UTC to EST converter
Eastern Time is 5 hours behind UTC in winter (EST, UTC−5) and 4 hours behind in summer (EDT, UTC−4). To convert UTC to EST, subtract 5 hours during standard time and 4 hours during daylight saving time. Only Eastern Time moves its clocks, so nothing else changes the gap.
UTC runs at UTC+0, Eastern Time at UTC−5 / UTC−4.
UTC to EST 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.
| UTC (UTC) | EST (Nov–Mar) | EDT (Mar–Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 12:00 AM | 19:00 7:00 PM previous day | 20:00 8:00 PM previous day |
| 01:00 1:00 AM | 20:00 8:00 PM previous day | 21:00 9:00 PM previous day |
| 02:00 2:00 AM | 21:00 9:00 PM previous day | 22:00 10:00 PM previous day |
| 03:00 3:00 AM | 22:00 10:00 PM previous day | 23:00 11:00 PM previous day |
| 04:00 4:00 AM | 23:00 11:00 PM previous day | 00:00 12:00 AM |
| 05:00 5:00 AM | 00:00 12:00 AM | 01:00 1:00 AM |
| 06:00 6:00 AM | 01:00 1:00 AM | 02:00 2:00 AM |
| 07:00 7:00 AM | 02:00 2:00 AM | 03:00 3:00 AM |
| 08:00 8:00 AM | 03:00 3:00 AM | 04:00 4:00 AM |
| 09:00 9:00 AM | 04:00 4:00 AM | 05:00 5:00 AM |
| 10:00 10:00 AM | 05:00 5:00 AM | 06:00 6:00 AM |
| 11:00 11:00 AM | 06:00 6:00 AM | 07:00 7:00 AM |
| 12:00 12:00 PM | 07:00 7:00 AM | 08:00 8:00 AM |
| 13:00 1:00 PM | 08:00 8:00 AM | 09:00 9:00 AM |
| 14:00 2:00 PM | 09:00 9:00 AM | 10:00 10:00 AM |
| 15:00 3:00 PM | 10:00 10:00 AM | 11:00 11:00 AM |
| 16:00 4:00 PM | 11:00 11:00 AM | 12:00 12:00 PM |
| 17:00 5:00 PM | 12:00 12:00 PM | 13:00 1:00 PM |
| 18:00 6:00 PM | 13:00 1:00 PM | 14:00 2:00 PM |
| 19:00 7:00 PM | 14:00 2:00 PM | 15:00 3:00 PM |
| 20:00 8:00 PM | 15:00 3:00 PM | 16:00 4:00 PM |
| 21:00 9:00 PM | 16:00 4:00 PM | 17:00 5:00 PM |
| 22:00 10:00 PM | 17:00 5:00 PM | 18:00 6:00 PM |
| 23:00 11:00 PM | 18:00 6:00 PM | 19:00 7:00 PM |
How the UTC to EST conversion works
Converting UTC to EST means taking a wall-clock time in UTC (UTC, UTC+0) and expressing the same instant in Eastern Time (EST / EDT, UTC−5 / UTC−4). The arithmetic is one step: subtract 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 Etc/UTC and America/New_York, never with the abbreviations. One note on the source label: UTC is the fixed reference every other offset is measured against, and it never shifts. On the target label: EST is also used for Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10), so the abbreviation alone is ambiguous. A bare "09:00" carries no offset and means nothing until you attach the zone it belongs to.
Best time for meetings between UTC and EST
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.
EST (Nov–Mar)
A 9-to-6 working day in both zones overlaps for 4 hours: 2:00 PM–6:00 PM UTC is 9:00 AM–1:00 PM EST. Book inside that window and neither side is working outside normal hours.
EDT (Mar–Nov)
A 9-to-6 working day in both zones overlaps for 5 hours: 1:00 PM–6:00 PM UTC is 9:00 AM–2:00 PM EDT. 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).
Eastern Time is 5 hours behind UTC through the Nov–Mar window, and 4 hours behind through the Mar–Nov window.
US daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
- UTC
- Etc/UTC
- UTC — UTC+0
- Eastern Time
- America/New_York
- EST / EDT — UTC−5 / UTC−4
Frequently asked questions
What is the time difference between UTC and EST?
Eastern Time runs 5 hours behind UTC during standard time and 4 hours behind during daylight saving time. In offset terms, UTC sits at UTC+0 and Eastern Time at UTC−5 / UTC−4. So 9:00 AM UTC is 4:00 AM EST, and 5:00 AM EDT once the clocks change. 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 UTC to EST 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 UTC in EST?
9:00 AM UTC is 4:00 AM in Eastern Time during standard time (EST) and 5:00 AM during daylight saving time (EDT). The rule is the same one the whole page runs on: subtract 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 UTC and EST stand for?
UTC stands for Coordinated Universal Time. EST stands for Eastern Standard Time, and EDT is Eastern Daylight Time. Both are display labels rather than rules: the offsets behind them come from the IANA identifiers Etc/UTC and America/New_York. UTC is the fixed reference every other offset is measured against, and it never shifts.
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.