EST time zone: EST and EDT explained
EST is Eastern Standard Time, UTC−5. It is the winter time in the US Eastern time zone, which covers New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, Miami and Toronto. In summer, clocks move forward one hour and the zone is on EDT, Eastern Daylight Time, UTC−4.
Most people write “EST” all year and mean the local time in New York. Strictly, EST is only the winter name. MeetETA reads EST as local Eastern time on the date you pick, and tells you when that date falls on EDT. A few places, such as Panama and Jamaica, stay on UTC−5 all year.
In the US, clocks go forward at 2 AM on the second Sunday in March and back at 2 AM on the first Sunday in November.
| Date | Clocks | Eastern time becomes |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Mar 8, 2026 | Go forward 1 hour | EDT (UTC−4) |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026next | Go back 1 hour | EST (UTC−5) |
| Sun, Mar 14, 2027 | Go forward 1 hour | EDT (UTC−4) |
| Sun, Nov 7, 2027 | Go back 1 hour | EST (UTC−5) |
EST to other time zones
This table shows what 12 PM in New York is in each zone, in winter (EST) and in summer (EDT). Europe and the US change clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap to London and Paris is one hour smaller than shown.
| Time zone | 12 PM EST (winter) | 12 PM EDT (summer) |
|---|---|---|
| US Pacific Time | 9 AM PST3 hours behind New York | 9 AM PDT3 hours behind New York |
| US Central Time | 11 AM CST1 hour behind New York | 11 AM CDT1 hour behind New York |
| US Mountain Time | 10 AM MST2 hours behind New York | 10 AM MDT2 hours behind New York |
| Coordinated Universal Time | 5 PM UTC5 hours ahead of New York | 4 PM UTC4 hours ahead of New York |
| UK time (GMT/BST) | 5 PM GMT5 hours ahead of New York | 5 PM BST5 hours ahead of New York |
| Central European Time | 6 PM CET6 hours ahead of New York | 6 PM CEST6 hours ahead of New York |
| India Standard Time | 10:30 PM IST10.5 hours ahead of New York | 9:30 PM IST9.5 hours ahead of New York |
EST converters, one page for each zone
Each page has its own converter, the best meeting hours for both sides and what changes when clocks move.
- EST to IST converter
New York is 9.5 hours behind India right now.
- EST to CST converter
New York is 1 hour ahead of Chicago right now.
- EST to PST converter
New York is 3 hours ahead of Los Angeles right now.
- EST to MST converter
New York is 2 hours ahead of Denver right now.
- EST to GMT converter
New York is 4 hours behind London right now.
- EST to UTC converter
New York is 4 hours behind UTC right now.
- EST to CET converter
New York is 5 hours behind Paris right now.
Going the other way, to EST
Questions people ask
- What is EST?
- EST is Eastern Standard Time, the winter time in the US Eastern time zone. It is UTC−5, five hours behind UTC. New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, Miami and Toronto use it from early November to mid March.
- What is the difference between EST and EDT?
- EST (UTC−5) is the winter name and EDT (UTC−4) is the summer name. They are the same clock, moved by one hour for daylight saving time. Strictly, a time in summer should be written EDT, but many people write EST all year and mean the local time in New York.
- Is it EST or EDT right now?
- New York is on EDT (UTC−4) right now. On Sunday, November 1, clocks go back one hour and Eastern time becomes EST (UTC−5).
- When do the clocks change in 2026?
- In the US, clocks go forward at 2 AM on Sunday, March 8 (EST to EDT) and back at 2 AM on Sunday, November 1 (EDT to EST). The rule is the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November.
- How do I convert EST to PST, CST and UTC?
- Pacific time is 3 hours behind Eastern time and Central time is 1 hour behind, all year, because they change clocks on the same dates. UTC is 5 hours ahead of EST. For example, 12 PM EST is 9 AM PST, 11 AM CST and 5 PM UTC. Or type a time like “12 PM EST” in the converter above.
- Is EST the same as ET or Eastern time?
- ET (Eastern Time) is the general name for the zone. It is EST in winter and EDT in summer. If a schedule just says “ET”, it means whichever one New York is on that day.
- How do I convert EST to India time?
- India (IST, UTC+5:30) does not change its clocks. 12 PM EST is 10:30 PM IST, and 12 PM EDT is 9:30 PM IST, so the gap is 10.5 hours in winter and 9.5 hours in summer.
- Is the EST time converter free?
- Yes. MeetETA is free, shows no ads and needs no account. Your cities and settings stay in your browser, and where consent is required, analytics only load after you accept cookies.