Quebec Time Zone (Q) - Military Time

Quebec Time Zone (Q) corresponds to UTC−4, placing it four hours behind Coordinated Universal Time. It is represented by the letter "Q" in military, aviation, and maritime operations for standardized timekeeping. In civilian use, UTC−4 is observed as Atlantic Standard Time (AST) in regions like Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and eastern Canada, and also serves as daylight saving time under Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) in the United States and Canada.

Importance and Global Use of Quebec Time Zone

Quebec Time is widely used in military and transatlantic coordination, particularly in the North Atlantic and Caribbean regions. The "Q" designation helps prevent confusion in cross-border operations, enabling synchronized planning for aviation, naval activity, and international broadcasts.

In civilian contexts, UTC−4 is followed in regions like eastern Canada, the Caribbean, and as summer time in the Eastern Time Zone of the U.S. and Canada. It plays a key role in transportation, commerce, and digital infrastructure, helping coordinate activities across countries that rely on either year-round UTC−4 or transition to it seasonally. Its broad adoption supports efficient timekeeping across much of the western Atlantic region.

Where and When Quebec time is used worldwide

Quebec Time is used globally as a standardized time reference in military and technical operations, and locally in parts of eastern Canada and the Caribbean. It aligns with UTC−4 and is geographically relevant between approximately 52.5° West and 67.5° West longitude.

Time entries often include the suffix "Q", such as 08:00Q or 0800Q, pronounced "zero eight hundred Quebec", ensuring accurate and consistent communication across regional and international operations.

Some locations with the same time as Quebec time:

• Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Caracas, Venezuela
• Detroit, Michigan, USA
• Havana, Cuba
• Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
• Miami, Florida, USA
• Montréal, Quebec, Canada
• Nassau, Bahamas
• New York, USA
• Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Santiago, Chile
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Washington DC, District of Columbia, USA

Other Time Zones in UTC -4

Other time zones share the same offset as Quebec Time Zone (Q), but are known by different names. While their clocks align, they may represent different regions or countries based on local time zone definitions.

• Amazon Time – AMT
• Atlantic Standard Time – AST
• Bolivia Time – BOT
• Cuba Daylight Time – CDT
• Chile Standard Time – CLT
• Eastern Daylight Time – EDT
• Guyana Time – GYT
• Venezuelan Standard Time – VET
• Eastern Time – ET