Convert EST to UTC
UTC = EST +5 h
UTC is 5 hours ahead of EST. EST is always UTC−5, so this gap is the same on every date.
EST · Eastern Standard Time · UTC−5
11:01AM
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
UTC · Coordinated Universal Time · UTC+0
4:01PM
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
New York is on EST (UTC−5) right now.
- Next clock change: March 14, 2027. New York moves to EDT (UTC−4), so UTC is then 4 hours ahead of New York.
- Next clock change: November 7, 2027. New York moves to EST (UTC−5), so UTC is then 5 hours ahead of New York.
EST to UTC for every hour
Each UTC column holds for part of the year (dates in the header for 2027). The first uses the fixed offset (EST UTC−5); the others give local clock time when daylight saving time changes the gap. From 7:00 PM EST, UTC is already on the next calendar day. The dot marks the current EST hour.
| EST | UTC +5 hfixed offsets | UTC +4 hMar 14 – Nov 7 | 24-hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 5:00 AM | 4:00 AM | 00:00 → 05:00 |
| 1:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 5:00 AM | 01:00 → 06:00 |
| 2:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 02:00 → 07:00 |
| 3:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 03:00 → 08:00 |
| 4:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 04:00 → 09:00 |
| 5:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 05:00 → 10:00 |
| 6:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 10:00 AM | 06:00 → 11:00 |
| 7:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 07:00 → 12:00 |
| 8:00 AM | 1:00 PM | 12:00 PM | 08:00 → 13:00 |
| 9:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 09:00 → 14:00 |
| 10:00 AM | 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 10:00 → 15:00 |
| 11:00 AM | 4:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 11:00 → 16:00 |
| 12:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 12:00 → 17:00 |
| 1:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 13:00 → 18:00 |
| 2:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 14:00 → 19:00 |
| 3:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 15:00 → 20:00 |
| 4:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 16:00 → 21:00 |
| 5:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 17:00 → 22:00 |
| 6:00 PM | 11:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 18:00 → 23:00 |
| 7:00 PM | 12:00 AM +1 day | 11:00 PM | 19:00 → 00:00 |
| 8:00 PM | 1:00 AM +1 day | 12:00 AM +1 day | 20:00 → 01:00 |
| 9:00 PM | 2:00 AM +1 day | 1:00 AM +1 day | 21:00 → 02:00 |
| 10:00 PM | 3:00 AM +1 day | 2:00 AM +1 day | 22:00 → 03:00 |
| 11:00 PM | 4:00 AM +1 day | 3:00 AM +1 day | 23:00 → 04:00 |
The EST times people look up most
| EST | UTC +5 h | UTC +4 h |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| 9:30 AM | 2:30 PM | 1:30 PM |
| 9:30 PM | 2:30 AM +1 day | 1:30 AM +1 day |
| 6:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 8:15 AM | 1:15 PM | 12:15 PM |
| 8:15 PM | 1:15 AM +1 day | 12:15 AM +1 day |
| 1:20 AM | 6:20 AM | 5:20 AM |
| 9:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
Does the difference change during the year?
As written, no: EST is always UTC−5, so the gap is 5 hours on every date. But New York uses EST only in winter, and people often keep writing “EST” when they mean the local time. Between the local clock in New York and UTC, the gap is 5 hours or 4 hours:
| From | What changes | New York | UTC | UTC vs EST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Start of the year | EST (UTC−5) | UTC (UTC+0) | +5 h |
| March 8 | New York moves to EDT (UTC−4) | EDT (UTC−4) | UTC (UTC+0) | +4 h |
| November 1 | New York moves to EST (UTC−5) | EST (UTC−5) | UTC (UTC+0) | +5 h |
| From | What changes | New York | UTC | UTC vs EST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Start of the year | EST (UTC−5) | UTC (UTC+0) | +5 h |
| March 14 | New York moves to EDT (UTC−4) | EDT (UTC−4) | UTC (UTC+0) | +4 h |
| November 7 | New York moves to EST (UTC−5) | EST (UTC−5) | UTC (UTC+0) | +5 h |
Converting EST to UTC by hand
With the fixed offsets, add 5 hours: 3:30 PM EST is 8:30 PM UTC.
With the +4 h gap (Mar 14 – Nov 7), add 4 hours: 3:30 PM EST is 7:30 PM UTC.
Going back from UTC to EST, do the opposite: the UTC to EST page has its own table.
Reading a UTC timestamp as EST time
Logs, APIs and flight plans usually carry UTC. A timestamp ending in Z is UTC, and one ending in an offset already says how far from UTC it is. These two name the same moment:
2027-01-15T20:00:00Z2027-01-15T15:00:00-05:00
The offset in the second form is the one in force on that date (January 15, 2027). A program should store the UTC form and apply the right offset when it displays the time, rather than storing a local time and hoping the offset is still the same.
What EST and UTC mean
Eastern Standard Time
EST is UTC−5. The US East Coast and eastern Canada (New York, Washington, Miami, Toronto, Montreal) use it only in winter; from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November they are on EDT, UTC−4. Jamaica, Panama and Cancún keep it all year, and since 2026 so does Manitoba (Winnipeg).
Coordinated Universal Time
UTC is the world’s reference time. It has no daylight saving time and no seasons: every UTC offset you see (UTC−5, UTC+5:30) is measured from it.