Zurich is 9 hours ahead of Los Angeles. Zurich uses Central European Time (CET/CEST, UTC+1/+2) while Los Angeles uses Pacific Time (PST/PDT, UTC-8/-7). When it's 12:00 PM in Los Angeles, it's 9:00 PM in Zurich.
Both cities observe daylight saving time, though on slightly different schedules, so the difference can vary between 8-9 hours during transition periods.
Best calling time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Zurich time. This corresponds to 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM in Los Angeles, catching morning business hours.
Zurich and Los Angeles represent different aspects of global business - Zurich is a major banking and financial center, while LA is the entertainment capital. Swiss International Air Lines and United connect them directly in about 12 hours.