EST to UTC converter
UTC is 5 hours ahead of Eastern Time while Eastern Time is on EST (UTC−5), and 4 hours ahead while Eastern Time is on EDT (UTC−4). To convert EST to UTC, add 5 hours in winter and 4 hours in summer.
Eastern Time runs at UTC−5 / UTC−4, UTC at UTC+0.
EST to UTC conversion table
Every hour of the day converted for both halves of the year. The two columns differ because Eastern Time changes its offset for daylight saving time.
| Eastern Time (EST / EDT) | UTC (EST, Nov–Mar) | UTC (EDT, Mar–Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 12:00 AM | 05:00 5:00 AM | 04:00 4:00 AM |
| 01:00 1:00 AM | 06:00 6:00 AM | 05:00 5:00 AM |
| 02:00 2:00 AM | 07:00 7:00 AM | 06:00 6:00 AM |
| 03:00 3:00 AM | 08:00 8:00 AM | 07:00 7:00 AM |
| 04:00 4:00 AM | 09:00 9:00 AM | 08:00 8:00 AM |
| 05:00 5:00 AM | 10:00 10:00 AM | 09:00 9:00 AM |
| 06:00 6:00 AM | 11:00 11:00 AM | 10:00 10:00 AM |
| 07:00 7:00 AM | 12:00 12:00 PM | 11:00 11:00 AM |
| 08:00 8:00 AM | 13:00 1:00 PM | 12:00 12:00 PM |
| 09:00 9:00 AM | 14:00 2:00 PM | 13:00 1:00 PM |
| 10:00 10:00 AM | 15:00 3:00 PM | 14:00 2:00 PM |
| 11:00 11:00 AM | 16:00 4:00 PM | 15:00 3:00 PM |
| 12:00 12:00 PM | 17:00 5:00 PM | 16:00 4:00 PM |
| 13:00 1:00 PM | 18:00 6:00 PM | 17:00 5:00 PM |
| 14:00 2:00 PM | 19:00 7:00 PM | 18:00 6:00 PM |
| 15:00 3:00 PM | 20:00 8:00 PM | 19:00 7:00 PM |
| 16:00 4:00 PM | 21:00 9:00 PM | 20:00 8:00 PM |
| 17:00 5:00 PM | 22:00 10:00 PM | 21:00 9:00 PM |
| 18:00 6:00 PM | 23:00 11:00 PM | 22:00 10:00 PM |
| 19:00 7:00 PM | 00:00 12:00 AM next day | 23:00 11:00 PM |
| 20:00 8:00 PM | 01:00 1:00 AM next day | 00:00 12:00 AM next day |
| 21:00 9:00 PM | 02:00 2:00 AM next day | 01:00 1:00 AM next day |
| 22:00 10:00 PM | 03:00 3:00 AM next day | 02:00 2:00 AM next day |
| 23:00 11:00 PM | 04:00 4:00 AM next day | 03:00 3:00 AM next day |
How the EST to UTC conversion works
Converting EST to UTC means taking a wall-clock time in Eastern Time (EST / EDT, UTC−5 / UTC−4) and expressing the same instant in UTC (UTC, UTC+0). The arithmetic is one step: add 5 hours while Eastern Time is on standard time, and 4 hours while it is on daylight saving time. Applying the gap pushes part of the day onto a different calendar date — the table below marks every row that shifts. In code, store the instant in UTC and convert with the IANA identifiers America/New_York and Etc/UTC, never with the abbreviations. One note on the source label: EST is also used for Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10), so the abbreviation alone is ambiguous. On the target label: UTC is the fixed reference every other offset is measured against, and it never shifts. A bare "09:00" carries no offset and means nothing until you attach the zone it belongs to.
Best time for meetings between EST and UTC
Working hours are taken as 09:00–18:00 in each zone. The window in force depends on the date, so both halves of the year are listed where they differ.
UTC (EST, Nov–Mar)
A 9-to-6 working day in both zones overlaps for 4 hours: 9:00 AM–1:00 PM EST is 2:00 PM–6:00 PM UTC. Book inside that window and neither side is working outside normal hours.
UTC (EDT, Mar–Nov)
A 9-to-6 working day in both zones overlaps for 5 hours: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM EDT is 1:00 PM–6:00 PM UTC. A call booked inside that window keeps both sides within a normal working day.
Daylight saving time: which side moves
Only Eastern Time shifts. UTC holds a single offset all year, so every change in the gap comes from Eastern Time moving between EST (UTC−5) and EDT (UTC−4).
UTC is 5 hours ahead of Eastern Time through the Nov–Mar window, and 4 hours ahead through the Mar–Nov window.
US daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
- Eastern Time
- America/New_York
- EST / EDT — UTC−5 / UTC−4
- UTC
- Etc/UTC
- UTC — UTC+0
Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between EST and UTC?
UTC runs 5 hours ahead of Eastern Time during standard time and 4 hours ahead during daylight saving time. In offset terms, Eastern Time sits at UTC−5 / UTC−4 and UTC at UTC+0. So 9:00 AM EST is 2:00 PM UTC, while 9:00 AM EDT is 1:00 PM UTC. The hour-by-hour table on this page lists the conversion for all 24 hours so you do not have to do the arithmetic.
Does the EST to UTC difference change with daylight saving time?
The difference does change. Eastern Time moves its clocks, so the gap swings between 5 hours and 4 hours depending on the date. In the US that means clocks move forward on the second Sunday of March and back on the first Sunday of November. Convert against the IANA rules for the exact date rather than a remembered offset.
What time is 9 am EST in UTC?
9:00 AM EST is 2:00 PM UTC. The same clock reading in summer is EDT, and 9:00 AM EDT is 1:00 PM UTC. The rule is the same one the whole page runs on: add 5 hours in winter and 4 hours in summer. Check the hour-by-hour table for any other starting hour, including the rows that land on the previous or next calendar day.
What do EST and UTC stand for?
EST stands for Eastern Standard Time, and EDT is Eastern Daylight Time. UTC stands for Coordinated Universal Time. Both are display labels rather than rules: the offsets behind them come from the IANA identifiers America/New_York and Etc/UTC. EST is also used for Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10), so the abbreviation alone is ambiguous.
Related conversions
Need more than two zones at once? The full timezone converter shows a single moment across up to six IANA timezones, for any date you choose.