How to Show Outlook Calendar Times in Two Time Zones Side by Side

If you schedule meetings across different regions, seeing only your local time zone in the Outlook calendar can lead to confusion and double bookings. Outlook includes a built-in feature that lets you display a second time zone alongside the primary one directly in the calendar grid. This article explains how to enable and configure this view so you can see both time zones simultaneously.

The feature works by adding an extra time label to the left side of the calendar day and week views. You can assign any time zone from the Windows system list to this secondary label. Once set, Outlook shows both time scales side by side, making it easy to compare the current time in two locations without manual conversion.

Below you will find the exact steps to add a second time zone, change the label names, and remove the feature when it is no longer needed. The instructions apply to Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021, Outlook 2019, and Outlook for the web.

How the Two Time Zone Calendar Feature Works

Outlook stores all calendar items in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and displays them in the time zone set on your Windows device. When you enable a second time zone, Outlook does not change the stored time of any appointment. Instead, it adds an additional vertical time scale to the left side of the calendar grid. This scale shows the equivalent local time of the second zone for every hour of the day.

The secondary time zone appears only in the Day view, Work Week view, and Full Week view. It does not appear in the Month view or in the scheduling assistant. The label you assign, such as “London” or “Tokyo,” appears at the top of the secondary scale. You can also swap the order of the time zones so the secondary zone appears first.

This feature is tied to your Windows system time zone settings. If you travel and change the Windows time zone, the primary zone in Outlook updates automatically. The secondary zone stays fixed to the zone you selected. This behavior makes the feature useful for remote workers who need to track their home office time while traveling.

Steps to Add a Second Time Zone in Outlook for Windows

1. Open Outlook Calendar Options
   Open Outlook and select File > Options. In the Outlook Options dialog, select Calendar from the left navigation list.
2. Find the Time Zones Section
   Scroll down to the Time zones section. This section contains the time zone settings for the calendar. The current time zone appears in the Time zone dropdown.
3. Enable the Second Time Zone
   Check the box labeled Show a second time zone. The Label field and Time zone dropdown below it become active.
4. Set the Label and Time Zone
   In the Label field, type a descriptive name for the second time zone, for example “Pacific Time.” In the Time zone dropdown, select the region that matches the second location. The list mirrors the Windows time zone database.
5. Swap Time Zone Order (Optional)
   If you want the second time zone to appear on the left side of the calendar instead of the right, click the Swap Time Zones button located below the time zone dropdowns. This swaps the primary and secondary zones.
6. Apply the Settings
   Click OK to close the Outlook Options dialog. Switch to the Calendar module and select Day, Work Week, or Week view. The secondary time scale now appears on the left side of the grid.

To remove the second time zone later, return to File > Options > Calendar, uncheck Show a second time zone, and click OK. The secondary scale disappears from all calendar views.

Steps to Add a Second Time Zone in Outlook for the Web

Outlook for the web (formerly Outlook Web App) also supports two time zones in the calendar. The setting is located in the calendar settings panel rather than the main Options menu.

1. Open Calendar Settings
   In Outlook for the web, select the Calendar icon in the app launcher or navigation bar. In the top right corner of the calendar, select the gear icon (Settings) and choose View all Outlook settings.
2. Navigate to Calendar Time Zones
   In the Settings panel, select Calendar from the left column. Then select View from the list of calendar options.
3. Add the Second Time Zone
   Scroll to the Time zones section. Check the box labeled Show a second time zone. Choose a label and a time zone from the dropdown list.
4. Save and Refresh
   Click Save at the top of the Settings panel. The calendar refreshes and displays the secondary time scale in Day and Week views.

In Outlook for the web, the second time zone appears on the right side of the calendar grid by default. There is no swap button in the web version. To change the order, you must temporarily change your primary time zone to the desired second zone and then add the original zone as the secondary.

Common Issues When Adding a Second Time Zone

The second time zone does not appear in Month view

This is by design. The secondary time scale is only visible in Day, Work Week, and Week views. Month view shows only the primary time zone. Switch to one of the supported views to see both scales.

The time zone list is missing a region

Outlook uses the Windows time zone database. If a region is missing, ensure your Windows time zone settings are up to date. Open Settings > Time & Language > Date & time and check that the time zone list is complete. Install any pending Windows updates if needed.

The second time zone shows the wrong offset

Outlook retrieves daylight saving time rules from the Windows database. If the offset is incorrect, verify that the Windows time zone for that region has the correct DST rules. For example, if you select “(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada),” Outlook applies the current DST status automatically. Manual override is not available.

Item	Outlook for Windows	Outlook for the Web
Access path	File > Options > Calendar	Settings > View all Outlook settings > Calendar > View
Swap time zones	Yes, via Swap Time Zones button	No swap button available
Visible in Month view	No	No
Visible in Day and Week views	Yes	Yes
Label field	Custom text up to 50 characters	Custom text up to 50 characters

With the second time zone enabled, you can now see the local time of a remote office or a client location directly next to your own time scale. Try adding a third time zone by using a second Outlook profile or a separate calendar overlay for more complex scheduling needs. For frequent travelers, consider setting the secondary zone to your home office and leaving the primary zone on the current location to always see both times without manual math.