Converter · ET → AEST / AEDT

EST to AEST

Sydney is 16 hours ahead of New York from early November to mid-March, 14 hours ahead from early April to early October, and 15 hours ahead in the weeks in between. 6:00 PM EST is 10:00 AM AEDT the next day; 6:00 PM EDT is 8:00 AM AEST.

Now in New York
--:-- ET
Now in Sydney
--:-- AEDT
Difference now
+16 h
Next ET clock change
Second Sunday in March

How many hours ahead is Sydney of Eastern Time?

Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) is UTC+10; Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) is UTC+11. Eastern Time is UTC−5 as EST and UTC−4 as EDT (the EST to UTC page covers that side). Both places use daylight saving, but in opposite halves of the year, so three combinations occur:

  • 16 hours: EST and AEDT, from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March.
  • 15 hours: EDT and AEDT, from mid-March to the first Sunday in April, and again from the first Sunday in October to early November.
  • 14 hours: EDT and AEST, from early April to early October.

The two cities are never on standard time at the same moment, so the 15 hours you would get from EST and AEST never applies to Sydney; it applies only to Brisbane while New York is on EST.

Timeline of 2027: New York switches to EDT on March 14 and back to EST on November 7; Sydney leaves AEDT on April 4 and returns to it on October 3; the difference is 16 hours in winter in New York, 14 hours in the northern summer and 15 hours in the two overlaps JFMAMJJASOND New York EST EDT EST Sydney AEDT AEST AEDT Difference 16 h 14 h 15 h 16 h 15 h · Mar 14–Apr 4 15 h · Oct 3–Nov 7 2027 · orange = daylight saving time
The gap swings by two full hours over a year.

When does the New York–Sydney gap change?

New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT, Tasmania and South Australia have shared one rule since 2008: clocks go forward at 2:00 AM AEST on the first Sunday in October and back at 3:00 AM AEDT on the first Sunday in April. In Sydney both moments fall at 16:00 UTC on the Saturday, which is noon on Saturday in New York. The US rule is explained in the daylight saving time guide.

Every clock change in New York and Sydney in 2027 and 2028, and the gap that follows it
DateWho changes (local clocks)InstantNew York / SydneyDifference after
Sunday, March 14, 2027US & Canada: 2:00 AM → 3:00 AM07:00 UTCEDT / AEDT15 h
Sunday, April 4, 2027Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart: 3:00 AM → 2:00 AMSat 16:00 UTCEDT / AEST14 h
Sunday, October 3, 2027Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart: 2:00 AM → 3:00 AMSat 16:00 UTCEDT / AEDT15 h
Sunday, November 7, 2027US & Canada: 2:00 AM → 1:00 AM06:00 UTCEST / AEDT16 h
Sunday, March 12, 2028US & Canada: 2:00 AM → 3:00 AM07:00 UTCEDT / AEDT15 h
Sunday, April 2, 2028Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart: 3:00 AM → 2:00 AMSat 16:00 UTCEDT / AEST14 h
Sunday, October 1, 2028Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart: 2:00 AM → 3:00 AMSat 16:00 UTCEDT / AEDT15 h
Sunday, November 5, 2028US & Canada: 2:00 AM → 1:00 AM06:00 UTCEST / AEDT16 h

Why do New York and Sydney change clocks in opposite directions?

Seasons are reversed across the equator. Daylight saving moves an hour of light from the morning to the evening in summer, and Sydney's summer runs from December to February. So Sydney springs forward in October, about five weeks before New York falls back, and falls back in April, three weeks after New York has sprung forward. Each move widens or narrows the gap by one hour, which is why it spans two hours over the year, more than any other conversion on this site.

The effect on a working day is large. In January a 5:00 PM EST end of day in New York is 9:00 AM AEDT the next morning in Sydney; in July the same 5:00 PM EDT is only 7:00 AM AEST. Long summer evenings are what daylight saving buys Sydney: on December 21 the sun sets at about 8:05 PM AEDT, which would be 7:05 PM without it.

EST to AEST conversion table

Pick the column for the season. Every row from 8:00 AM EST (9:00 or 10:00 AM EDT) onward is already the next day in Sydney.

