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# Date.prototype.getTimezoneOffset()

The **`getTimezoneOffset()`** method returns the difference, in minutes, between a date as evaluated in the UTC time zone, and the same date as evaluated in the local time zone.

## Syntax

```js
getTimezoneOffset()
```

### Return value

The difference, in minutes, between the date as evaluated in the UTC time zone and as evaluated in the local time zone. The actual local time algorithm is implementation-defined, and the return value is allowed to be zero in runtimes without appropriate data.

## Description

`date.getTimezoneOffset()` returns the difference, in minutes, between `date` as evaluated in the UTC time zone and as evaluated in the local time zone — that is, the time zone of the host system in which the browser is being used (if the code is run from the Web in a browser), or otherwise the host system of whatever JavaScript runtime (for example, a Node.js environment) the code is executed in.

### Negative values and positive values

The number of minutes returned by `getTimezoneOffset()` is positive if the local time zone is behind UTC, and negative if the local time zone is ahead of UTC. For example, for UTC+10, `-600` will be returned.

| Current time zone | Return value |
| ----------------- | ------------ |
| UTC-8             | 480          |
| UTC               | 0            |
| UTC+3             | -180         |

### Varied results in Daylight Saving Time (DST) regions

In a region that annually shifts in and out of Daylight Saving Time (DST), as `date` varies, the number of minutes returned by calling `getTimezoneOffset()` can be non-uniform.

> **Note:** `getTimezoneOffset()`'s behavior will never differ based on the time when the code is run — its behavior is always consistent when running in the same region. Only the value of `date` affects the result.

In most implementations, the [IANA time zone database](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time#IANA_time_zone_database) (tzdata) is used to precisely determine the offset of the local timezone at the moment of the `date`. However, if such information is unavailable, an implementation may return zero.
