11:00, it is one hour behind Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST, UTC−10:00) and far behind major commercial centers in North America, Europe, and Asia. For example, when it is 9:00 AM in Pago Pago, it is 10:00 AM in Honolulu, 4:00 PM in New York during Eastern Daylight Time, and 9:00 PM in London during British Summer Time, which matters for scheduling calls with U.S. federal agencies, shipping partners, and remote teams.
SST also shares its UTC−11:00 offset with the abbreviations NUT and X, although those labels are used in different contexts and regions. In practical scheduling, the key point is that SST refers specifically to Samoa Standard Time in American Samoa, so using the city name Pago Pago in calendars can reduce ambiguity.
American Samoa has a relatively small population of roughly 49,000 people in recent estimates, but its time zone matters in shipping, fisheries, public administration, education, and Pacific travel planning. Flights and cargo links often connect through Honolulu, so understanding SST helps travelers and logistics planners avoid date confusion when moving between American Samoa and the U.S. mainland.
SST and Daylight Saving Time
Samoa Standard Time does not observe Daylight Saving Time. The DST status for SST is false, which means American Samoa stays on UTC−11:00 all year and does not shift forward or backward seasonally.
In the current year, 2026, SST has no DST start date and no DST end date. It does not switch to a summer time abbreviation, and there is no annual clock change to track, which makes it simpler than many U.S. and Pacific time zones for recurring scheduling.
This year-round consistency is especially useful for fixed weekly coordination with places that do change their clocks. For example, American Samoa remains at UTC−11:00 while Los Angeles moves between UTC−8:00 and UTC−7:00, and New York moves between UTC−5:00 and UTC−4:00; that means the time difference between SST and those cities changes during the year even though SST itself never changes.
A practical example: in January, SST is typically 3 hours behind Los Angeles when California is on Pacific Standard Time, but in July SST is 4 hours behind Los Angeles when California is on Pacific Daylight Time. That seasonal shift matters for recurring vendor calls, airline operations, and remote support schedules, because the American Samoa side stays fixed while the mainland side moves.
SST Compared With Major Time Zones
SST’s fixed position at UTC−11:00 makes it one of the latest civil time zones in the world, sitting near the western edge of the international date structure. This means calls with Asia-Pacific cities often fall on the next calendar day, while calls with the Americas are usually on the same date, making date awareness just as important as hour conversion.
Compared with the U.S. mainland, SST is substantially behind eastern business centers. When it is 9:00 AM SST in Pago Pago, it is 1:00 PM in Denver during Mountain Daylight Time, 3:00 PM in New York during Eastern Daylight Time, and 2:00 PM in Chicago during Central Daylight Time; for federal coordination, banking cutoffs, and customer support windows, that often makes SST mornings the best overlap with U.S. afternoon hours.
Compared with the South Pacific, SST can differ dramatically from nearby island nations because of the International Date Line. Independent Samoa, just a short distance away geographically, operates on the opposite side of the date line at a far-ahead offset, so travelers and businesses must verify not only the hour difference but also the calendar date when arranging ferries, flights, or regional meetings.
SST is also relevant for maritime and aviation planning. Pago Pago International Airport (PPG) and the territory’s port activity connect American Samoa with Honolulu and other Pacific routes, so airlines, cargo handlers, and travelers often need to compare check-in times, departure dates, and arrival dates across multiple time zones that may not share the same day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does SST stand for?
SST stands for Samoa Standard Time. It is the standard time used in American Samoa and is set at UTC−11:00, meaning it is 11 hours behind UTC throughout the year.
Is SST the same as GMT?
No, SST is not the same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). GMT is effectively UTC±0, while SST is UTC−11:00, so SST is 11 hours behind GMT; when it is 12:00 noon GMT, it is 1:00 AM SST.
Which cities use SST?
SST is used in American Samoa, including principal places such as Pago Pago, Tāfuna, Taʻū, and Taulaga. Pago Pago is the best-known administrative and port center, while Tāfuna is one of the territory’s largest populated communities and a common reference point for local time.
What is the UTC offset for SST?
The UTC offset for Samoa Standard Time is UTC−11:00. This means you subtract 11 hours from UTC to get local SST; for example, 18:00 UTC converts to 7:00 AM SST on the same date.
When does SST change?
SST does not change seasonally because American Samoa does not observe Daylight Saving Time. In 2026, there is no DST transition date, no spring clock advance, and no autumn clock rollback, so the territory remains on UTC−11:00 all year.
Is SST the same as Samoa time in the independent country of Samoa?
No, American Samoa and the independent country of Samoa do not use the same time zone. American Samoa uses SST (UTC−11:00), while Samoa is on the other side of the date line, so the difference is large enough that the two locations can be on different calendar days despite being geographically close.
How far behind UTC is Samoa Standard Time?
Samoa Standard Time is 11 hours behind UTC. In practical scheduling terms, if a global meeting is set for 20:00 UTC, participants in American Samoa would join at 9:00 AM SST, which can be convenient for local morning work but may correspond to afternoon or next-day times elsewhere.
Does SST ever switch to daylight time?
No, SST does not switch to any daylight-saving variant. There is no alternate summer abbreviation for American Samoa in regular civil use, so recurring meetings anchored to SST stay fixed locally even when cities like Los Angeles, New York, London, or Auckland change their clocks seasonally.