The perfect TimeZone selectbox list for PHP 5.3+

timezone.php

<?php
$regions = array(
    'Africa' => DateTimeZone::AFRICA,
    'America' => DateTimeZone::AMERICA,
    'Antarctica' => DateTimeZone::ANTARCTICA,
    'Aisa' => DateTimeZone::ASIA,
    'Atlantic' => DateTimeZone::ATLANTIC,
    'Europe' => DateTimeZone::EUROPE,
    'Indian' => DateTimeZone::INDIAN,
    'Pacific' => DateTimeZone::PACIFIC
);

$timezones = array();
foreach ($regions as $name => $mask)
{
    $zones = DateTimeZone::listIdentifiers($mask);
    foreach($zones as $timezone)
    {
		// Lets sample the time there right now
		$time = new DateTime(NULL, new DateTimeZone($timezone));

		// Us dumb Americans can't handle millitary time
		$ampm = $time->format('H') > 12 ? ' ('. $time->format('g:i a'). ')' : '';

		// Remove region name and add a sample time
		$timezones[$name][$timezone] = substr($timezone, strlen($name) + 1) . ' - ' . $time->format('H:i') . $ampm;
	}
}


// View


print '<label>Select Your Timezone</label><select id="timezone">';
foreach($timezones as $region => $list)
{
	print '<optgroup label="' . $region . '">' . "\n";
	foreach($list as $timezone => $name)
	{
		print '<option name="' . $timezone . '">' . $name . '</option>' . "\n";
	}
	print '<optgroup>' . "\n";
}
print '</select>';

For anyone wondering, this generates a list like so:

<select id="timezone">
<optgroup label="Africa">
<option name="Africa/Abidjan">Abidjan - 22:18 (10:18 pm)</option>
................
<option name="Africa/Windhoek">Windhoek - 23:18 (11:18 pm)</option>
<optgroup>
<optgroup label="America">
<option name="America/Adak">Adak - 13:18 (1:18 pm)</option>
................
<option name="America/Argentina/San_Luis">Argentina/San_Luis - 19:18 (7:18 pm)</option>
................
</optgroup>
................
</select>

Should really change the

to

Nice script, just one typo "Aisa" should be "Asia" for anyone using this -- otherwise pefect!

Without a doubt the best approach to displaying timezones in php that I have seen in my 15+ years of php development. Nice job.

Thanks @xeoncross!

Thank you very much it is a best script .

Great, I never knew about this. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing!

Missing Australia as a timezone region.

A million thanks! This is awesome and I'll apply it! <3

how to add GMT + in front before region ?

I have recently open-sourced a PHP class and corresponding jQuery class that consumes the JSON data the class generates. Somewhat the same concept as this snippet but much more sophisticated. It has a select list for region (defaults to US timezones) and an autocomplete select list for the timezones within the region. timezoneWidget

Where's Australia bro, what the hell?

'Australia' => DateTimeZone::AUSTRALIA,

Love the script but

Great little snippet, thank you!
suggest you change

print '<option name="' . $timezone . '">' . $name . '</option>' . "\n";

to

print '<option value="' . $timezone . '">' . $name . '</option>' . "\n";

Your 10 years ago script really save my day in 2021
Thank you very much for your contribution.

💯