diff --git a/.env b/.env
index 579895e2d61..0af36084bd7 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ GCC_VERSION=""
 R_ORG=rhub
 R_IMAGE=ubuntu-gcc-release
 R_TAG=latest
+TZ=UTC
 # -1 does not attempt to install a devtoolset version, any positive integer will install devtoolset-n
 DEVTOOLSET_VERSION=-1
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/r.yml b/.github/workflows/r.yml
index e1647807cef..d7e3b67bc4b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/r.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/r.yml
@@ -89,7 +89,9 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           sudo sysctl -w kernel.core_pattern="core.%e.%p"
           ulimit -c unlimited
-          archery docker run ubuntu-r
+          # Setting a non-default and non-probable Marquesas French Polynesia time
+          # it has both with a .45 offset and very very few people who live there.
+          archery docker run -e TZ=MART ubuntu-r
       - name: Dump install logs
         run: cat r/check/arrow.Rcheck/00install.out
         if: always()
@@ -147,7 +149,10 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           sudo sysctl -w kernel.core_pattern="core.%e.%p"
           ulimit -c unlimited
-          archery docker run r
+          # Don't set a TZ here to test that case. These builds will have the following warning in them:
+          #   System has not been booted with systemd as init system (PID 1). Can't operate.
+          #   Failed to connect to bus: Host is down
+          archery docker run -e TZ="" r
       - name: Dump install logs
         run: cat r/check/arrow.Rcheck/00install.out
         if: always()
diff --git a/ci/docker/linux-apt-r.dockerfile b/ci/docker/linux-apt-r.dockerfile
index 36f4fb24aba..97029ce62ad 100644
--- a/ci/docker/linux-apt-r.dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/linux-apt-r.dockerfile
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ ARG base
 FROM ${base}
 ARG arch
 
+ARG tz="UTC"
+ENV TZ=${tz}
+
 # Build R
 # [1] https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-install-r-on-ubuntu-18-04
 # [2] https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-r-on-ubuntu-18-04/#installing-r-packages-from-cran
diff --git a/ci/docker/linux-r.dockerfile b/ci/docker/linux-r.dockerfile
index ac414829d42..a501d69955c 100644
--- a/ci/docker/linux-r.dockerfile
+++ b/ci/docker/linux-r.dockerfile
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ ENV ARROW_R_DEV=${r_dev}
 ARG devtoolset_version=-1
 ENV DEVTOOLSET_VERSION=${devtoolset_version}
 
+ARG tz="UTC"
+ENV TZ=${tz}
+
 # Make sure R is on the path for the R-hub devel versions (where RPREFIX is set in its dockerfile)
 ENV PATH "${RPREFIX}/bin:${PATH}"
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 6b435e8da5d..c842ee9f0ea 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1011,6 +1011,7 @@ services:
         r: ${R}
         base: ${REPO}:${ARCH}-ubuntu-${UBUNTU}-cpp
         gcc_version: ${GCC_VERSION}
+        tz: ${TZ}
     shm_size: *shm-size
     environment:
       <<: *ccache
@@ -1048,6 +1049,7 @@ services:
         base: ${R_ORG}/${R_IMAGE}:${R_TAG}
         r_dev: ${ARROW_R_DEV}
         devtoolset_version: ${DEVTOOLSET_VERSION}
+        tz: ${TZ}
     shm_size: *shm-size
     environment:
       LIBARROW_DOWNLOAD: "false"
@@ -1078,6 +1080,7 @@ services:
       args:
         base: wch1/r-debug:latest
         r_bin: RDsan
+        tz: ${TZ}
     environment:
       <<: *ccache
     volumes: *ubuntu-volumes
@@ -1099,6 +1102,7 @@ services:
       args:
         base: wch1/r-debug:latest
         r_bin: RDvalgrind
+        tz: ${TZ}
     environment:
       <<: *ccache
       ARROW_R_DEV: ${ARROW_R_DEV}
@@ -1123,6 +1127,7 @@ services:
       args:
         base: rstudio/r-base:4.0-focal
         r_dev: ${ARROW_R_DEV}
+        tz: ${TZ}
     shm_size: *shm-size
     environment:
       LIBARROW_DOWNLOAD: "true"
diff --git a/r/tests/testthat/test-Array.R b/r/tests/testthat/test-Array.R
index a86bdf0add4..63ac64eee5f 100644
--- a/r/tests/testthat/test-Array.R
+++ b/r/tests/testthat/test-Array.R
@@ -279,9 +279,9 @@ test_that("Timezone handling in Arrow roundtrip (ARROW-3543)", {
   # Write a feather file as that's what the initial bug report used
   df <- tibble::tibble(
     no_tz = lubridate::ymd_hms("2018-10-07 19:04:05") + 1:10,
-    yes_tz = lubridate::ymd_hms("2018-10-07 19:04:05", tz = "Asia/Pyongyang") + 1:10
+    yes_tz = lubridate::ymd_hms("2018-10-07 19:04:05", tz = "Pacific/Marquesas") + 1:10
   )
-  if (!identical(Sys.timezone(), "Asia/Pyongyang")) {
+  if (!identical(Sys.timezone(), "Pacific/Marquesas")) {
     # Confirming that the columns are in fact different
     expect_false(any(df$no_tz == df$yes_tz))
   }
diff --git a/r/tests/testthat/test-data-type.R b/r/tests/testthat/test-data-type.R
index 25c0dd5fc9f..84c75451eaa 100644
--- a/r/tests/testthat/test-data-type.R
+++ b/r/tests/testthat/test-data-type.R
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ test_that("FixedSizeBinary", {
 })
 
 test_that("DataType to C-interface", {
-  datatype <- timestamp("ms", timezone = "Asia/Pyongyang")
+  datatype <- timestamp("ms", timezone = "Pacific/Marquesas")
 
   # export the datatype via the C-interface
   ptr <- allocate_arrow_schema()
diff --git a/r/tests/testthat/test-dplyr-lubridate.R b/r/tests/testthat/test-dplyr-lubridate.R
index d01afc86fef..2d9cfe6ea52 100644
--- a/r/tests/testthat/test-dplyr-lubridate.R
+++ b/r/tests/testthat/test-dplyr-lubridate.R
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ test_df <- tibble::tibble(date = test_date)
 # We can support this feature after ARROW-12980 is merged
 test_that("timezone aware timestamps are not supported", {
 
-  tz_aware_date <- as.POSIXct("2017-01-01 00:00:12.3456789", tz = "Asia/Pyongyang")
+  tz_aware_date <- as.POSIXct("2017-01-01 00:00:12.3456789", tz = "Pacific/Marquesas")
   tz_aware_df <- tibble::tibble(date = tz_aware_date)
 
   expect_error(
diff --git a/r/tests/testthat/test-python.R b/r/tests/testthat/test-python.R
index c7bedc518ef..7efc2b28715 100644
--- a/r/tests/testthat/test-python.R
+++ b/r/tests/testthat/test-python.R
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ test_that("Table with metadata roundtrip", {
 })
 
 test_that("DataType roundtrip", {
-  r <- timestamp("ms", timezone = "Asia/Pyongyang")
+  r <- timestamp("ms", timezone = "Pacific/Marquesas")
   py <- reticulate::r_to_py(r)
   expect_s3_class(py, "pyarrow.lib.DataType")
   expect_equal(reticulate::py_to_r(py), r)