Gets the default timezone used by all date/time functions in a script

date_date_set
date_default_timezone_set
Date/Time Functions
PHP Manual

# date_default_timezone_get

(PHP 5 >= 5.1.0)

date_default_timezone_get — Gets the default timezone used by all date/time functions in a script

### Description

string date_default_timezone_get ( void )

In order of preference, this function returns the default timezone by:

- Reading the timezone set using the date_default_timezone_set() function (if any)

- Reading the TZ environment variable (if non empty) (Prior to PHP 5.3.0)

- Reading the value of the date.timezone ini option (if set)

- Querying the host operating system (if supported and allowed by the OS)

If none of the above succeed, date_default_timezone_get will return a default timezone of UTC.

### Return Values

Returns a string .

### Changelog

Version | Description
--- | ---
5.3.0 | The TZ environment variable is no longer used to guess the timezone.

### Examples

Example #1 Getting the default timezone

`<?php
date_default_timezone_set('Europe/London');
if (date_default_timezone_get()) {
echo 'date_default_timezone_set: ' . date_default_timezone_get() . '<br />';
}
if (ini_get('date.timezone')) {
echo 'date.timezone: ' . ini_get('date.timezone');
}
?>`

The above example will output something similar to:

    date_default_timezone_set: Europe/London
    date.timezone: Europe/London

Example #2 Getting the abbreviation of a timezone

`<?php
date_default_timezone_set('America/Los_Angeles');
echo date_default_timezone_get() . ' => ' . date('e') . ' => ' . date('T');
?>`

The above example will output:

    America/Los_Angeles => America/Los_Angeles => PST

### See Also

- date_default_timezone_set() - Sets the default timezone used by all date/time functions in a script
- List of Supported Timezones

date_date_set
date_default_timezone_set
Date/Time Functions
PHP Manual