diff --git a/src/wp-includes/functions.php b/src/wp-includes/functions.php
index 019f8b6bf6..6a2fede355 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/functions.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/functions.php
@@ -74,7 +74,49 @@ function current_time( $type, $gmt = 0 ) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Retrieve the date in localized format, based on a sum of Unix timestamp and
+ * Retrieves the timezone from current settings as a string.
+ *
+ * Uses the `timezone_string` option to get a proper timezone if available,
+ * otherwise falls back to an offset.
+ *
+ * @since 5.3.0
+ *
+ * @return string PHP timezone string or a ±HH:MM offset.
+ */
+function wp_timezone_string() {
+	$timezone_string = get_option( 'timezone_string' );
+
+	if ( $timezone_string ) {
+		return $timezone_string;
+	}
+
+	$offset  = (float) get_option( 'gmt_offset' );
+	$hours   = (int) $offset;
+	$minutes = ( $offset - $hours );
+
+	$sign      = ( $offset < 0 ) ? '-' : '+';
+	$abs_hour  = abs( $hours );
+	$abs_mins  = abs( $minutes * 60 );
+	$tz_offset = sprintf( '%s%02d:%02d', $sign, $abs_hour, $abs_mins );
+
+	return $tz_offset;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Retrieves the timezone from current settings as a `DateTimeZone` object.
+ *
+ * Timezone can be based on a PHP timezone string or a ±HH:MM offset.
+ *
+ * @since 5.3.0
+ *
+ * @return DateTimeZone Timezone object.
+ */
+function wp_timezone() {
+	return new DateTimeZone( wp_timezone_string() );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Retrieves the date in localized format, based on a sum of Unix timestamp and
  * timezone offset in seconds.
  *
  * If the locale specifies the locale month and weekday, then the locale will
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/date/wpTimezone.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/date/wpTimezone.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6df378ca7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/date/wpTimezone.php
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @group date
+ * @group datetime
+ */
+class Tests_WP_Timezone extends WP_UnitTestCase {
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 24730
+	 *
+	 * @dataProvider timezone_offset_provider
+	 *
+	 * @param float  $gmt_offset Numeric offset from UTC.
+	 * @param string $tz_name    Expected timezone name.
+	 */
+	public function test_should_convert_gmt_offset( $gmt_offset, $tz_name ) {
+		delete_option( 'timezone_string' );
+		update_option( 'gmt_offset', $gmt_offset );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( $tz_name, wp_timezone_string() );
+
+		$timezone = wp_timezone();
+
+		$this->assertEquals( $tz_name, $timezone->getName() );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 24730
+	 */
+	public function test_should_return_timezone_string() {
+		update_option( 'timezone_string', 'Europe/Kiev' );
+
+		$this->assertEquals( 'Europe/Kiev', wp_timezone_string() );
+
+		$timezone = wp_timezone();
+
+		$this->assertEquals( 'Europe/Kiev', $timezone->getName() );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Data provider to test numeric offset conversion.
+	 *
+	 * @return array
+	 */
+	public function timezone_offset_provider() {
+
+		return [
+			[ - 12, '-12:00' ],
+			[ - 11.5, '-11:30' ],
+			[ - 11, '-11:00' ],
+			[ - 10.5, '-10:30' ],
+			[ - 10, '-10:00' ],
+			[ - 9.5, '-09:30' ],
+			[ - 9, '-09:00' ],
+			[ - 8.5, '-08:30' ],
+			[ - 8, '-08:00' ],
+			[ - 7.5, '-07:30' ],
+			[ - 7, '-07:00' ],
+			[ - 6.5, '-06:30' ],
+			[ - 6, '-06:00' ],
+			[ - 5.5, '-05:30' ],
+			[ - 5, '-05:00' ],
+			[ - 4.5, '-04:30' ],
+			[ - 4, '-04:00' ],
+			[ - 3.5, '-03:30' ],
+			[ - 3, '-03:00' ],
+			[ - 2.5, '-02:30' ],
+			[ - 2, '-02:00' ],
+			[ '-1.5', '-01:30' ],
+			[ - 1.5, '-01:30' ],
+			[ - 1, '-01:00' ],
+			[ - 0.5, '-00:30' ],
+			[ 0, '+00:00' ],
+			[ '0', '+00:00' ],
+			[ 0.5, '+00:30' ],
+			[ 1, '+01:00' ],
+			[ 1.5, '+01:30' ],
+			[ '1.5', '+01:30' ],
+			[ 2, '+02:00' ],
+			[ 2.5, '+02:30' ],
+			[ 3, '+03:00' ],
+			[ 3.5, '+03:30' ],
+			[ 4, '+04:00' ],
+			[ 4.5, '+04:30' ],
+			[ 5, '+05:00' ],
+			[ 5.5, '+05:30' ],
+			[ 5.75, '+05:45' ],
+			[ 6, '+06:00' ],
+			[ 6.5, '+06:30' ],
+			[ 7, '+07:00' ],
+			[ 7.5, '+07:30' ],
+			[ 8, '+08:00' ],
+			[ 8.5, '+08:30' ],
+			[ 8.75, '+08:45' ],
+			[ 9, '+09:00' ],
+			[ 9.5, '+09:30' ],
+			[ 10, '+10:00' ],
+			[ 10.5, '+10:30' ],
+			[ 11, '+11:00' ],
+			[ 11.5, '+11:30' ],
+			[ 12, '+12:00' ],
+			[ 12.75, '+12:45' ],
+			[ 13, '+13:00' ],
+			[ 13.75, '+13:45' ],
+			[ 14, '+14:00' ],
+		];
+	}
+}
+
+