Eastern Time: EST and EDT
Eastern Standard Time (EST) is UTC−5. From 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March to 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, the Eastern zone uses Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), UTC−4. In 2026 the zone returns to EST on Sunday, November 1. New York, Washington, Atlanta, Miami and Detroit are on Eastern Time.
By Asier Fernández ·
Right now in New York: --:--:--
EST or EDT? The change dates
| Year | Daylight time starts (2 a.m.) | Standard time returns (2 a.m.) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, March 8 | Sunday, November 1 |
| 2027 | Sunday, March 14 | Sunday, November 7 |
| 2028 | Sunday, March 12 | Sunday, November 5 |
The dates come from federal law (15 U.S.C. 260a). People often say “EST” all year; strictly, summer time is EDT. “ET” covers both.
Convert Eastern Time
Eastern Time compared with other zones
| When it is noon Eastern | Central | Mountain | Pacific | UTC | London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter (EST) | 11:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. | 17:00 | 5:00 p.m. |
| Summer (EDT) | 11:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. | 16:00 | 5:00 p.m. |
London is usually 5 hours ahead. Because the UK and US change their clocks on different Sundays, the gap is 4 hours for about three weeks in March and one week around the end of October.
Where Eastern Time applies
The Eastern zone covers the eastern United States west of 67°30′ W and includes all of Maine (49 CFR 71.4). Its western edge is the line between the Eastern and Central zones, which crosses Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida, so parts of those states use Central Time (49 CFR 71.5).
Eastern Time, hour by hour (winter)
| Eastern Time | Central Time | Pacific Time | UTC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 a.m. | 11:00 p.m. (−1 day) | 9:00 p.m. (−1 day) | 5:00 a.m. |
| 1:00 a.m. | 12:00 a.m. | 10:00 p.m. (−1 day) | 6:00 a.m. |
| 2:00 a.m. | 1:00 a.m. | 11:00 p.m. (−1 day) | 7:00 a.m. |
| 3:00 a.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 12:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. |
| 4:00 a.m. | 3:00 a.m. | 1:00 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. |
| 5:00 a.m. | 4:00 a.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. |
| 6:00 a.m. | 5:00 a.m. | 3:00 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. |
| 7:00 a.m. | 6:00 a.m. | 4:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| 8:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. | 5:00 a.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 9:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 6:00 a.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| 10:00 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. | 7:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| 11:00 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| 12:00 p.m. | 11:00 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| 1:00 p.m. | 12:00 p.m. | 10:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| 2:00 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. | 11:00 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. |
| 3:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 12:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| 4:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. |
| 5:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. |
| 6:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. |
| 7:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 12:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
| 8:00 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 1:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
| 9:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 2:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
| 10:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 3:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
| 11:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 4:00 a.m. (+1 day) |
On a night shift
When standard time returns on November 1, 2026, the hour from 1:00 to 2:00 a.m. Eastern happens twice, so a 12-hour night shift lasts 13 hours; in March it lasts 11. The night shift clock change calculator works out the hours and pay. For pay periods and holidays, see the 2027 pay period calendar.
More guides
Figures are worked out from each cycle; rules checked against official sources on . How we calculate
Questions
What time zone is EST in the USA?
Eastern Standard Time, UTC−5, used in the eastern United States in winter. In summer the same zone uses EDT, UTC−4.
Is New York on EST or EDT right now?
New York uses EDT from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November and EST the rest of the year. In 2026 it switches to EST on Sunday, November 1.
What is the difference between EST and ET?
EST is the winter standard time (UTC−5). ET, Eastern Time, means whichever is in use: EST in winter, EDT in summer.
How many hours ahead is EST from PST?
3 hours. Noon Eastern is 9:00 a.m. Pacific, all year.
How far ahead of EST is London?
Usually 5 hours. For about three weeks in March and one week at the end of October it is 4, because the UK and US change clocks on different dates.