EST Time Now: Eastern Standard Time

EST (Eastern Standard Time) is a fixed offset of UTC−5: it never changes for daylight saving.

Live •Updates every second
UTC−5 Thursday, August 6, 2026
15:42:05

Compare with

It is in EST (Eastern Standard Time, UTC−5) right now. EST (Eastern Standard Time) is a fixed offset of UTC−5: it never changes for daylight saving.
Daylight saving

Is it EST or EDT right now?

EDT (UTC−4) is in effect right now. Clocks fall back to EST (UTC−5) on November 1, 2026, in 86 days.
Mar 8Nov 1
EDT · daylight (UTC−4) EST · standard (UTC−5) Today
Clock changes

EST / EDT daylight-saving dates

2026

↑ Forward Sunday, March 8 → EDT
↓ Back Sunday, November 1 → EST

2027

↑ Forward Sunday, March 14 → EDT
↓ Back Sunday, November 7 → EST

Clocks change at 2:00 AM local time. Dates shift by a week or so each year; these are computed live from our weekly-updated database of 160,000 locations and time zones.

What the letters mean

EST, EDT and Eastern Time

Standard time (winter)
EST, Eastern Standard Time
UTC−5
Daylight time (summer)
EDT, Eastern Daylight Time
UTC−4
When you're not sure
Write Eastern Time: it refers to whichever of EST or EDT is currently in effect, so it's always correct.
Time differences

EST vs other time zones right now

UTC Coordinated Universal Time +5h → GMT Greenwich Mean Time +5h → PST Pacific Standard Time −3h → CST Central Standard Time −1h → CET Central European Time +6h → IST India Standard Time +10:30 → SGT Singapore Time +13h → JST Japan Standard Time +14h →

Tap a row for the full conversion page with a 24-hour table and the best hours to schedule across both zones.

Reference

About EST

Full name
Eastern Standard Time
UTC offset
UTC−5
Type
Standard time (fixed offset)
Daylight counterpart
EDT, Eastern Daylight Time
Where it is used
US East Coast and eastern Canada in winter; Jamaica and Panama year-round.

Regions on EST switch to EDT (UTC−4) during daylight saving time.

Cities on EST right now

New York Toronto Brooklyn Queens Montreal Philadelphia Manhattan The Bronx Ottawa Jacksonville Columbus Charlotte

Convert EST to other time zones

EST → UTC EST → GMT EST → PST EST → CST EST → CET EST → IST EST → SGT EST → JST

Convert EST to major cities

EST → New York EST → London EST → Tokyo EST → Sydney EST → Los Angeles EST → Dubai EST → Singapore EST → Mumbai

Frequently asked questions

What does EST stand for?

EST stands for Eastern Standard Time, a UTC offset of UTC−5.

Is EST the same as EDT?

No. EST (UTC−5) is standard (winter) time; EDT (UTC−4) is daylight (summer) time, one hour ahead. The umbrella term “Eastern Time” refers to whichever is in effect, so it is always safe to write Eastern Time when you are unsure.

When do the clocks change for EST?

In 2026, clocks go forward into EDT on Sunday, March 8 and back into EST on Sunday, November 1. The dates shift by a week or so each year; this page always shows the live, correct schedule.

What time is it in EST right now?

It is currently 3:42 PM on Thursday, August 6, 2026 in EST (UTC−5).

Where is EST used?

US East Coast and eastern Canada in winter; Jamaica and Panama year-round. Cities currently on this time include New York, Toronto, Brooklyn, Queens, Montreal.

More world clock & time zone apps

From the team behind worldclock.pro: global scheduling on iPhone & iPad, a Mac menu-bar clock, and precision Zulu/UTC for aviation, military, and HAM radio.

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