EST (Eastern Standard Time) is UTC−5. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) is UTC−4. The US East Coast uses EST in winter and EDT from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. ET (Eastern Time) means whichever one is in use.
| Zone | Standard (winter) | Daylight (summer) |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | EST, UTC−5 | EDT, UTC−4 |
| Central | CST, UTC−6 | CDT, UTC−5 |
| Mountain | MST, UTC−7 | MDT, UTC−6 |
| Arizona (most) | MST, UTC−7 | MST, UTC−7 (no change) |
| Pacific | PST, UTC−8 | PDT, UTC−7 |
| Alaska | AKST, UTC−9 | AKDT, UTC−8 |
| Hawaii | HST, UTC−10 | HST, UTC−10 (no change) |
Why it matters
If you write “3 PM EST” in July, you technically mean 4 PM on the East Coast. Most people mean local time anyway, so the safe habit is to write “3 PM ET” or name the city.
Convert it
See EST to IST, PST to EST, CST to EST or use the time zone converter.
Updated Oct 9, 2026.