Eastern Time to Sydney time, hour by hour, for the three combinations. Highlighted: New York evening hours that land in the Sydney morning (8 AM–noon) in every season.
Eastern (ET)Sydney, 16 h ahead (EST & AEDT, Nov – mid Mar)Sydney, 15 h ahead (EDT & AEDT, mid Mar – early Apr, early Oct – early Nov)Sydney, 14 h ahead (EDT & AEST, early Apr – early Oct)
12:00 AM4:00 PM3:00 PM2:00 PM
1:00 AM5:00 PM4:00 PM3:00 PM
2:00 AM6:00 PM5:00 PM4:00 PM
3:00 AM7:00 PM6:00 PM5:00 PM
4:00 AM8:00 PM7:00 PM6:00 PM
5:00 AM9:00 PM8:00 PM7:00 PM
6:00 AM10:00 PM9:00 PM8:00 PM
7:00 AM11:00 PM10:00 PM9:00 PM
8:00 AM12:00 AM (next day)11:00 PM10:00 PM
9:00 AM1:00 AM (next day)12:00 AM (next day)11:00 PM
10:00 AM2:00 AM (next day)1:00 AM (next day)12:00 AM (next day)
11:00 AM3:00 AM (next day)2:00 AM (next day)1:00 AM (next day)
12:00 PM4:00 AM (next day)3:00 AM (next day)2:00 AM (next day)
1:00 PM5:00 AM (next day)4:00 AM (next day)3:00 AM (next day)
2:00 PM6:00 AM (next day)5:00 AM (next day)4:00 AM (next day)
3:00 PM7:00 AM (next day)6:00 AM (next day)5:00 AM (next day)
4:00 PM8:00 AM (next day)7:00 AM (next day)6:00 AM (next day)
5:00 PM9:00 AM (next day)8:00 AM (next day)7:00 AM (next day)
6:00 PM10:00 AM (next day)9:00 AM (next day)8:00 AM (next day)
7:00 PM11:00 AM (next day)10:00 AM (next day)9:00 AM (next day)
8:00 PM12:00 PM (next day)11:00 AM (next day)10:00 AM (next day)
9:00 PM1:00 PM (next day)12:00 PM (next day)11:00 AM (next day)
10:00 PM2:00 PM (next day)1:00 PM (next day)12:00 PM (next day)
11:00 PM3:00 PM (next day)2:00 PM (next day)1:00 PM (next day)

Convert any Eastern time to Sydney time

The converter applies both the US and the Australian rules for the date you choose. Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth are in the list as well.

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When can New York and Sydney meet?

The workable slot is New York's evening, which is Sydney's next morning. 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM ET always land in the Sydney morning: 10–11 AM from November to March, 9–10 AM in the overlap weeks, and 8–9 AM from April to October. A recurring 6:00 PM ET call therefore drifts from 10:00 AM to 8:00 AM in Sydney over the year, and back.

Only four weekdays truly overlap. Sydney's Monday morning is Sunday in New York (9:00 AM Monday AEDT is 5:00 PM Sunday EST), and from 8:00 AM on a New York Friday in winter it is already Saturday in Sydney. Plan for Monday–Thursday in New York, Tuesday–Friday in Sydney. From the US West Coast it is easier: 3:00 PM PST is 10:00 AM AEDT. Tokyo, two hours behind Sydney in January, is covered on EST to JST, and the converter hub lists every other zone.

Why doesn't Brisbane change its clocks?

Queensland stays on AEST (UTC+10) all year. It used daylight saving in 1971–72 and again in a three-year trial from 1989 to 1992, then held a referendum on 22 February 1992: 54.5% voted no. Support was strongest in the south-east around Brisbane and opposition strongest in the north and west of the state. On standard time, Brisbane's sun already rises at about 4:49 AM on December 21; daylight saving would make that 5:49 AM.

So Brisbane is 15 hours ahead of EST and 14 hours ahead of EDT, and from October to April it runs an hour behind Sydney. On the Gold Coast the state line splits twin towns: Coolangatta in Queensland and Tweed Heads in New South Wales are an hour apart every summer. Right now it is --:-- in Brisbane.

The Northern Territory (Darwin) and Western Australia (Perth) do not use daylight saving either; Western Australia has rejected it in four referendums, most recently in 2009. Perth, on UTC+8, keeps the same time as Beijing (see EST to China Time).

AEST or AEDT: which abbreviation is right?

AEST is standard time, UTC+10; AEDT is daylight time, UTC+11. Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart are on AEDT from October to April, so "AEST" in a January invitation is wrong in the same way "EST" in July is wrong for New York. Queensland is on AEST all year, so there the label is always correct.

Watch out for a bare "EST" in Australian material: Australians long used it for their own Eastern Standard Time, which is 15 hours ahead of the American EST. When in doubt, ask for the city or the UTC offset. The live Eastern Time clock shows which label New York uses today.

Frequently asked questions

Is Melbourne on the same time as Sydney?

Yes. Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT and Tasmania share AEST/AEDT and switch on the same days, so Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart always match Sydney.

What is 9:00 AM in Sydney in Eastern Time?

In January, 9:00 AM AEDT is 5:00 PM EST the previous day. In July, 9:00 AM AEST is 7:00 PM EDT the previous day. In the overlap weeks it is 6:00 PM EDT the previous day.

What time is it in Perth compared with New York?

Perth is on AWST (UTC+8) all year: 13 hours ahead of EST and 12 hours ahead of EDT.

Is Adelaide on Australian Eastern Time?

No. Adelaide uses Australian Central Time, UTC+9:30 (ACST) or UTC+10:30 (ACDT), half an hour behind Sydney. From New York it is 15½, 14½ or 13½ hours ahead depending on the season.

Does New Zealand change clocks on the same dates as Sydney?

Not quite. New Zealand springs forward on the last Sunday in September, about a week before Sydney, and falls back on the same first Sunday in April. Auckland is 2 hours ahead of Sydney most of the year and 3 hours for that week, so from New York it is 16, 17 or 18 hours ahead.

Explore

EST to JST

Tokyo: no daylight saving, 14 or 13 hours ahead.

EST to UTC

The reference offset behind every conversion.