EST Time Now: Current Eastern Time

EST or EDT?

In winter New York runs on EST, UTC−5. On the second Sunday in March the clocks spring forward to EDT, and on the first Sunday in November they fall back again.

Invitations often say EST even in summer. Between March 8 and November 1, 2026, the right label is EDT.

Where Eastern Time is used

Eastern Time covers the whole East Coast, from Maine down to Florida, and reaches inland to Ohio, most of Michigan and Indiana, and the eastern parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. In Canada it is the clock for most of Ontario and Quebec, including Toronto and Montreal.

Good to know

US national TV listings and many news alerts give Eastern Time first. The New York Stock Exchange trades from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern, whatever time it is where you are.

Winter and summer gaps

January and July give the same gaps. For two or three weeks in March and about a week around the start of November they are an hour different, since the US moves its clocks on its own Sundays, not on Europe's.

Office hours that overlap

New York shares three hours with London. Calls to London fit best first thing in the morning.

Eastern Time against other zones

Here is the time in each zone at noon in New York today. Anything marked next day has already passed midnight there.

Convert EST to another zone

To line up more than two places, try the time zone converter and meeting planner.

Related pages

• The time now in every zone
• When do the clocks go back?
• When do the clocks go forward?
• Military time converter