Convert a python UTC datetime to a local datetime using only python standard library?

In Python 3.3+:

from datetime import datetime, timezone

def utc_to_local(utc_dt):
    return utc_dt.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc).astimezone(tz=None)

In Python 2/3:

import calendar
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

def utc_to_local(utc_dt):
    # get integer timestamp to avoid precision lost
    timestamp = calendar.timegm(utc_dt.timetuple())
    local_dt = datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp)
    assert utc_dt.resolution >= timedelta(microseconds=1)
    return local_dt.replace(microsecond=utc_dt.microsecond)

Using pytz (both Python 2/3):

import pytz

local_tz = pytz.timezone('Europe/Moscow') # use your local timezone name here
# NOTE: pytz.reference.LocalTimezone() would produce wrong result here

## You could use `tzlocal` module to get local timezone on Unix and Win32
# from tzlocal import get_localzone # $ pip install tzlocal

# # get local timezone    
# local_tz = get_localzone()

def utc_to_local(utc_dt):
    local_dt = utc_dt.replace(tzinfo=pytz.utc).astimezone(local_tz)
    return local_tz.normalize(local_dt) # .normalize might be unnecessary

Example

def aslocaltimestr(utc_dt):
    return utc_to_local(utc_dt).strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f %Z%z')

print(aslocaltimestr(datetime(2010,  6, 6, 17, 29, 7, 730000)))
print(aslocaltimestr(datetime(2010, 12, 6, 17, 29, 7, 730000)))
print(aslocaltimestr(datetime.utcnow()))

Output

Python 3.3

2010-06-06 21:29:07.730000 MSD+0400
2010-12-06 20:29:07.730000 MSK+0300
2012-11-08 14:19:50.093745 MSK+0400

Python 2

2010-06-06 21:29:07.730000 
2010-12-06 20:29:07.730000 
2012-11-08 14:19:50.093911 

pytz

2010-06-06 21:29:07.730000 MSD+0400
2010-12-06 20:29:07.730000 MSK+0300
2012-11-08 14:19:50.146917 MSK+0400

Note: it takes into account DST and the recent change of utc offset for MSK timezone.

I don't know whether non-pytz solutions work on Windows.

You can't do it with only the standard library as the standard library doesn't have any timezones. You need pytz or dateutil.

>>> from datetime import datetime
>>> now = datetime.utcnow()
>>> from dateutil import tz
>>> HERE = tz.tzlocal()
>>> UTC = tz.gettz('UTC')

The Conversion:
>>> gmt = now.replace(tzinfo=UTC)
>>> gmt.astimezone(HERE)
datetime.datetime(2010, 12, 30, 15, 51, 22, 114668, tzinfo=tzlocal())

Or well, you can do it without pytz or dateutil by implementing your own timezones. But that would be silly.

You can't do it with standard library. Using pytz module you can convert any naive/aware datetime object to any other time zone. Lets see some examples using Python 3.

Naive objects created through class method utcnow()

To convert a naive object to any other time zone, first you have to convert it into aware datetime object. You can use the replace method for converting a naive datetime object to an aware datetime object. Then to convert an aware datetime object to any other timezone you can use astimezone method.

The variable pytz.all_timezones gives you the list of all available time zones in pytz module.

import datetime,pytz

dtobj1=datetime.datetime.utcnow()   #utcnow class method
print(dtobj1)

dtobj3=dtobj1.replace(tzinfo=pytz.UTC) #replace method

dtobj_hongkong=dtobj3.astimezone(pytz.timezone("Asia/Hong_Kong")) #astimezone method
print(dtobj_hongkong)

Naive objects created through class method now()

Because now method returns current date and time, so you have to make the datetime object timezone aware first. The localize function converts a naive datetime object into a timezone-aware datetime object. Then you can use the astimezone method to convert it into another timezone.

dtobj2=datetime.datetime.now()

mytimezone=pytz.timezone("Europe/Vienna") #my current timezone
dtobj4=mytimezone.localize(dtobj2)        #localize function

dtobj_hongkong=dtobj4.astimezone(pytz.timezone("Asia/Hong_Kong")) #astimezone method
print(dtobj_hongkong)