EST vs EDT
The two halves of Eastern Time and when each applies.
Help · FAQ
Eastern Time FAQ
Short, checked answers to the questions readers ask most about Eastern Time, grouped by topic. Each one links to the page that covers it in depth.
- Eastern Time now
- --:-- ET
- UTC offset now
- −05:00 / −04:00
- Next clock change
- Second Sunday in March
- Countdown
- —
Jump to: Basics · Daylight saving · Converting · Places · This site · or check the live Eastern Time clock
Basics: what is Eastern Time?
When should I write ET instead of EST or EDT?
ET (Eastern Time) names the zone and is correct all year. EST applies only from early November to mid-March and EDT the rest of the year, so use ET for recurring events or when the date is open. EST vs EDT, explained →
Is Eastern Time the same as New York time?
Yes. New York's zone, America/New_York, is the reference for the US Eastern zone, and Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa keep identical clocks. Time in New York →
Why is it called Eastern Time?
It is named for the eastern United States. US and Canadian railways set it up on November 18, 1883, around the 75th meridian west, and Congress made it law in the Standard Time Act of 1918. History of Eastern Time →
What do EWT and EPT mean?
Eastern War Time and Eastern Peace Time. From February 1942 the US kept clocks an hour ahead all year; after Japan's surrender in August 1945 the name became Peace Time until clocks fell back on September 30, 1945. All ET abbreviations →
How do I read 24-hour times such as 18:30 ET?
Subtract 12 from any hour above 12, so 18:30 is 6:30 PM. 00:00 is midnight and 12:00 is noon. 24-hour and military time →
Daylight saving: when do the clocks change?
What are the Eastern Time clock-change dates in 2027?
Clocks spring forward on Sunday, March 14, 2027, at 2:00 AM EST (07:00 UTC) and fall back on Sunday, November 7, 2027, at 2:00 AM EDT (06:00 UTC). DST 2027 in detail →
Does every place on Eastern Time change at the same moment?
Yes. The change happens at 2:00 AM local time and the whole zone shares one clock, so it is a single instant from Maine to Miami. Central Time switches an hour later and Pacific Time three hours later. How DST works in ET →
Is the United States about to make daylight saving time permanent?
Not yet. The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act (H.R. 139) by 308–117 on July 14, 2026, but as of late 2026 the Senate has not voted on it, so clocks still change twice a year. If it became law, Eastern Time would stay on UTC−4. House roll call 238 →
Why does DST run from March to November?
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 moved the start to the second Sunday in March and the end to the first Sunday in November from 2007, about four weeks longer than before. Canada adopted the same dates, although British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba stopped changing clocks in 2026. How the rules evolved →
What happens to 1:30 AM on the night clocks fall back?
It happens twice: first as 1:30 AM EDT, then an hour later as 1:30 AM EST. Times in that hour need the abbreviation or a UTC offset to be unambiguous. UTC offsets explained →
Converting: what time is it elsewhere?
How far ahead of Pacific Time is Eastern Time?
Three hours all year in the US, because both zones change on the same dates: 9:00 AM ET is 6:00 AM PT. British Columbia, on UTC−7 all year since 2026, is only two hours behind ET in winter. EST to PST table →
Why is London sometimes only four hours ahead of New York?
Europe changes clocks on the last Sundays of March and October, the US on the second Sunday of March and the first of November. In the weeks between, the usual five-hour gap shrinks to four. EST to GMT, with the dates →
What time is 9:00 AM ET in India?
7:30 PM IST while ET is on standard time and 6:30 PM IST during daylight time, because India is UTC+5:30 all year. EST to IST →
How do I convert Eastern Time to UTC?
Add five hours while ET is on EST and four while it is on EDT: 9:00 AM EST is 14:00 UTC and 9:00 AM EDT is 13:00 UTC. EST to UTC →
Is 12:00 PM ET noon or midnight?
Noon. 12:00 AM is midnight at the start of the day, which is why many schedules write "12:00 noon" or use 24-hour time instead. Noon, midnight and the 24-hour clock →
Places: where is Eastern Time used?
Which states are split between Eastern and Central Time?
Five: Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. In each one the western part uses Central Time. All states on Eastern Time →
Is all of Indiana on the same time?
No. Most of Indiana uses Eastern Time, but 12 counties, six near Chicago and six near Evansville, use Central Time. The whole state has observed daylight saving since 2006. Indiana time zones →
Is Detroit on Eastern or Central Time?
Eastern. Only four of Michigan's Upper Peninsula counties, along the Wisconsin border, use Central Time. Time in Detroit →
Does all of Ontario use Eastern Time?
Most of Ontario uses Eastern Time with daylight saving. West of 90°W, the Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances and Rainy River area did not fall back on November 1, 2026 and now keeps UTC−5 all year, like Manitoba: Toronto's time in winter, an hour behind it in summer. Atikokan has long kept EST all year. Eastern Time in Canada →
Which other countries share Eastern Time's UTC−5?
The Bahamas, Haiti and Turks and Caicos follow the US clock changes. Cuba normally does too, but it skipped the November 2026 fall-back and stays on UTC−4 until November 7, 2027. Panama, Jamaica, Colombia, mainland Ecuador and Peru stay on UTC−5 all year. Every place on UTC−5 →
This site: how does it work?
Where do the times on this site come from?
Your browser computes them from your device clock and the IANA Time Zone Database built into it. No time data is fetched from our server. About EasternTime.net →
Why could a clock here be a few minutes off?
The clocks are only as accurate as your device. Turn on automatic date and time, or compare with NIST's official clock at time.gov.
Does this site track my location?
No. Pages never ask for your location. The interactive maps load the Leaflet library and map tiles from third-party servers, and only once you scroll to a map. Privacy policy →
How do I report a mistake?
Use the contact page. Include the page address and, for a time error, your browser and the time zone set on your device.
Explore
Daylight saving time
Every US and Canadian clock change to 2030, with the rules behind them.
Eastern Time converter
Any ET time in 20+ zones, DST handled on both sides.
States on Eastern Time
Full and split states, county by county.
Cities on Eastern Time
Live clocks and local facts for major ET cities.
Glossary
Plain definitions of UTC, offsets, IANA zones and more.