# How do time zones work at the poles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 28, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-time-zones-work-at-the-poles/614271 "2012-02-28T18:37:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whammo72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Whammo72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo72)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-time-zones-work-at-the-poles/614271/1 "2012-02-28T18:37:54Z")
:dubious: Looking at a north american map of the time zones and they appear to go up above alaska… I’m wondering what happens past that? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-time-zones-work-at-the-poles/614271/2 "2012-02-28T18:43:00Z")
The entire first page of results when you google “time zones at poles” is directly relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-time-zones-work-at-the-poles/614271/3 "2012-02-28T19:38:22Z")
Does it really matter, though? I mean, it’s either dark or it’s light, and it’s not as if there are millions of people concerned… ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-time-zones-work-at-the-poles/614271/4 "2012-02-28T19:45:59Z")
It should always be noon since the Sun is always directly south/north of you, but I believe the North Pole uses UTC (aka GMT) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-time-zones-work-at-the-poles/614271/5 "2012-02-28T19:46:13Z")
When I was in the Arctic years ago (on a submarine), we just used Zulu (GMT) time. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-time-zones-work-at-the-poles/614271/6 "2012-02-28T19:57:23Z")
Apparently, it’s arbitrary, but the time used is generally tied to place where support comes from. In Antarctica, that’s generally New Zealand and in the Arctic, that’s generally Alaska. However, it varies. especially as you venture further from the actual poles into the lower latitudes. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-time-zones-work-at-the-poles/614271/7 "2012-02-28T22:34:46Z")
At the North Pole, they’re on Elvish Standard Time, since Santa and his elves are the only ones up there. South Pole, I dunno, probably some sort of space time. Do Things even have watches? ---
**Author:** ![Whammo72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Whammo72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo72)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-time-zones-work-at-the-poles/614271/8 "2012-02-28T22:41:13Z")
Very cool, thanks.